BEI Sight Translation Techniques

Question 1

Sight translation in court interpreting is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

Translating a written document orally in real time

Answer

Interpreting spoken testimony into a written transcript

Answer

Silently reading a document and summarizing its key points

Answer

Translating a document in writing after thorough review

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

A defendant's written statement or police report

Answer

A judge's oral ruling delivered from the bench

Answer

A witness's verbal testimony given during cross-examination

Answer

An attorney's closing argument delivered in court

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Anticipation or eye-voice span

Answer

Chunking

Answer

Shadowing

Answer

Decalage

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Stop entirely and request a full dictionary before continuing

Answer

Skip the term and continue without acknowledging it

Answer

Substitute a general term without informing the court

Question 5

Sight translation differs from consecutive interpretation primarily because sight translation:

Accepted Answer

Involves a written source text rather than a spoken one

Answer

Requires note-taking to retain long stretches of speech

Answer

Is always performed simultaneously with live testimony

Answer

Allows the interpreter to prepare extensively before speaking

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Managing complex written sentence structures while speaking fluently

Answer

Retaining spoken information in memory between chunks

Answer

Maintaining simultaneous output lag (decalage) with a speaker

Answer

Decoding spoken dialect variations in real time

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Render a complete and accurate oral translation of the written text

Answer

Paraphrase the document to make it more understandable for the listener

Answer

Summarize key legal points and omit procedural language

Answer

Translate only the sections highlighted by the attorney