BEI Sight Translation Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An interpreter asked to sight-translate a document that contains highly technical medical terminology should FIRST:
- Request a brief moment to scan the document before beginning (Correct answer)
- Refuse the assignment and ask the court to hire a specialist
- Begin translating immediately without reviewing the document
- Ask the attorney to read the document aloud instead
Correct answer: Request a brief moment to scan the document before beginning
A quick pre-scan of the document allows the interpreter to identify problematic terms and structure, improving accuracy without causing undue delay.
Question 2: When sight-translating, maintaining a consistent and appropriate pace is important primarily to:
- Ensure the listener can follow and that accuracy is maintained (Correct answer)
- Demonstrate fluency to the judge and opposing counsel
- Avoid triggering simultaneous interpretation protocols
- Reduce the total length of court proceedings
Correct answer: Ensure the listener can follow and that accuracy is maintained
Appropriate pacing ensures the recipient comprehends the translation and that the interpreter does not sacrifice accuracy for speed.
Question 3: Which interpreting skill most directly supports proficient sight translation performance?
- Strong reading comprehension in the source language (Correct answer)
- Mastery of shorthand note-taking symbols
- Ability to shadow a speaker with minimal lag
- Memorization of extended spoken passages
Correct answer: Strong reading comprehension in the source language
Sight translation begins with reading a written text, so robust reading comprehension in the source language is the foundational skill.
Question 4: If a judge asks the interpreter to sight-translate a document that was not previously disclosed to the defense, the interpreter should:
- Translate the document as requested while remaining impartial (Correct answer)
- Decline and advise the judge that the document may be inadmissible
- Ask the defendant whether they want the document translated
- Request that the defense attorney approve the translation first
Correct answer: Translate the document as requested while remaining impartial
The interpreter's role is to translate accurately and impartially; procedural or evidentiary objections are the domain of attorneys, not the interpreter.
Question 5: The term 'reformulation' in sight translation refers to:
- Restructuring source-language syntax into natural target-language expression (Correct answer)
- Correcting errors made by the original document's author
- Repeating a translated passage when asked by the court
- Converting numbers and dates into the target language format
Correct answer: Restructuring source-language syntax into natural target-language expression
Reformulation means converting the source-language grammatical structure into idiomatic and natural target-language syntax without changing meaning.
Question 6: A bilingual juror approaches an interpreter and says the sight translation of a document was incorrect. The interpreter should:
- Inform the court of the juror's comment and let the court decide how to proceed (Correct answer)
- Immediately correct the translation on the record without notifying anyone
- Argue with the juror about the correctness of the translation
- Ask the judge to dismiss the juror for interference
Correct answer: Inform the court of the juror's comment and let the court decide how to proceed
The interpreter must report the issue to the court; it is the court's responsibility—not the interpreter's unilateral action—to address potential translation disputes.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'false cognates' as a hazard in sight translation?
- Words that look or sound similar across languages but have different meanings (Correct answer)
- Legal terms that have no direct equivalent in the target language
- Numbers that are formatted differently in the source document
- Proper nouns that should not be translated but are inadvertently changed
Correct answer: Words that look or sound similar across languages but have different meanings
False cognates (e.g., Spanish 'embarazada' meaning 'pregnant,' not 'embarrassed') can cause translation errors if the interpreter defaults to the visually similar word.
BEI Sight Translation Techniques 2
An interpreter asked to sight-translate a document that contains highly technical medical terminology should FIRST: