In an ideal world, is editing really necessary?

[getfresh]

In an ideal world it would rain beer and money, everyday would be a paid holiday, everyone would have perfect lives where they are never bored in any way. In an ideal world, nothing would get done, thus no anime, thus no fansubbers, thus no need for editors. YAY for ideals!

[Access]

I know, I only brought it up b'cos of recent things. In the past, as far as 7-8 years in the past, when a translator would insist his work didn't need editing (and in some cases would threaten to leave the group if they changed his 'perfect' script) I would just shake my head and look the other way. It was just something you had to live with, if that was the only translator you had or could find willing to work that series. Now today, I know it's somewhat rare, but you have some cases where there is no editing, just translation, another competent person to check it (that is your 'peer review'), and then straight to final. If the results can speak for themselves, then, "why not?"

[False Dawn]

Originally Posted by Access

Now today, I know it's somewhat rare, but you have some cases where there is no editing, just translation, another competent person to check it (that is your 'peer review'), and then straight to final. If the results can speak for themselves, then, "why not?"

I'd say that's pretty rare even these days. I think the first scenario is more likely than the second: I've come across many translators who have had the attitude that their scripts didn't "need" editing (invariably, they do). It was more the case a few years ago, I admit, because nowadays, it seems as though other staff members are standing up for themselves more and the translator isn't the be-all and end-all of a group.

[tenkenX6]

Originally Posted by Tofusensei

Also, an editor is not always needed. For a lot of my work, I'd be comfortable releasing it with just a QC pass and not an edit pass. But a good editor will improve on my work, no doubt.

-Tofu

Yeah, like how every once in a while you ask for my input on a line that you have a hard time translating. Just like having a good editor, second opinions can prove to be useful for us translators.

[Heibi]

There is no such thing as perfect. If a translator said that his/her script was perfect, go through it and show him/her the error of their ways. If they refuse to believe they made mistakes, they probably should be let go. Wave goodbye to the "perfect" being. Watch them beg to come back in a few months once they realize the mistake they made.

[Jaka]

runpsicat

/thread

[getfresh]

ah... runs had ppl edit her... and had QC passes... so i don't get why you'd drop her name. Anyone and everyone needs to have others go over they works form time to time. There is such thing as personal bias as heibi mentioned. A mistake is generally a mistake because you DON'T EVEN KNOW that you are wrong about your assumption on a certain point. And with translations, since they are a very personal thing to most translators they fall "in love" with how they wrote out a line cause it sounded cooler even if it was stretching what was said quite a bit.

You know what you get when you have translators Time edit and T/L shows by themselves? the really bad releases from the US anime industry for a bunch of years...

[Eej]

I must be living in an ideal world because we never have editing passes anymore.

[tenkenX6]

Originally Posted by getfresh

You know what you get when you have translators Time edit and T/L shows by themselves? the really bad releases from the US anime industry for a bunch of years...

Heh, I won't argue this point. We've all seen our share of numerous bad U.S. domestic anime releases in the past.