Once the translator has checked the material and got it ready for translation, defined all the translation options, acquired the knowledge needed to get a perfect understanding of the material for translation, compiled and possibly integrated all the templates, terms, phrases and previously translated materials to be reused, and set up the workstation environment and any software required, there is good reason to think that optimal quality will be guaranteed during the actual transfer process which consists in creating ‘new’ material in such a way that it will meet all the target population’s expectations as regards contents, form and language.

Transfer naturally means transfer of contents, formats, and form, with all necessary changes and adaptations required by linguistic, cultural, commercial, technical, moral, etc. differences between source and target.

It also goes without saying that the translation is self-checked by the translator.

Once translated, the material has to be checked to make sure that everything that had to be translated has indeed been translated and complies with:

– language use and usage – meaning it is error-free, readable, clear, accessible, and unambiguous,

– the work provider’s specifications and the translation options chosen,

– the principles of convergence between the source material and ultimate target material (in terms of meaning, aim and purpose), providing of course the target destinations and the target functions are identical to those of the original.

The proof-reading (or proof-listening) phase and the revision phase are generally kept separate. The proof-reader corrects anything that is blatantly incorrect and flags any anomalies without interfering with the translation itself, while the reviser will correct and improve the translation. If the translated material is particularly sensitive or critical, the translation may in fact need to be quality- checked and revised many times in succession.

In the absolute, if ‘zero defect quality’ is required, it may take up to four or five close revisions to weed out all imperfections – at a cost which explains why ‘zero defect quality’ in translation remains something of an economically unreasonable objective.

Batch translations (where the same document is shared out between several translators) require specific checking and revision procedures, to ensure complete harmonisation as regards style, terminology, phraseology and discursive organisation.

Ideally, corrections should normally be carried out by none other than the translator, who is ultimately responsible for the quality of the end-product. But this is not always practicable and, besides, revisers and even, in some cases, the work providers themselves may introduce changes without bothering to inform the translator, who usually strongly resents such lack of consideration, especially when, as often happens in bilingual environments, an ill-advised work provider with poor competence decides to straighten things out his own way.

Adaptations are designed to make sure the translation complies with specific constraints (such as regulatory requirements for instance) or fulfills a different purpose and reaches a different target audience (as when a promotional brochure is derived from the translation of purely technical data) or is suitable for a different medium or a new format. Adapting the material to constraints, purposes, targets, media and formats is in fact tantamount to providing an additional service and deserves extra financial consideration.

Translations may also undergo ‘finalisation’, which may mean anything from updating the translated material (changes may have been introduced since the translation ended) to introducing administrative components (safety warnings, phone number, copyright notices, etc.)

The finished translation is generally validated or qualified for use, in particular if:

– the document or the material translated is used as a tool or instrument (as is the case with operating instructions and user guides, which can easily be tested in situ, or with ‘localised’ software applications which must necessarily be tested and quality-controlled before being launched on the market). The translation is then said to be qualified.

– the work provider knows that the translated document is of critical importance, either because the company’s or organisation’s international brand image is at stake or because considerable financial or technical risk is involved.

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