are editors and translators bound to clash for all times? or can we figure out some way to work together in harmony and mutual respect? This presentation presents both the translators and the editors point of view, as well as suggest an easy way to work together.

1. Yael Sela-Shapiro,
Hebrew-English Translation & Editing,
Content & Public Talks
Yael@transela.com
www.TranSela.com

2. 
The translators invest their mind and soul
into the translation
The editors enter this minefield, armed with
nothing but a pen…
The pen is also metaphorical…
Mortal Enemies?

3. 
Editors and Translators are freelancers
working from home
They may not know each other at all
Clients often keep them divided and separate
and avoid establishing on-going teams
No long-term relationship = no mutual trust
and / or respect
The Customary
Divide and Conquer

4. 
Translation
Editing
Proof-reading, Typesetting, Printing
The Translators receive the final text, and their
hearts sink…
The Customary
Editing Process

5. 
Translators get to know the text better than
anyone, sometimes even the writer
Translators’ in-depth understanding of the
text leads to some overall choices:
 Relative registers
 Lexical choices that are not obvious
 Translating in light of implicit context
Translators 101

6. 
Editors read with fresh eyes, like the end user
Translators, often too “caught up” in the
source text, may translate literally,
ambiguously or just wrongly.
Editors are there to save us from our mistakes.
Editors have meta-considerations
 Client dictates, constraints, terminology
 Target audience considerations (age, culture,
background, previous knowledge)
Editors 101

7. 
Poor grasp of source language
Ignorance of the subject matter
Over-literalism / “translationese”
Raising register / over-unification of source
Awkward / ambiguous phrasing
Overlooking allusions / wordplay /
alliteration
Not adapting translation to target audience
You dare call yourself a Translator?!
Some common translator faults

8. 
Poor grasp of source language
Ignorance of the subject matter
Over-literalism
Raising register unnecessarily
Over-unification of multiple-voice source
Overlooking intertextuality
You dare call yourself an Editor?!
Some common editor faults

10. 
Define guidelines / style-guide, terminology,
expectations, target audience, constraints
Convey the above to both translator and editor
Introduce translator and editor
Arrange to send edited translation to translator
Arrange for the translator and editor to
communicate regularly and with mutual
respect
Project Manager / Publisher,
Pre Translation:

11. 
Explicitly explain in general and specific
comments:
Reasons for picking register / term / idiom
Reasons for picking a non-obvious solution
Point out literary vehicles (alliterations,
allusions, quotes, parallelisms etc.)
Point out implicit context / constraints
Translator

12. 
Ask translators how they perceive the text,
what were their concerns in translating it
Use Track Changes
Make a short editing “sample”
Discuss sample with translator to formulate a
mutually-acceptable “editing policy”
Return edited text to translator for review
before submitting to client
Editor

13. 
Review edited text, even if you’re not getting
paid for your time
 Your translations are your portfolio; have them
represent who you really are
 Avoid editor mistakes being attributed to you
Respect your editors: they make your text
better for your sake as well as your client’s
Do not get emotionally attached to your text
Notify PM or publisher if editor sucks
Translators, Please Note:

14. 
Respect translators: they often cherish their
work.
Communicate with translators regularly
Don’t be judgmental; act diplomatically
Give translators some credit: what looks like a
mistake may in fact be a well considered choice
Make your inquiries ordered and to the point
Notify PM or publisher if translator sucks
Editors, Please Note:

15. Questions? Comments?
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