Group items tagged

Decide what medium lets you proofread most carefully. Some people like to work right at the computer, while others like to sit back with a printed copy that they can mark up as they read.

If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time, rather than all at once—otherwise, your concentration is likely to wane.

Citations Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your citations in the correct format? (See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for more information.)

persuasive

EthosEthos is appeal based on the character of the speaker. An ethos-driven document relies on the reputation of the author. Go to an example of an ethos-based site, and our explanation of what it is.

LogosLogos is appeal based on logic or reason. Documents distributed by companies or corporations are logos-driven. Scholarly documents are also often logos-driven. Go to an example of an logos-based site, and our explanation.

日本翻訳者協会 Working with Translators What is the difference between translating and interpreting? Translation means the transfer of written messages from one language to another, while interpreting refers to the transfer of spoken messages. Sometimes ‘translation’ is used as a generic term covering both practices, but when hiring someone’s services it will be less confusing if you distinguish between these different skills. What can a professional translator do for you? give you access to documents written in a language you don’t understand enable you to communicate your views in another language enhance the image of your company or organization by producing a professional document that is accurate and uses a style and terminology that are consistent and appropriate for your target audience help sell your products or services and ensure that a bad translation does not compromise your reputation or the quality of your products or service save you money by reducing the number of errors in your documents and eliminating delays and the need for expensive patch-up jobs later save you the worry and problems that arise from working with amateurs save you from possible embarrassment by pointing out any problems in cross-cultural communication. If you care about the quality of the end product, it is essential to use a professional translator rather than somebody who simply has a knowledge of two languages. What are the qualities of a good translator? a sophisticated understanding of the foreign language an understanding of the topic being translated an ability to transfer ideas expressed in one language into an equally meaningful form in the other language an above-average capacity to write well in the target language (the language in which the translation is written), using language appropriate for the topic and readership broad general knowledge a sound knowledge of the two cultures involved mental agility sensitivity and attention to detail an understanding of specialized terminology in the field of the translation and a willingness to do further research if necessary training or experience. Translation is more than just a mechanical exercise in looking up words in a dictionary and substituting the grammatical constructions of one language for those of another. Often there is no one-to-one equivalence between words in different languages–for instance, a particular word might have different emotional connotations in the other language. A professional translator will be aware of these potential difficulties and know how to cope with them. What are the characteristics of a good translation? Accuracy, logic and clarity in expression are key characteristics of a good translation, along with an appropriate tone and level of language (e.g., level of formality or technicality). On-time delivery is also essential. Above all, a translation must fulfil the function you require of it. With a translation for use in court, accuracy will be of paramount importance, even if the translation reads somewhat awkwardly, whereas with texts for publication it is vital that the translation reads smoothly. Tell the translator about your needs, what and who the translation is for, and what you expect the final product to look like. This won’t take a minute, but could save you a great deal of money and frustration and will help ensure a good translation. Can translators work in both language directions equally well? It is very rare

Clients are sometimes surprised at the high cost of translations.

3. Use Tricks to Freshen Your Eye Every experienced technical editor has her favorite trick to get a fresh perspective on a document. Here are some of the ones I’ve heard over the years: Turn the document upside down. Start from the end and read backwards, going line by line. Zoom in to 200 percent or more, particularly to edit graphics. Zoom out until you can see the entire page to edit overall page elements, such as the space before and after headings. Read aloud to both slow yourself down and to catch errors you’ve overlooked reading silently. Create a PDF of your document and proofread that.