Translation Accuracy & Techniques Flashcards

A bilingual attorney begins questioning a witness directly in the witness's native language. The interpreter should:

Answer: Inform the court and continue interpreting the exchange for the record

All courtroom communication must be on the record in English; the interpreter must render the full exchange to ensure due process and record completeness.

Which factor most critically affects the accuracy of simultaneous interpretation in lengthy court proceedings?

Answer: Cognitive fatigue, which increases the error rate over time

Simultaneous interpretation is cognitively demanding; fatigue-induced errors rise significantly after 20–30 minutes, which is why team rotation is standard practice.

An interpreter encounters a source-language term that has been borrowed directly into the target language (a loanword). The best practice is to:

Answer: Use the established loanword in the target language if it carries the correct meaning in context

Established loanwords that convey the intended meaning in the target language are appropriate and often preferred for precision.

The NAJIT Code of Ethics requires court interpreters to disclose potential conflicts of interest:

Answer: Before or at the beginning of the assignment so the parties can decide how to proceed

Proactive, timely disclosure allows the court and parties to take appropriate action before the proceeding is compromised.

When a source text uses the passive voice to avoid attributing blame (e.g., 'Mistakes were made'), the interpreter should:

Answer: Preserve the passive construction in the target language to maintain the speaker's intended evasiveness

The speaker's choice of passive voice may be deliberate and legally relevant; altering voice construction changes the evidentiary character of the statement.

Which of the following is considered an expansion technique in legal translation?

Answer: Using more words in the target than the source to convey an untranslatable concept accurately

Expansion (also called amplification) is used when a concept requires additional explanation in the target language to achieve accurate equivalence.

A court interpreter who suspects that a witness is providing a rehearsed or coached answer should:

Answer: Continue interpreting accurately without editorializing or signaling suspicion

Interpreters must remain impartial conduits; forming or expressing opinions about witness credibility or conduct is outside their role and violates ethical standards.