ATA Translation Transfer Skills Flashcards
6 cards from real ATA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ATA Translation Transfer Skills flashcards as text
What does 'dynamic equivalence' mean in translation theory and practice?
Answer: Producing a target text that has the same effect on its readers as the source text had on its readers
Dynamic equivalence, developed by Eugene Nida, prioritizes producing equivalent effect in the target-language reader rather than formal correspondence to source-language structure.
Which transfer strategy is most appropriate for culturally specific concepts that have no direct equivalent in the target language?
Answer: Use borrowing, calque, or an explanatory equivalent to convey the concept
When source-language concepts lack target-language equivalents, translators use borrowing, calque, or explanatory equivalents to convey meaning.
What is 'transposition' as a translation procedure?
Answer: Changing the grammatical category of a word while preserving the meaning (e.g., verb to noun)
Transposition is a translation technique where the word class changes between source and target text without changing the overall meaning.
In translation of legal documents, why is back-translation sometimes used and what are its limitations?
Answer: Back-translation is used as a quality check, but cannot guarantee equivalence because languages are not symmetrical
Back-translation re-translates the target text into the source language to check for discrepancies, but it is imperfect because translation is not a reversible process.
What is the primary goal of 'localization' as distinct from standard translation?
Answer: Localization adapts content culturally, technically, and linguistically to make it fully appropriate for a specific locale and market
Localization goes beyond linguistic translation to adapt content -- including cultural references, units, date formats, images, and legal requirements -- for a specific target market.
How should a translator approach 'implicature' -- meaning that is implied but not explicitly stated -- in the source text?
Answer: Preserve the same degree of implicitness in the target text, conveying the implied meaning through natural target-language expression
Translators should generally preserve the same level of implicitness as the source, conveying implied meaning through natural target-language expressions rather than always making it explicit.