25.5209, Review: Translation: Mossop (2014)

Fri Dec 19 22:47:24 UTC 2014

LINGUIST List: Vol-25-5209. Fri Dec 19 2014. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 25.5209, Review: Translation: Mossop (2014)

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Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:43:38
From: Claire Ellender [claire.ellender at univ-lille3.fr]
Subject: Revising and Editing for Translators

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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/25/25-1396.html

AUTHOR: Brian  Mossop
TITLE: Revising and Editing for Translators
SUBTITLE: 3rd Edition
SERIES TITLE: Translation Practices Explained
PUBLISHER: Routledge (Taylor and Francis)
YEAR: 2014

REVIEWER: Claire Louise Ellender, Université Charles-de-Gaulle

Review's Editor: Helen Aristar-Dry

This work is part of the Translation Practices Explained Series whose three
principal aims are to: ‘help self-learners and teachers of translation’,
‘address specific aspects of professional practices on which little teaching
and learning material is available’ and ‘encourage learners to [solve]
problems [...] from examples and case studies [...]’ (p. i). The purpose of
the present review is two-fold. First, it provides brief summaries of the
Introduction and fourteen principal chapters of Mossop’s textbook. Second, it
highlights this book’s merits and shortcomings before determining the extent
to which the work fulfils both the three above-stated aims of the  Translation
Practices Explained Series and the specific objectives which Mossop states in
his Introduction.

SUMMARY

Mossop’s ‘Introduction for Users’ first defines the work’s intended audience:
i) professionals and students who are seeking to revise their own translations
(self-revision) or revise the translations of others (other-revision) and ii)
students who are learning to edit original writing by others. The author
clearly explains, and distinguishes between, the two key concepts which he
uses. ‘Revising’ consists in ‘reading a translation in order to spot
problematic passages, and making any needed corrections and improvements’ (p.
1). ‘Editing’, by contrast, ‘is the same task applied to texts which are not
translations’ (ibid.). After stating explicitly what this book does not intend
to do, Mossop clarifies that revising and editing both require application of
certain principles; his work thus helps readers to formulate procedures for
good practice. This Introduction concludes with a brief section which is aimed
at different types of instructors. It deals with supervising trainees in the
work place, outlines approaches to marking, learning outcomes, exercises and
tests, and offers a number of syllabus suggestions (pp. 9-17). 

Chapter One explains why editing and revising are necessary. Sentences in a
text may be written unclearly and therefore difficult for readers to
understand, or the author may not have borne in mind the text’s readership and
therefore not tailored the text appropriately. Issues relating to correct use
of language and genre may also arise. Chapter One then lists some ways in
which a text may be defective before discussing the difficulty of writing
(including an interesting classification of different types of writer, p. 20),
the need for writers to respect rules (linguistic ones and those of
publishers) and concepts of quality which assist the reviser’s work. The
chapter concludes with a comprehensive summary of its main points. 

The work of an editor forms the focus of Chapter Two. The tasks which editors
carry out are listed and four categories of amending work are defined, thereby
introducing the subjects which are covered in Chapters Three to Six. Further
definitions are provided (editing, rewriting, adapting) and are followed by a
series of practice exercises (pp. 40-1).

The first type of textual amending work to be dealt with in depth is
copyediting. Chapter Three defines this process as ‘[...] checking and
correcting a document to bring it into conformance with pre-set rules’ (p.
42), before considering it under five headings: house style, spelling, syntax
and idiom, punctuation and correct usage. Subsequently there is a series of
ten exercises, each of which suggests a particular aspect of copyediting on
which to focus, for instance style sheets, punctuation or syntax. 

In Chapter Four, stylistic editing is considered. This task involves tailoring
vocabulary and sentence structure to the text’s target audience and creating a
smooth-flowing, easily readable text. The chapter discusses tailoring language
to readers, smoothing, readability, how stylistic editing can be carried out
during translation and traps to avoid, notably making too many changes to a
text. Again, a number of exercises, which encourage identification and
correction of stylistic problems, are proposed.

Structural editing concerns both the conceptual structure of texts
(organisation of argument) and their physical structure (parts and
sequencing). In Chapter Five, a number of issues relating to physical
structure are identified, structural editing during translation is touched
upon, and further practice exercises are provided. Content editing consists in
checking and amending a text for its ideas (p. 83). This occurs at both the
macro level (on a large scale) and the micro level (on a small scale).
Translators are mostly concerned with micro-level tasks and these form the
focus of Chapter Six. Factual, conceptual and logical errors are all detailed
and the issues of content editing, both during and after translation, are
discussed.

Chapters Seven and Eight focus on checking for consistency and computer aids
to checking. In the former, such subjects as degrees of consistency and
translation databases are covered. In Chapter Eight, the use of Internet
search engines, multilingual sites and translation databases in the processes
of editing and revising are all discussed, and a number of practical tips are
offered. Mossop details the multiple benefits of Google, be this for checking
the authenticity and idiomatic quality of expressions (pp. 97-9), searching
for terminology in on-line, specialised multilingual glossaries, or carrying
out research on subject-matter. The editing functions of word-processors and
revision tools are also explained in some depth.

Concentrating on the work of a reviser, Chapter Nine first defines revising as
‘[...] that function of professional translators in which they find features
of the draft translation that fall short of what is acceptable, as determined
by some concept of quality, and make any needed corrections and improvements’
(p. 115). At times, the reviser has to correct the text (omissions,
mistranslations, terminological errors); at other times, it is necessary to
improve the text (stylistic editing, semantic adjustments). In this extremely
detailed chapter, a whole range of issues are covered, from revision of
terminology, through measuring the quality of revision and the trade-off
between time and quality, to quality assurance. This paves the way for Chapter
Ten, ‘The Revision Parameters’, which details features of a draft translation
which may require revision (p. 134). Twelve parameters are presented and are
divided into four groups: problems of (meaning) Transfer, Content, Language
and Presentation (TCLP). 

Once degrees of revision have been discussed in Chapter Eleven (the need for
revision by a second translator, determining degree of revision, and a ‘good
enough’ approach to revision p. 163), concrete revision procedures are set out
in Chapter Twelve. The book’s final two chapters cover the vital process of
self-revision (Chapter Thirteen), including a helpful section on
‘self-diagnosis’ and some detailed exercises; these relate to revising not
only the work of human translators (Chapter Fourteen) but also machine
translation (MT) and translation memory (TM) outputs. Mossop’s work concludes
with six appendices, amongst which are twelve principles for revision (pp.
205-6), a discussion of quality assessment (pp. 207-13), a grading scheme for
editing assignments (pp. 214-17) and a glossary of the terminology used
throughout the book (pp. 222-9).

EVALUATION

As explained at the outset, the present review will now highlight the merits
and shortcomings of Mossop’s ‘Revising and Editing for Translators’ and assess
the extent to which this work fulfils both the Translation Practices Explained
Series’ three aims and the specific, clearly related, objectives which Mossop
states in his Introduction.

Mossop’s textbook, now in its third edition, is evidently a popular and
successful work. Its structure is eminently clear and easy to follow, the
language in which it is written is easily accessible and, as would be expected
of a book which deals with revising and editing, the copy- and stylistic
editing are impeccable. ‘Revising and Editing for Translators’ also contains a
considerable amount of detailed information and honest discussion of practical
scenarios and related dilemmas (p. 127), and offers both interesting ideas for
hands-on exercises and ample suggestions for further reading at the end of
each chapter. 

Despite this book’s considerable merits, there are a small number of points
upon which it could potentially improve:

i)  Useful summaries are provided at the end of Chapters One and Twelve; it
may be helpful to add a similar section at the end of each chapter;

ii)  Although honest, the section of Mossop’s Introduction which details
everything which the book will not do could perhaps be removed, or at least
toned down; as it stands, it does tend to raise doubts about how useful the
book will actually be;

iii)  Certain suggestions made in the book may not sit easily with
conscientious readers / translators. Comments which suggest that it is not
necessary to be consistent in the use of terminology (pp. 90, 96) or to be a
perfectionist (pp. 158, 163), and that it is acceptable to delete elements of
the source text (ST) when translating (p. 177) do, on first reading, appear to
encourage a lax and somewhat unprofessional attitude. Mossop does however
justify his recommendations which, ultimately, all aim to increase
reviser-editor productivity.

In line with the Translation Practices Explained Series’ objectives, Mossop’s
work does indeed help both self-learners and teachers of translation,
encouraging them to engage with the text and solve problems through its
multiple suggestions for practical exercises and discussions. Of particular
significance is the fact that this book deals with the professional practices
of revising and editing for translators, on which relatively little teaching
and learning material is presently available. Numerous websites give guidance
on the revising and editing of academic and non-academic writing (Fleming
2009; Thomson 2014) and many books on these subjects are also available
(Billingham and Seely 2002; Luey 2007). As regards the revision of
translations, a range of on-line manuals (European Commission 2010), articles
(www.michel-translation.com; www.multi-languages.com) and blogs
(www.sprachrausch.com) are easily accessible. However, books on this subject
tend to deal, predominantly, with the revision of MT, that is, post-editing
(Allen 2003; Krings 2001). Apart from Mossop’s work, there is indeed a lack of
books, or manuals, which serve as comprehensive guides for practitioners,
students and instructors in the field.

Mossop’s own objectives, which are closely related to those of the series, are
also certainly achieved. The work is targeted at both professionals and
students / newcomers. For the former, it encourages objective self-reflection
on current practices (p. 180) and for the latter, it provides a wealth of
useful, practical information and tips (pp. 98-111). The work contains clear
sections on self-revision, other-revision and editing original writing by
others (Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen). On many occasions, it helps students
to formulate procedures for editing and revising which will provide them with
a solid foundation on which to build their career. Lastly, the work provides
guidance for different types of instructors through syllabus suggestions (pp.
116-17) and a sample grading scheme for editing assessments (pp. 214-17).

‘Revising and Editing for Translators’ is a practically-oriented, well
organised textbook which is of relevance to all members of the
multidimensional readership which it intends to target. It plugs an important
gap in literature on revising/editing practice and would be a useful addition
to the library of current and future editors/revisers and trainers in the
field.

REFERENCES

Allen, Jeffrey. 2003. Post-editing. In (ed.) Harold Somers, Computers and
Translation: A Translators’ Guide. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Fleming, Grace. 2009. The difference between revising and editing.
http://www.homeworktips.about.com (accessed 22.06.14).

Billingham, Jo and John Seely. 2002. One Step Ahead: editing and Revising
Text. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Krings, Hans. 2001. Repairing texts: empirical investigations of machine
translations and post-editing processes. Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University
Press.

Luey, Beth and Sanford Thatcher (eds.) 2007. Revising your Dissertation:
Advice from Leading Editors. California: University of California Press.

[n.a.]. 2010. ‘European Commission: Directorate-General for Translation.
Spanish Department.  
http://ec.europa.eu/translation/spanish/guidelines/documentation/revision_manu
al_en.pdf (accessed 22.06.14)

[n.a.] 2014. High Quality Translation and Interpreting Services: Revision
Guidelines for Translations. 
http://multi-languages.com/translators_revisions.shtml (accessed 22.06.14)

[n.a.]. 2014. Revision, Editing and Proofreading. 
http://www.michel-translation.com/en/services/editing_proofreading.htm
(accessed 22.06.14)
[n.a.]. 2013. Proofreading, editing, revising: What’s the difference?

http://www.sprachrausch.com/blog/2013/10/27/proofreading-editing-revising-what
s-difference (accessed 22.06.14)

Thomson, Pat. 2014. Good academic writing: it’s about revision not editing.
http://patthomson.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/good-academic-writing-its-about-rev
ision-not-editing (accessed 22.06.14)

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Claire Ellender is Maître de Conférences in Translation at the Université de
Lille III, France and has previously worked as an in-house translator in Paris
and a consultant course author for The Open University. She is an academic
member of ITI (Institute for Translation and Interpreting) and carries out
research in the fields of audiovisual and literary translation. Her recent
publications include 'Preserving Polyphonies: Translating the Writings of
Claude Sarraute' (2013, Peter Lang).

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