提高翻译质量的好方法有哪些?

　　现在的社会上，翻译是一个热门的行业，想要做好一个翻译员就要不断地进行自我检查和完善。翻译质量是检测翻译员水平的方法之一，下面医学翻译公司给大家分享一下提高翻译质量的好方法有哪些?

　　In today's society, translation is a hot industry. To be a good translator, it is necessary to constantly self-check and improve. The quality of translation is one of the ways to test the level of translators. What are the good ways to improve the quality of translation?

　　1、避免返工

　　1. Avoid rework

　　首先，尽量在第一遍就把翻译做好。编辑和修改工作错综复杂、变化不定，而且非常耗时。所以，尽力像实时发布译文一样翻译好每个词语。推拖到“以后”的工作越少，编辑和校对过程中这些工作被忽略的机会就越小。

　　First of all, try to translate well in the first time. Editorial and revision work is complex, changeable and time-consuming. So try to translate every word as well as publish the translation in real time. The fewer postponed tasks, the less likely they are to be overlooked in editing and proofreading.

　　2、列出危险词汇

　　2. List dangerous words

　　哪些词汇在译文语言中容易被混淆?例如：英语中Principle和principal，汉语中“图像”和“图象”。哪些词可能输错?这里并非指那些用拼写检查程序就可纠正的错别词汇，而是指合法词汇，例如：英语中的where和were，汉语中的图像和图形，使用五笔时常常会把“运行”输入成“支行”，这种词虽然没错，但具有不同意思。列出自己“常犯错误”的清单，使用搜索命令查看是否用错词。

　　Which words are easily confused in the translated language? For example, Principle and principal in English, image and image in Chinese. Which words may be mistyped? This does not refer to those mistyped words that can be corrected by spell checking procedures. It refers to legitimate words, such as where and were in English, images and graphics in Chinese. When using five strokes, the word "run" is often input into "branch line", which is correct but has different meanings. Make a list of your "common mistakes" and use the search command to see if you use the wrong words.

　　3、运行拼写和语法检查程序

　　3. Running spelling and grammar checking programs

　　编辑校对文本前始终运行拼写和语法检查程序。但是，在检查拼写和语法之前，选择整个文档，将语言设置为译文语言，确保检查程序完全激活，提示信息应出现在工具菜单内。

　　Always run spelling and grammar checking procedures before editing and proofreading text. However, before checking spelling and grammar, select the entire document, set the language to the translated language, ensure that the checker is fully activated, and prompt information should appear in the tool menu.

　　拼写和语法检查程序常被人嘲笑，它们有时检查不出真正问题，却对并不存在的问题提示一些可笑答案。然而，拼写和语法检查程序确实可找到大量值得注意的问题，并且提供的许多答案是完全正确的。尽管不能解决全部问题，但却可节省大量工作。

　　Spelling and grammar checking programs are often ridiculed. They sometimes fail to check for real problems, but offer ridiculous answers to problems that do not exist. However, spelling and grammar checking programs do find a lot of noteworthy questions, and many of the answers provided are completely correct. Although it can't solve all the problems, it can save a lot of work.

　　4、遵守译文语言印刷规则和标点符号规则

　　4. Comply with the rules of printing and punctuation in the translated language

　　不同的语言有不同的排版和标点符号惯例，翻译时应遵守译文的语言用法。我们译员当中有太多的人忘记这点，将原文语言的规则强加到译文语言的文本上。例如，我们常常会看到巴西葡萄牙语译文按照英语规则将某些词汇大写了，汉语译文按照英语规则将某些词汇处理为斜体字,甚至有些英语译文中存在中文标点符号和项目编号。

　　Different languages have different typesetting and punctuation conventions. The language usage of the translated text should be observed in translation. Too many of our translators forget this and impose the rules of the original language on the text of the translated language. For example, we often see Brazilian Portuguese translations capitalize certain words according to English rules, Chinese translations treat some words as italics according to English rules, and even some English translations have Chinese punctuation marks and item numbers.

　　许多译员要么输入时粗心大意，要么从不学习如何使用计算机输入文本。例如，我们常常发现这样的翻译：文本词汇之间存在多余空格，逗号前出现空格，英文句点后没有空格，中文句号后加了空格，制表使用不当等等。这种文本不仅给编辑、排版和校对造成不必要的困难，而且还会给客户留下粗心印象，这对我们的形象极其不利。不要说这不属于你的工作：我们应努力做好自己的翻译，从而使编辑员和校对员不必再修改译文，虽然这是不可能的，但始终应努力这样做。

　　Many interpreters are either careless in typing or never learn how to use computers to input text. For example, we often find such translation: there are redundant spaces between text vocabulary, spaces before commas, no spaces after English periods, spaces after Chinese periods, improper tabulation and so on. This text not only creates unnecessary difficulties for editing, typesetting and proofreading, but also leaves a careless impression on customers, which is extremely harmful to our image. Don't say it's not your job: we should try to do our translation well so that editors and proofreaders don't have to revise the translation any more. Although it's impossible, we should always try to do so.

　　以上并非说你应成为一个排版员。事实上，我们与排版人员都承认一种人人皆知的说法：排版人员不翻译，翻译人员不排版。上面所说只是指，我们的工作应符合几项“排版卫生”基本规则。

　　That's not to say you should be a typesetter. In fact, we and typesetters all admit a well-known saying: typesetters do not translate, translators do not typesetting. The above only means that our work should conform to several basic rules of "typesetting hygiene".

　　5、切勿使用“全部替换”命令

　　5. Do not use the "All Replacement" command

　　这是所有命令当中最致命的命令。虽然我们知道操作的替换可以撤销，但我们也知道，通常你只有在应用全部替换半小时并进行了100处其他文本修改后才发现错误，这时再控制纠正已太迟了。

　　This is the deadliest of all orders. Although we know that the replacement of operations can be undone, we also know that you usually find errors only after half an hour of application replacement and 100 other text modifications, and then it is too late to control the correction.

　　6、不要让拔河比赛损害你的译文

　　6. Don't let tug-of-war damage your translation

　　翻译过程中，原文语言和译文语言就像在进行拔河比赛，不断产生拉力，根据我们处理的程度，可能使我们的译文丰富多彩，也可能使我们的译文不堪一读。

　　In the process of translation, the original language and the translated language are like tug-of-war contests, which constantly generate tension. According to the degree of our treatment, our translation may be rich and colorful, and our translation may also be unreadable.

　　即使译文稍后会由他人编辑，大多数译员仍然重视编辑自己的译文，这是非常好的做法。这些译员，有的喜欢分两步编辑：先比较原文和译文检查忠实性，然后只读译文查看是否流畅。有的则喜欢按相反顺序编辑：先检查流畅性，再检查忠实性。无论选择哪种顺序，都应坚持自我编校译文，否则就算没有完成工作。

　　Even though the translation will be edited later by others, most translators still attach great importance to editing their own translation, which is a very good practice. Some of these translators like to edit in two steps: first check the faithfulness of the original text and the translation, and then read only the translation to see if it is fluent. Others prefer to edit in reverse order: first check for fluency, then check for fidelity. Whatever order you choose, you should persist in compiling and proofreading your own translation, otherwise you will not finish your work.

　　7、了解同源词、错别字和其他

　　7. Understanding cognates, misspelled words and others

　　如果翻译涉及的两种语言有同源词，则可能已被警告假同源词，这些具有不同意义但词汇相同或极其相似的语言对，即假朋友，例如：eventual在英语中是一种意思，而在葡萄牙语中又是另一种意思，这种词让不止一位翻译崇拜者感到沮丧。

　　If the two languages involved in translation have cognates, they may have been warned of false cognates, which have different meanings but have the same or very similar vocabulary, that is, false friends, for example: Evetual is a meaning in English and another meaning in Portuguese, which frustrates more than one translator worshipper.

　　这些警告常常导致多疑观点，认为在译文中不能使用同源词。为啥不能用同源词呢?Eventual在英语和葡萄牙语中具有不同意义，但notável常常是notable的最佳译文。当然，手头有更好地选择时，使用不大理想的翻译会导致不必要的准确性损失。

　　These warnings often lead to doubtful opinions that cognates cannot be used in translation. Why not use cognates? Eventual has different meanings in English and Portuguese, but notvel is often the best translation of notable. Of course, when there are better choices at hand, the use of less desirable translations can lead to unnecessary loss of accuracy.

　　8、准确

　　8, accuracy

　　准确一种备受赞赏的翻译美德，但我们经常注意名词和动词的准确，然而准确却时常寓于形容词和副词之中。形容词和副词是典型的“微妙变化词汇”，这种微不足道的词汇对我们的思想起着微调作用。多年前，一家巴西出版社委托一个当地大学教授翻译一本科普书。可能因为译员不喜欢所读的内容，也可能是其他原因，反正，尽管把名词和动词翻译的正确无误，但总把形容词和副词译错。极富创造力的研究仅仅译成有趣的研究，明显错误译成可能错误，诸如此类的错误很多。“技术术语”全是名词或动词，翻译得非常准确，出版社对之非常满意，但是译文质量却非常糟糕。

　　Accuracy is a highly appreciated translation virtue, but we often pay attention to the accuracy of nouns and verbs, but accuracy often resides in adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives and adverbs are typical words with subtle changes, which play a fine-tuning role in our thinking. Years ago, a Brazilian Publishing House commissioned a professor from a local university to translate a popular undergraduate book. Maybe it's because the interpreter doesn't like what he reads, or maybe it's for other reasons. Anyway, although the translation of nouns and verbs is correct, the translation of adjectives and adverbs is always wrong. Creative research translates only into interesting research. Obviously, errors translate into possible errors. There are many such errors. "Technical terms" are all nouns or verbs. They are translated very accurately. The publishers are very satisfied with them, but the quality of the translation is very poor.

　　9、不要陷入介词陷阱

　　9. Don't fall into the preposition trap

　　有趣的是，大量译员仍然会陷入介词陷阱。大部分介词不会独立存在，它们需要由动词或名词来搭配。

　　Interestingly, a large number of translators still fall into the preposition trap. Most prepositions do not exist independently. They need to be collocated by verbs or nouns.

　　10、检查页眉、页脚、图形和文本框

　　10. Check headers, footers, graphics and text boxes

　　我们翻译时常常会直奔正文，忽视页眉和页脚，这里常常隐藏严重的错误。如果原文文本为MS Word文档，请注意有些图形在打印预览方式时才会显示，而且不要忘记寻找有无文本框。因为我们确实没有这样做，最近就与一家翻译机构陷入极其尴尬的困境，文档有两个微小的文本框，总共不到十个字。但这恰恰是关键字，最终客户最先注意的就是这几个字。

　　When we translate, we often go straight to the text, ignoring the header and footer, where serious errors are often hidden. If the original text is an MS Word document, please note that some graphics will not be displayed until they are printed in preview mode, and don't forget to look for text boxes. Because we did not do so, we recently got into a very awkward dilemma with a translation agency. Documents have two tiny text boxes, a total of less than ten words. But this is precisely the key words, the final customer's first attention is these words.

　　11、重新运行拼写和语法检查程序

　　11. Rerun the spelling and grammar checker

　　交付稿件之前，为安全起见，最好再运行一次拼写和语法检查程序。我们在编校过程中常常又会产生语法和拼写错误，最后就得检查和清除这种错误了。

　　Before delivering the manuscript, it's better to run the spelling and grammar checker again for safety. We often make grammatical and spelling errors in the process of editing and proofreading. Finally, we have to check and clear up these errors.

　　12、请其他人检查你的译文

　　12. Ask others to check your translation

　　如果你的客户是翻译机构，那么很可能会有专门的译审来检查你的译文。如果你的客户是最终客户，你应另寻他人来检查你的译文。即使你的译作非常优秀，他们也会从中发现奇怪的错误，并将译文改的面目全非。

　　If your client is a translation agency, there will probably be a special translation review to check your translation. If your client is the end customer, you should ask someone else to check your translation. Even if your translation is excellent, they will find strange mistakes in it and change it completely.

中译国际翻译（北京）有限公司
China International Translation service Co., Ltd.