The Revision Parameters

The revision parameters are the things a reviser checks for – the types of error. An exhausve lisng of things that can go wrong when translang would be very long indeed. However in order to think about and discuss revision, it is convenient to have a reasonably short list of error types. In this book, we’ll use twelve parameters, divided into four groups. Here they are, expressed as ques-ons about the translaon, followed by a single capitalized word for convenience of reference:

1. Does the translaon reflect the message of the source text? (Accuracy) 2. Have any elements of the message been le out? (Completeness)

3. Does the sequence of ideas make sense? Is there any nonsense or contradicon? (Logic)

4. Are there any factual, conceptual or mathemacal errors? (Facts)

5. Does the wording flow? Are the connecons between sentences clear? Are the relaonships among the parts of each sentence clear? Are there any awkward, hard-to-read sentences? (Smoothness)

6. Is the language suited to the users of the translaon and the use they will make of it? (Tailoring)

7. Is the style suited to the genre? Has correct terminology been used? Does the phraseology match that used in original target-language texts on the same subject? (Sub-language)

8. Are all the word combinaons idiomac? Does the translaon observe the rhetorical preferences of the target language? (Idiom)

9. Have the rules of grammar, spelling, punctuaon, house style and correct usage been observed? (Mechanics)

10. Are there any problems in the way the text is arranged on the page: spacing, indentaon, margins, etc? (Layout)

11. Are there any problems related to bolding, underlining, font type, font size, etc? (Typography)

12. Are there any problems in the way the document as a whole is or-

ganized: page numbering, headers, footnotes, table of contents, etc? (Organizaon)

Remember that this list is for discussion and reflecon about revision pracces. It is not for use as a checklist while actually revising in a professional seng (though it might be used as such in a classroom seng). Obviously, you are not going to go through each sentence twelve mes! As we’ll see in Chapter 11, however, you may want to refer to the four groups of parameters before you begin, in order to decide the degree to which you will revise.