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Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality

  • Félix do Carmo and Maarit Koponen
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Handbook of the Language Industry
This chapter is in the book Handbook of the Language Industry

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the complex relations that exist in the translation industry around management, control and production of translations with adequate levels of quality. Different workflows are analysed, from the traditional TEP (translation, editing and proofreading) process to the use of advanced technology for postediting machine translation output, seen from a perspective of a continuum of varied levels or degrees of practices. Professional roles, matters of agency, authorship and responsibility are discussed, in conjunction with industry standards, instructions and guidelines, in an attempt to uncover the difficulties and tensions that exist in demanding professional environments. Translators that work in these environments try to navigate between requirements that are purely linguistic and process descriptions that do not adequately reflect the realities, concerned over the lack of control of the results, when they work in enlarged teams with only access to small pieces of big puzzles. No matter how fragmented their work is, and how expanded their required competences become, translators are the key links in fast production chains that, by playing different roles in revision and post-editing, carry the responsibility over the quality of the translations that feed a globalized economy.

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the complex relations that exist in the translation industry around management, control and production of translations with adequate levels of quality. Different workflows are analysed, from the traditional TEP (translation, editing and proofreading) process to the use of advanced technology for postediting machine translation output, seen from a perspective of a continuum of varied levels or degrees of practices. Professional roles, matters of agency, authorship and responsibility are discussed, in conjunction with industry standards, instructions and guidelines, in an attempt to uncover the difficulties and tensions that exist in demanding professional environments. Translators that work in these environments try to navigate between requirements that are purely linguistic and process descriptions that do not adequately reflect the realities, concerned over the lack of control of the results, when they work in enlarged teams with only access to small pieces of big puzzles. No matter how fragmented their work is, and how expanded their required competences become, translators are the key links in fast production chains that, by playing different roles in revision and post-editing, carry the responsibility over the quality of the translations that feed a globalized economy.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110716047-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
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