Working with Editors - Translation Services

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Working with Editors

By Karla E. Melйndez
kemh@shaw.ca

One of the most important unspoken rules that I have learned as a writer is that you never check your own work. A fresh set of eyes will always catch mistakes that you, as a writer, may overlook after repeatedly reading your own text.

This unspoken rule also applies to translators. It really is not too difficult to fall for the “literal translation” trap, especially as a beginning or mid-level translator (although experience will help mid‑level translators avoid this trap more frequently than beginning translators).

This is why editors are of such great importance to writers and translators alike. An editor/writer or translator team can produce material of much higher quality than a lone writer or translator. Also, a beginning writer or translator will learn a lot from an editor’s corrections and observations, provided that the writer or translator reviews all of the editor’s changes, and not just automatically accepts all proposed changes.

However, for the editor and writer or translator relationship to thrive, a few rules should be observed by both parties:

The editor should respect the writer’s or translator’s writing style. In other words, while the editor’s job is to make corrections and revisions to the written text in order to make it clearer and more understandable to readers, the corrected text should still reflect the voice and personality that the writer or translator manifests in his or her writing. When translating, this style becomes more evident in the terminology that the translator chooses. Words of any language have multiple synonyms, and when dealing with languages that are spoken in different countries around the world, there will inevitable be words that are more accepted or recognized in certain countries, but not in others. This is particularly true of the Spanish and English languages. Unless there is a definite rule as to which words to use as translation for others (for example, when there is a specific target audience), an editor should respect the translator’s choice of words.
A writer or translator should feel free to ask the editor questions regarding any changes with which the writer or translator may not agree. If the editor provides a clear and unbiased reason for the changes he or she has proposed, the writer will then feel more comfortable accepting the editor’s proposed changes.
A writer or translator should understand that, by making changes to the written text, the editor is in no way criticizing or “putting down” the writer’s or translator’s work. The editor is simply doing his or her job, which is to strengthen the quality of the written work by making it clearer and more understandable to readers.
Similarly, the editor should treat the writer or translator as a fellow wordsmith, even if the writer or translator is a beginner. Above all, writers, translators, and editors should remember to always behave and address each other with utmost respect and professionalism.

An editor is truly the writer’s and translator’s greatest ally. By keeping in mind that the goal is to produce high quality written and translated documents, an editor and writer or translator can and do work very well together as a team.

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