Could research help revisers?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Revision by a second translator plays a major role in quality control in institutional settings such as the European Commission and the United Nations. Different institutional translation services take different approaches to revision, and their approach changes over time. There are policy differences and there are differences among revisers in revision technique. Is there a best way to approach the task, a way which is as fast as possible while achieving adequate quality? Or does it depend on differing institutional requirements and budgets, different conceptions of quality, differences in staff size, and differences in the way individuals process language? If there is no best way of revising, are there ways that do not work well? Surveys of research on revision by a second translator have led to findings which, while interesting, are mostly not of a kind that, if pursued, could provide managers and revisers with a scientific basis for adopting a revision policy or recommending a revision technique. Given a certain concept of Applied Translation Studies, it should be possible, with cooperation and funding from the big translating institutions, for teams of researchers and practitioners to test hypotheses about which of a pair of techniques or policies is best.