CHAPTER 2

EDITING AND PROOFREADING IN TRANSLATION

2.1 Introduction
Editing and proofreading are two different essential stages of document
preparation before it is published or shared. Editing involves improving the text by
correcting errors and making words and sentences clearer, more precise, and as
effective as possible. It can involve adding, deleting, and rearranging words.
Proofreading is the stage of reading the text carefully and correcting the spelling
and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues and inconsistencies. In other
words, although both require close and careful reading, proofreading is a surface-
level check and editing corrects issues at the core of writing to help improve the
readability, clarity, and tone of the text.
In this chapter, you will be provided with general guides and tips for editing
and proofreading.

2.2 Editing
2.2.1 Types of editing in translation
Editing a translation is the checking
process done by a translator, or an editor.
There are different types of editing,
including copyediting, stylistic editing,
structural editing, content editing and
consistency checking are aspects
frequently used in translation.
Copy-editing deals with checking and correcting a text to ensure its
conformance with the rules on spelling, grammar and punctuation of a specific
language. Copyediting is line-by-line work.
[2.1] ST: Những bông hoa đỗ quyên cuối cùng trên đỉnh Bạch Mã nở muộn
giữa tiết trời xuân chuyển sang hạ dường như đợi chờ những lữ
khách cuối cùng đến để tận hưởng hương sắc của loài hoa rừng
đặc trưng của đất trời.
TT: The last azaleas on the top of Bach Ma during the season change
between Spring and Summer seem to be waiting for the last

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 travelers to come and enjoy the beauty of this flower species of
nature.
ET: The late-blooming azaleas on the top of Bach Ma during the
Spring-Summer transfer seem to be waiting for the last travelers
to come and enjoy the beauty of this flower species of nature.
Stylistic editing is the work to make sure that the translated text is readable
to the target audience.
[2.2] ST: This scholarship was established and operated by the Department
of Integrative Arts to recognize outstanding full-time students
enrolled in Graphic Design who have achieved positive academic
records.
TT: Học bổng này được thành lập và điều hành bởi khoa Nghệ thuật
tổng hợp để công nhận những sinh viên chính quy xuất sắc ghi
danh vào ngành Thiết kế đồ hoạ đã đạt thành tích học tập tích cực.
ET: Học bổng này do khoa Nghệ thuật tổng hợp thành lập và điều
hành để công nhận những sinh viên chính quy ngành Thiết kế đồ
hoạ xuất sắc đã đạt thành tích học tập tích cực.
Structural editing is concerned with checking the overall presentation of the
translated text.
[2.3] ST: Trong màn mưa bay bay, cái màu đất nâu vàng như sậm hơn và
càng bám chặt vào những củ khoai từ căng tròn.
TT: In the grey rain, the brown soil seems darker and stickier to the
plump yams.
ET: The brown soil seems darker and stickier to the plump yams in
the grey rain.
Content editing involves checking and improving the content of target text
(in comparison with the source text).
2.2.2 Steps in content editing of the translation
It is recommended that the translator/editor follow these steps in content
editing with all translation regardless of its length. At first, the translator/editor
should look at the target text as a whole to see if it is logical and understandable. At
this stage, errors in spelling, syntax and meaning are also detected and corrected.

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 The next step is a comparative reading between the source and the target
texts. Changes are made at this stage, including sentences being restructured and
expressions replaced to ensure the text is written in an unbiased manner.
The followings are common parameters used in translation editing (Lychak,
n.d.):
Accuracy
 The meaning of the source text must be faithfully reflected in the
target text. This means that there are no unnecessary omissions or
additions in the target text.
 The syntactic structures of sentences, the formation of paragraphs, and
the spelling must be correct.
 Style and register (the level of formality) must be maintained.
Cultural and functional adaptation
Idioms, proverbs and sayings, figurative language, metaphors, units of
measurement, ways of addressing people, dates, etc. must be adapted to the target
audience and culture.
Professional translation companies suggested a variety of checklists for
translation editing. The following checklist has been adapted from TRAVOD (2021)
to fit in with the objectives of the course and the level of proficiency of the EFL
students:
Accuracy and Style
 Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
 Omissions
 Verb agreements
 Diacritics
 Colloquialisms and idioms
 Offensive terminology
 Has all the content been successfully translated?
Formatting
 Translation of proper nouns
 Currency symbols and presentation
 Measurements

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2.3 Proofreading
Proofreading can be seen as the
final stage of a complete translation. It is a
careful check for any remaining errors,
such as misspelled words, misplaced
punctuation, and stylistic inconsistencies.
Proofreading is often confounded
with editing. However, they are different.
While editing involves revisions resulting
in major changes of the document to ensure the accuracy of information and style,
proofreading ensures the final content is free of linguistic and formatting errors.
Only after edits are complete can the proofreading stage take place.
There are important things to do when you proofread a text as follows:
 Check spelling and punctuation; correct any small errors
 Improving grammatical errors by restructuring poorly-structured phrases,
rewriting too long sentences, etc.
 Check measurement or currency errors (see below).
In proofreading a translation text, there are more important things to do. You
need to pay special attention to localization. These are the special cases between
English and Vietnamese:
Currency
[ENG] £; €; $ [VIE] GBP; EUR; USD
(or other dollar system)
Numbers
There are differences in the presentation of numbers between the two
languages.
[ENG] 1,827 [VIE] 1.827
[ENG] 2.54 [VIE] 2,54
Measurements
For measurements, although there are terms in the two languages, it is
advisable that the translator should provide the equivalents as an annotation in the
translated texts.

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 [ENG] 1 mile [VIE] 1,61 km
[ENG] 1 yard [VIE] 0,91 m
[ENG] 1 foot [VIE] 30,48 cm
[ENG] 1 inch [VIE] 2,543 cm
[ENG] 1 pound [VIE] 453,592 grams
For temperature, you need to check case by case. For example, the Celsius
system is used in Australia, but the Fahrenheit system is used in the US, although
both countries are English-speaking.

2.4 Practice Exercises

Read the pairs of source texts and target texts and edit the target to ensure
the translation quality.
Exercise 1: English-Vietnamese translation
Source text
Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (8/19/1883 – 1/10/1971) was a French
fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel
brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty,
casual chic as the feminine standard of style, replacing the “corseted silhouette” that
was dominant beforehand. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel extended her influence
beyond couture clothing, realizing her design aesthetic in jewelry, handbags, and
fragrance. Her signature scent, Chanel No. 5, has become an iconic product. She is
the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential
people of the 20th century. Chanel herself designed her famed interlocked-CC
monogram, which has been in use since the 1920s.
Target text
Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (8/19/1883 – 1/10/1971) là một nữ doanh
nhân và nhà thiết kế thời trang người Pháp. Người sáng lập và mang tên thương hiệu
Chanel, bà được ghi nhận vào thời hậu Thế chiến thứ nhất với việc phổ biến phong
cách thể thao, giản dị sang trọng làm tiêu chuẩn phong cách nữ tính, thay thế cho
“hình bóng corset” vốn thống trị trước đó. Là một nhà sáng tạo thời trang xuất sắc,
Chanel đã mở rộng tầm ảnh hưởng của mình ra ngoài quần áo thời trang cao cấp,
hiện thực hóa thẩm mỹ thiết kế của mình trong đồ trang sức, túi xách và nước hoa.
Mùi hương đặc trưng của cô, Chanel số 5, đã trở thành một sản phẩm mang tính
biểu tượng. Cô là nhà thiết kế thời trang duy nhất có tên trong danh sách 100 người
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có ảnh hưởng nhất thế kỷ 20. Chanel đã tự mình thiết kế chữ lồng CC lồng vào nhau
nổi tiếng của mình, được sử dụng từ những năm 1920.
Exercise 2: Vietnamese-English translation
ST1: Được biết đến là người thiết kế đài tưởng niệm Chiến sĩ trận vong (Bia
Quốc Học), họa sĩ Tôn Thất Sa còn là người họa sĩ tài hoa góp phần lưu giữ những
hình ảnh nghệ thuật cổ của Huế.
TT1: Ton That Sa was known not only as the designer of the Memorial of
the *Martyrs (Quoc Hoc Screen), but also as a talented artist who has contributed to
preserving the ancient artistic images of Hue.
ST2: Chiều 19/4, Chủ tịch UBND tỉnh Phan Ngọc Thọ có buổi tiếp, làm việc
với Đại sứ Cộng hòa liên bang Đức tại Việt Nam, Tiến sĩ Guido Hildner.
TT2: On the afternoon of April 19, Chairman of the Provincial People’s
Committee Phan Ngoc Tho had a meeting with the Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Germany to Vietnam, Dr. Guido Hildner.