Workflow

What does it take to produce a page of translation?

It requires the coordinated work of dozens of people across our translation, editorial, technology, markup, and publications teams.

Getting a page of translation from the pecha to your screen is a dedicated process that begins with the annual preparation of grant cycle materials whereby our editors compile a list of selected source texts and background information, so that interested translation teams may apply for a grant to work on a specific translation project.

Our Grant Committee reviews and evaluates each proposal submission, and liaises with successful applicants to confirm the terms of award.

Translation teams (our grantees) begin with mounds of research, which often involves consulting multiple editions of a specific text in various languages, before submitting a first draft translation to the editorial team.

The editorial team is responsible for coordinating the translation and for providing guidance to the translation team throughout the course of the project. They review and edit the translations at various stages, and ensure general translation quality.

In response to initial feedback from the editor, the translation team works on subsequent revisions and prepares ancillary materials, such as the glossary, an introduction with historical and contextual information, a bibliography, and notes.

The text then moves into the hands of our copyeditors who go through the translation line-by-line to ensure correctness of spelling, formatting, technical terms, topic headings, and many other details.

Meanwhile, our technology team manages our mass online publication database, and creates tools for translators such as translation memory features and an interactive cumulative glossary. They also develop editorial tools and layers of editorial access across a remote project management site. For the reader, they handle our user interface design and create our built-in comprehension tools that enhance the ways you engage with the texts.

Using these tools, the markup editors then mark up the text in XML language to implement the typography, layout, and other design features of the finished work. This stage also sees the implementation of TEI-compatible functions and features that will allow various categories of information to be embedded within the text. This is crucial to the way you are able to engage with the publications in the 84000 Reading Room and use our interactive comprehension features.

Another sūtra of the Buddha’s wisdom is made available in English!

Once the text receives a final editorial review and a proofread, it progresses through to an internal release for checks before finally being published in our online Reading Room, with pdf, epub and Kindle versions also made available so you can take this wisdom with you wherever you go.