Sight Translation Techniques Flashcards

Sight translation in court interpreting is best defined as:

Answer: Translating a written document orally in real time

Sight translation involves rendering a written source-language document into the target language orally and in real time.

Which of the following documents is MOST commonly subject to sight translation in a court setting?

Answer: A defendant's written statement or police report

Written documents such as police reports, written statements, and evidentiary exhibits are the typical targets for sight translation in court.

The technique of reading several words ahead of what is currently being spoken aloud during sight translation is called:

Answer: Anticipation or eye-voice span

Eye-voice span (anticipation) refers to keeping the eyes ahead of the voice to allow the interpreter to process syntactic structure before speaking.

When an interpreter encounters an unfamiliar term while performing sight translation, the BEST immediate course of action is to:

Answer: Provide the closest equivalent and, if needed, briefly flag uncertainty to the court

Accuracy and transparency require the interpreter to render the best available equivalent and alert the court if there is genuine uncertainty rather than omitting or silently substituting.

Sight translation differs from consecutive interpretation primarily because sight translation:

Answer: Involves a written source text rather than a spoken one

Sight translation's defining characteristic is that the source material is a written document, whereas consecutive interpretation processes spoken utterances.

Which of the following is a recognized challenge unique to sight translation compared to other interpreting modes?

Answer: Managing complex written sentence structures while speaking fluently

Written legal documents often feature complex syntax that must be understood and restructured orally without pausing, which is the key challenge specific to sight translation.

Under BEI standards, the interpreter's primary obligation during sight translation is to:

Answer: Render a complete and accurate oral translation of the written text

BEI requires complete and accurate rendition; summarizing, paraphrasing, or selectively translating violates the standard of completeness.