Translated from Spanish by: Sofía Conesa Carbajal

Proofreading, related to text revision, is one of the key phases of the global translation process. In our agency, work is not finished when the translation is done, but when it has gone through a revision process in which we can make sure there are no errors, neither minor, such as typographical mistakes, nor major errors, in terms of conveying the meaning. Major errors could have devastating consequences in the judicial and legal sector, for instance. Therefore, we could say that translating, editing and proofreading are inseparable elements of a whole that need to be combined to achieve a maximum quality piece of work.

The benefits of proofreading

Proofreading a text is an essential task to maximize the quality of the translation process as well as the result. Moreover, proofreading can not only be applied to a translated text but also to texts written directly in your second language in order to achieve maximum adequacy, coherence and cohesion. Here are some benefits of proofreading:

1. Accuracy. One of the biggest advantages of proofreading is the search for accuracy, both at the terminological level – to ensure that the original meaning remains the same in the target language – and at the linguistic level, to make the text as natural as possible. That is why at Lingua we always entrust proofreading tasks to native professionals of the target language.
2. Terminological consistency. Specialised and domain-specific terms often appear several times throughout the text. It is thus essential to check that these terms have been translated the same way. Having a terminology glossary is advisable to avoid misunderstandings and to make a good impression on the reader. At Lingua we have our own specialised glossaries for different topics but we can also use our clients’ if they request so.
3. Fluency and clarity. The two benefits previously mentioned go a long way towards ensuring that a text reads smoothly and clearly, avoiding ambiguity. When writing, especially if we are not using our mother tongue, we often focus on not making grammatical or spelling mistakes, overlooking the fact that repetitions and mistranslations are an equal or greater danger as they not only jeopardise the reception and reading of the text, but can also alter its meaning. Proofreading provides a way to ensure that our texts are free of all these threats.
4. Style. Having been working on a project for months (or years!), the last thing we want is to see our paper get rejected by a scientific journal due to poor style. Indeed, this is a key element that can greatly affect its publication. In the field of research, using a formal register and a serious tone is essential to guarantee that our paper passes all the filters of a prestigious journal. The use of poor style or the inclusion, albeit accidental, of marks of informality could be the reason for rejection, but this can be avoided by hiring a professional proofreading service.

Additional aspects to consider

These are only some advantages of proofreading. If we were to mention some others, we could touch on adhering to publication guidelines (in line with the last paragraph) since every scientific journal has its own guidelines, and your paper must follow them to get easily published.

In the case of proofreading between two languages, the target culture must also be taken into account, since there are usually many overlooked conventions that are actually vital in the target culture. We were sent a text once in which a Dutch product had been literally translated to English. Funny enough, it resulted in a sexual expression, which obviously was not the desired result. Luckily, this error was spotted in the proofreading phase. Hiring a proofreading service is the best way to avoid making a poor impression with our text. In fact, not only would it improve the perception and the reader acceptance of our text, but also our reputation as authors.

Save yourself a headache! We all know how difficult it is to write a text from scratch and all the elements to consider beyond the content: style, punctuation, citation standards, spelling… and the time that all this entails. Why not lighten your workload and let somebody else review your texts? As they say, four eyes see better than two; with Lingua you can trust that your texts will be in the best of hands.

Our services

Furthermore, when we offer our services in Lingua we talk about TEP, which stands for translation, edition and proofreading. Our fees include these three steps in the complex but necessary translation process. However, we do also offer our proofreading service separately: we can revise previously translated documents or texts written in your second language to ensure that the message remains the same both in the original and target language – and we will also guarantee that other linguistic aspects are correct.

Here are our contact details, web form and social media. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!