Since I did not study translation as such, I had to make sure from the start that my specialist knowledge and the quality of my work matched that of established specialists in the market. I discovered early on that no language or translation studies are required to define workflows which ensure a certain level of minimum quality. I simply had to transfer the quality assurance measures and tools from my previous profession in anaesthesia to the translation industry. Of course, the statement “Every anaesthetist has their own graveyard” can also apply to translators, but there are some easy-to-apply quality assurance measures that contribute to the expression “Mission accomplished –patient deceased” being heard less and less.
In my talk, I will introduce my QA processes and the tools that I use. The “WHO Surgical Safety Checklist” served as a template to develop some very basic checklists for my translation jobs. The checklists were designed for simplicity and brevity. Many of the individual steps are already accepted as common sense by translators around the world, though they are rarely followed in their entirety. It’s not about magic or the art of the perfect translation, but primarily about minimum requirements.
If every translator were to implement these minimum requirements, then my job as an editor/proof-reader (>30% of my turnover) would be much easier and everyone involved would benefit.
This presentation is aimed at any/everyone who has the desire to be inspired by a few partially-provocative views from a “non-specialist” but also any/everyone who wants less stress in the future with end customers or agencies is cordially invited to this presentation. And it won’t be boring – promise!
