BEI Interpretation & Translation Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During consecutive interpretation, a speaker uses an idiomatic phrase with no direct equivalent in the target language. What is the best approach?
- Omit the phrase entirely to avoid confusion
- Translate it word-for-word to preserve the speaker's exact words
- Render the functional meaning and emotional tone using a target-language equivalent (Correct answer)
- Ask the speaker to rephrase before continuing
Correct answer: Render the functional meaning and emotional tone using a target-language equivalent
Consecutive interpreters should convey the pragmatic meaning and register of an idiom using a culturally equivalent expression in the target language.
Question 2: What does the term 'register' refer to in the context of interpretation and translation?
- The volume level at which the interpreter speaks
- The formal or informal level of language appropriate to a specific context (Correct answer)
- The speed at which an interpreter renders a message
- The physical notebook used for note-taking
Correct answer: The formal or informal level of language appropriate to a specific context
Register refers to the variety of language used in a particular social situation, ranging from formal to informal, and interpreters must match the register of the source message.
Question 3: A LEP (limited English proficient) patient in a medical setting asks the interpreter for personal advice about their diagnosis. The interpreter should:
- Provide advice based on their knowledge of the medical field
- Redirect the patient to ask the provider and interpret that response (Correct answer)
- Explain they cannot help and end the session
- Answer only if they have relevant personal experience
Correct answer: Redirect the patient to ask the provider and interpret that response
Interpreters must maintain role boundaries and facilitate communication between parties rather than acting as advisors or advocates.
Question 4: In simultaneous interpretation, 'ear-voice span' (EVS) refers to:
- The distance between the interpreter's booth and the speaker's microphone
- The time lag between hearing the source message and producing the target output (Correct answer)
- The decibel difference between source and target language delivery
- The number of words an interpreter can hold in working memory
Correct answer: The time lag between hearing the source message and producing the target output
EVS is the temporal lag between input reception and output production, typically 2–4 seconds, essential for processing meaning before rendering it.
Question 5: Which ethical principle requires an interpreter to disclose any real or perceived conflict of interest before an assignment?
- Accuracy
- Impartiality (Correct answer)
- Confidentiality
- Role boundaries
Correct answer: Impartiality
Impartiality obligates interpreters to disclose conflicts of interest and to avoid any personal bias that could affect the neutrality of the interpreted message.
Question 6: When a witness in a legal proceeding uses a highly informal or vulgar term, the interpreter should:
- Substitute a more polite term to maintain courtroom decorum
- Omit the term and continue with the remainder of the statement
- Render the term with an equivalent word of the same register in the target language (Correct answer)
- Alert the judge before interpreting the term
Correct answer: Render the term with an equivalent word of the same register in the target language
Legal interpreters must render all speech, including vulgar or informal language, at an equivalent register so the trier of fact can assess the witness's credibility and demeanor.
Question 7: The practice of 'back-translation' is primarily used to:
- Speed up the simultaneous interpretation process
- Verify the accuracy of a translated document by re-translating it into the source language (Correct answer)
- Convert written text into spoken form for consecutive interpreting
- Reduce the cognitive load on the interpreter during long assignments
Correct answer: Verify the accuracy of a translated document by re-translating it into the source language
Back-translation involves translating a target-language text back into the source language to check for accuracy and meaning equivalence, commonly used in medical and legal document translation.
BEI Interpretation & Translation Skills 2
During consecutive interpretation, a speaker uses an idiomatic phrase with no direct equivalent in the target language.
What is the best approach?