Chapter 37
Testing the translation

Testing should be begun early in the project. After the first section, episode, or chapter is completed, it should be tested.
There are three main reasons for testing a translation. The translator wants to be sure his translation is accurate, clear, and natural. The translation will be of better quality
If several people are involved in testing. The translator himself will need to be responsible for what are called self-check. If a translation consultant is available, he can help.
There will also be reviewers. The are people who are willing to read though the translation and make comments about clarity and naturalness. It is good if each translation.
Project has some testers. Ways of testing a translation:
a) Comparison with the source language. A careful comparison with the source text will need to be made several times
during the ranslation process. One of the main purposes of the comparison is to check for equivalence of information context, nothing omitted, nothing added, and nothing different.
Back-translation: A second way to check a translation is having some one else, who is bilingual in the source and receptor language makes a back translation of the text.
This person takes the translation and writes out the meaning he gets from it back in to the source language. He should do this without having needed the source text.
Comprehension tests: the purpose of this test is to sees whether or not the translation is understood correctly by speakers of the language who have not seen the translation previously.
This type of test involves having people retell the content of the translation and answer questions about it. In comprehension test using a cassette recorder can be very helpful.
Questions may be asked to give information about discourse style, theme of text or details. Style questions are concerned with the genre as well as the style of the translation.
Theme questions focus on the high points of the story or argument. Naturalness tests the purpose of naturalness tests is to see if the form of the translation is natural
And the style appropriate. This test is done by reviewers. A reviewer should be taught to expect the translation to be meaningful and easy to read.
Readability test. These tests are done by asking someone to read a part of translation aloud. It should be a complete section; that is, a unit. As they read
The tester will notice any places where the reader hesitates. Consistency checks: Source text will have had certain key terms which were identified and for which lexical equivalents were found
If the document being translated is a long one or done over a long period of time, it is possible that the translator has been inconsistent in the use
of lexical equivalents for some key terms. Consistency in editing matters requires careful attention to the spelling of the name of people, and places.