If there is a maxim applicable to the set of linguistic services within the translation industry, that would be giving the products the highest quality possible. Indeed, from a more professional point of view, translating is not only an exercise in interlinguistic reproduction consisting of expressing in one language what had been previously expressed in another. The reality is that a translation must inevitably be linked to the guarantee that it is a faithful reproduction of the source content and which is dynamically equivalent, something that, although it might seem like a lie, is not always subject to control and can cause problems in the future, such as damages caused by using an incorrect translation, which we already discussed in this article. To do so, in the self-correction and quality control processes, a series of parameters has been established that allow the quality of a translation to be analyzed from an objective point of view, such that possible impreciseness can be corrected before it is delivered.
One of these parameters, consistency is probably insisted on the most. In the sector for providing linguistic services, consistency is a parameter guaranteeing quality which allows us to verify that the translation options between a source material and a target material are always the same. Said in another way, for example, this is responsible for confirming that a term or expression is translated in the same way throughout a text or a project comprising several texts. Sometimes, it is even possible to translate one material in several ways, but ideally one option is chosen and it is applied consistently. If not, it may seem like more references are mentioned than those that really exist, and a target reader may identify two different elements when there is really only one. Another very common example comes up during the translation of a project to different languages. By taking into account that normally only one translator is used per language pair, multilingual translation projects are assigned to different translators, which sometimes are not in contact with each other. If they need to make important decisions, there is a risk that their probably unknown colleagues might make a different decision. What would happen, for example, in the case of the translation of a web page showing the positions in a company? The translator for one language could choose to leave them in the source language, while the translator for another language may choose to localize them in order to help the target audience understand better. Thus, if each one acts according to their own decisions, the resulting translation would be inconsistent because one would contain a localized service and the other would not, which would leave the two target audiences in unequal positions.
Having said this, it is obvious that consistency is a determining factor in the translations and which can be compromised in any point in the process. This is why it is fundamental for professionals in this activity, namely translation agencies and the clients themselves, to adopt measures to reduce the appearance of inconsistencies and fight against possible consequences that may come from them.
Essentially, it could be stated that there are three different steps in which we can take action and establish measures towards combating the risk of inconsistencies.
First of all, measures can be taken before the translation is started, during the negotiation phase between the client and the provider of the service. In general, clients provide the document they need translated or they present the type of material they want to localize (i.e., a web page). At this time, it is advantageous to perform an analysis of said material and identify possible aspects that could be interpreted by the translators, which could elicit different focuses in the translations or simply the translation preferences of said clients. These actions will let us gather useful information that will be passed on to the translators responsible for the project. Of course, it is important to discuss with them the benefits of maintaining an open channel for doubts and encourage them to ask themselves this series of questions regarding future projects. The fact is that sometimes the clients are not equally aware and need more information about this.
Then, measures should be taken during the translation process itself. Many aspects fall into this category. For example, one of the most important ones is self-correction. The translator in contact with the text is who needs to be alert in order to detect repetitions in terms or expressions and guarantee a consistent translation. To do so, they can make annotations, use tools to search and replace or use more specific applications. In the case of projects shared between several translators, a typical scenario for inconsistencies, a communication channel between those translators can be created and they can be asked to make annotations about the terminology as they work, for example, by editing a file in real time with Google Drive. This will let them ask questions and make changes throughout the translation process and come to an agreement beforehand, since starting debates later on consumes more time.
Finally, measures can be taken after finishing the translation step. Here is where the much-appreciated revision comes into play (which should not be mistaken for self-correction, as we explained in this article). Namely, it is the participation of a second or third translator which has been demonstrated to be a very satisfactory strategy when detecting impreciseness such as inconsistencies, which occasionally can get past the first translator after they have been in visual contact with the material for a long time. In fact, revision (far from being a task to “polish” the original translation) is a tool conceived to identify these types of aspects and improve the quality in deliveries.
Inconsistencies are a very common type of error in translations. In part, they are legitimate since they are associated with the intervention of human resources and the use of automatic translation tools without supervision. For this reason, we have to adopt a proactive attitude in order to combat against them and achieve a final product that meets the most stringent quality standards.
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