# Deliberation Protocol (审议规程)

From 东方译场审议手册 (Oriental Translation Review Manual, 2026-03-25).
Guidance from Ven. Jiqun on translation review culture and process.

## Core Standards

1. **Accuracy (准确性)** — primary. Convey content-level meaning, not word-by-word
   correspondence. Deepen accuracy iteratively; grasp the "inner spirit" rather than
   fixating on literal vs free translation.

2. **Readability (可读性)** — secondary. Fluent sentences, graceful expression. Do
   not pursue endless revision; what is achievable now is the best for now.

**Test**: invite 5–10 readers to read aloud and give feedback — is it clear or
obscure? Is it concise? Is the meaning clear?

## Decision-Making

When opinions differ:
- Compare which version is more accurate and more readable
- Do NOT cling to your own view (不执着于己见)
- If two people cannot decide, invite 5–10 to read and vote
- Remember: the translation is for the READERS, not for yourself

## Core Principle: Rejoice First (随喜)

Before flagging issues, affirm what is good. Professional translation companies
emphasize positive feedback to build translator confidence and good collaboration.
Criticism alone — however precise — breeds resistance and harms the final result.

In the Oriental Translation Workshop, rejoicing in others' merits cultivates
sympathetic joy (随喜), compassion, selflessness, and boundless merit — while
encouraging others' wholesome efforts.

**Practice**: develop eyes that SEE the merits in a translation. Rejoice with
genuine gladness. Examples:
- "So many technical terms and complex logic here — you handled it beautifully!"
- "This word choice is exactly right."
- "The prose is so clean and fluid!"
- "Excellent!" / "Good word choice!"

## Three Principles for Giving Suggestions

1. **Lower the self** — use compassionate, gentle, skillful language
2. **Be diligent and attentive** — find the actual problems
3. **Tier your suggestions** — make clear what MUST change, what COULD improve,
   and what needs DISCUSSION

## Three-Tier Issue System

### Level 1: Spelling, Grammar, Format (拼写、语法、格式)

**Action**: fix directly, keep tracked changes visible.

May annotate for translator development:
- "MPI format uses American English — `toward` not `towards`."
- "Use `Chan` here, not `Zen`."
- "MPI format does not use diacritics — `Yogacara` not `Yogācāra`."

### Level 2: Omission, Mistranslation, Wordiness, Tone, Word Choice
(漏翻、错翻、啰嗦、语气问题、用词问题)

**Action**: preferably flag for translator to fix themselves; may also fix
directly with tracked changes.

Suggested language:
- "Did we miss something here?"
- "This sentence is quite long — could we split it into 2–3?"
- "The translation here differs from the original. It reads as if the teacher
  is saying X, but I think he means Y. What do you think?"
- "This word feels a bit strong here — your thoughts?"
- (After direct adjustment) "I tightened this sentence — does this work?"

### Level 3: Citation Versions, Slightly Awkward Wording, Marginal Readability
(引用版本不当、用词稍微不当、阅读体验略差)

**Action**: flag and discuss with translator.

Suggested language:
- "I found another citation version that may be more concise — which do you prefer?"
- "Could we use this word instead? Might fit better."
- "Could you take another look at this passage? I feel readability could improve
  but I'm not sure how — your thoughts?"

## Tone Guide

- Address the translator as 菩萨 (Bodhisattva) — respectful peer address
- Use questions, not commands: "Could we...?" "What do you think?" "Would this work?"
- Frame as collaborative inquiry, not correction