mechanical proofreading; dead collation
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to proofread mechanically by strictly following the original manuscript without verifying content accuracy; dead proofreading
technicalA technical term in publishing and textual criticism. Contrasts with 活校 (live proofreading), which involves comparing multiple editions and correcting errors. Typically used in the editing of ancient texts or authoritative manuscripts where fidelity to the source is prioritized over correction.
The publishing house requires dead proofreading of this manuscript to ensure it matches the original completely.
When collating ancient texts, if you simply transcribe from the original without comparing other editions, that is dead proofreading.
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This edition is a dead-proofread copy, with all the errors from the original manuscript preserved.
Unlike dead proofreading, live proofreading requires editors to possess profound knowledge to judge the correctness of variant readings.