| User | Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff Poll: Do you take a break before proofreading your translations? |
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ProZ.com Staff 
United States
Local time: 02:02
 Member (2011)
SITE STAFF | |
Rezehana
Macedonia (FYROM)
Local time: 11:02
English to Albanian
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I always take a break for at least 20 minutes before proofreading a document I’ve just translated. It helps me regain my strength, rest my mind and eyes and increase my concentration levels.
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:02
 Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| | Whenever possible | Nov 21, 2009 |
Like most, I’m sure, I find it helps to take a break so I can look at the translation with a refreshed mind and also try to read it as though through somebody else's eyes. Ideally I will sleep on it, but when there’s no time then I will often jump in the shower, go for a run or do something else to clear the mind. Menial tasks like housework seem to do the trick. I've heard of authors using similar tactics when they get writer's block.
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Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 02:02
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
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Too early to tell, but this seems to be a strong trend so far.
I really need to approach proofreading with fresh eyes.
A professional monolingual proofreader once told me that the way to avoid mistakes is to make two passes: one for sense and the second one for typos and style. It's hard to separate the two, but when I manage to do this successfully, fewer problems slip through my fingers. Now if I have just been deep into the translation process, that adds a third layer of confusion and it will be that much harder for me to see the mistakes.
[Edited at 2009-11-21 09:42 GMT]
[Edited at 2009-11-21 09:42 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
France
Local time: 11:02
Member (2007)
French to English
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| | A break from that text, yes | Nov 21, 2009 |
I'm sure most, if not all, of us will agree that that's necessary.
However, I don't necessarily take a break from work - that's not always possible
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Teresa Borges
Belgium
Local time: 11:02
Member (2007)
German to Portuguese
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| | Yes, I always take a break | Nov 21, 2009 |
before proofreading (ideally one day, a few hours in most cases) and I always read the printed text out loud at least once before handing it in.
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Amy Duncan
Brazil
Local time: 08:02
Member (2005)
Portuguese to English
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But sometimes the deadline is too tight and it's not possible. But I definitely prefer to take a refresher break.
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aceavila - Noni
Spain
Local time: 11:02
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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But I should imagine that virtually all who have answered thus do so with the caveat that they would ideally always take a break. Can't imagine anyone not recommending it.
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Gianluca Marras
Italy
Local time: 11:02
Member (2008)
English to Italian
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one day, if possibile, otherwise I start another job and after a few hours I go back to the proofreading. You see things differently when you leave it for a while.
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Marlene Blanshay
Canada
Local time: 05:02
Member (2009)
French to English
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i finish the translation and then do something else, like fold the laundry or domestic chores. Also, I like to take the laptop away from the desk and sit on the couch with it when I proofread. I need a change of place!
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Paul Kachur
Germany
Local time: 11:02
German to English
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| | even a ninety-second rest for the eyes... | Nov 21, 2009 |
Even with a looming deadline, it is best to rest the eyes and relax the concentration for a minute or two before sitting down to proofread.
[Edited at 2009-11-21 15:16 GMT]
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Tina Vonhof
Canada
Local time: 03:02
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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If the document is not too long, I print it and look at it several hours later or the next day. I almost always find errors or things that can be improved in the printed version that I did not see on the computer screen.
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Gudrun Maydorn
Germany
Local time: 11:02
Member (2008)
German to English
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Like Simon Bruni I prefer to have a night's sleep before proofreading the text with fresh eyes the next morning. On the rare occasions when the deadline is too tight, I at least have a cup of tea away from the desk. And proofreading is worth it - I always find something to improve.
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