The purpose of this test is to find out which parts of the translation people find difficult to read. If someone finds a passage difficult to read, it is usually because
For this test, you need the help of people who can read well. Make it very clear to the reader that you are not testing his reading ability to see if he is a good reader, rather you are testing the translation, to see how the translation can be improved.
In liturgical services, different parts are assigned to different people. Prayers and litanies should be tested by priests and deacons, while hymns should be tested by cantors or choir members. However, it is also good to have parishioners test prayers, litanies, and hymns. Even though parishioners might not be saying these words aloud in Church, you need to know whether the words are understandable.
Although rubrics (liturgical instructions) are not read aloud, it is very important that they be clear and easy to understand, since they instruct the clergy and people what to do. Therefore, you should even test rubrics by listening to readers.
Watch for differences between the written text and what is read, such as the following:
If the reader stumbles, or misreads, check to see what caused the mistake. Consider how to improve the translation so that it reads more smoothly at that point.
From time to time, the reader may change a few words without being aware he has made a change. Sometimes this happens because the reader is tired or careless. But often it is because there was something unnatural in the translation, and the reader automatically changed it to something that seemed to him to fit better in that place. It may be possible to improve the translation at that point.
There may be some places in the text where the reader reads something quite different from what the translator intended. He may read a word with the wrong “tone,” which changes the meaning, or it may be some other change. If the reader mispronounces a word so that the meaning is changed from what the translator intended, this shows that the translation is not clear. The reader did not understand the correct meaning. The translation needs to be improved.
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| Always make it clear to the reader that you are not testing the way he reads. Explain carefully that you are looking for ways to make the translation better. |