There’s No Such Thing As A Perfect Translation

Perfect is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes. Since no two people typically view language in the exact same way, the perfect translation is an elusive goal.

In our company post-translation proofreading is a standard part of the translation process. Post-translation proofing (or revision as it’s sometimes called) is an essential part of the service we provide which can not only eliminate possible errors in the original translation, but also improve the original translation’s quality.

Does this mean that at the conclusion of the proofreading phase of activity that another translator tasked with reviewing the translation would not make further changes? No it doesn’t. In fact if ten different translators reviewed a translation in succession, they might each make their own preferred modifications. Their changes would bring the translations more in line with their individual preferences, but not necessarily improve the end result.

Therefore for most translation projects a single post-translation review by a second translator is considered a good place to stop and consider the project final. Additional translation reviews would not appreciably improve the quality of the translation but would add to the cost of the project. In economic terms the marginal gain will likely not exceed the marginal cost.