Friday, 4 November 2005: 17.00-18.20
METM 05, Barcelona, Spain

Editing translation: pitfalls in style, grammar and usage

Ann King, freelance translator and software trainer; Jane Lewis, freelance translator and interpreter, both of Barcelona, Spain

Specific problems have to be addressed when editing translated texts because they have been rewritten in a different language by a “ghost” writer: there are two writers, two languages, and two styles. This means that editors/translators have to marshal their full knowledge of grammar, punctuation, style, register, and constraints on word usage to produce a more readable text. In this workshop, we will highlight frequent pitfalls to make it easier to spot dissonance and pinpoint problem areas in texts. Using examples from translated texts, participants will work on identifying problems with grammar, punctuation, syntax, style, and word usage.