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Article published In: Target
Vol. 38:1 (2026) ► pp.84–113

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The translator–reviser relationship in specialised translation

Insights from an interview study

ORCiD logo with link | University of Geneva | University of Antwerp
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with University of Geneva.

Published online: 11 September 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/target.24028.rio
Abstract
Revision (i.e., the verification of a human translation by a second person) takes place between two people: the translator and the reviser. The relationship between them is worth studying, as it is considered significant in handbooks, texts from practitioners, and competence models, and has been little studied so far in the field of specialised translation. In this article I report on an interview study (n = 45) conducted in Switzerland to analyse how the actors in this relationship communicate and how being revised is perceived by translators. The study shows that in the contexts studied, translators and revisers communicate extensively when revision takes place between colleagues. Furthermore, it highlights that revision can be a highly emotional process for translators, who mentioned occasional feelings of anger, aggrievement, and discouragement. Finally, the data suggest that appropriate communication can significantly mitigate the negative feelings that the translators expressed during the interviews.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1The translator–reviser relationship in the literature
    • 2.2The presence of others during the revision process and its impact on the revised translation
  • 3.An interview study on different areas of specialised translation in Switzerland
    • 3.1A qualitative study on practices and perceptions
    • 3.2Forty-five ‘responsive interviews’
    • 3.3A thematic analysis driven by the ‘template analysis’ method
    • 3.4Accuracy and lies in interviews
    • 3.5Description of the contexts studied
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Communication around revision
    • 4.2Being revised: A highly annoying and potentially conflictual activity
    • 4.3The critical influence of post-revision communication
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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