Audiovisual and literary translators' attitudes toward proofreading

Abstract

Before a translation is published, it undergoes the process of revision. There are two types of revision, self-revision, and other-revision, and the latter can be carried out by a translator or by a domain expert. Some broadcasting and publishing houses in Croatia also hire proofreaders to check the translation. The aim of this research was to explore how translators perceive the cooperation between translators and proofreaders. A semi-structured interview with audiovisual and literary translators was conducted for the purposes of this research. The findings show that translators expressed interest in communication with proofreaders to gain experience, resolve doubts and find the best possible translation solutions, as well as to get feedback. The translators find corrections that improve the quality of their translations welcome but disagree with preferential changes. This research has also pointed to the importance of external circumstances in the cooperation between translators and proofreaders.