CTC Translation Accuracy & Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In court interpretation, 'false friends' are best described as:
- Words an interpreter is unfamiliar with
- Words in two languages that look similar but have different meanings (Correct answer)
- Informal terms used by witnesses
- Technical terms that lack equivalents
Correct answer: Words in two languages that look similar but have different meanings
False cognates (false friends) share superficial resemblance across languages but differ in meaning, making them a frequent source of translation errors.
Question 2: Which technique is most appropriate when an attorney asks a rapid series of short questions during cross-examination?
- Simultaneous interpretation to keep pace
- Wait until the entire examination is complete, then summarize
- Consecutive interpretation with note-taking for each question-answer pair (Correct answer)
- Request that the court reporter repeat each question
Correct answer: Consecutive interpretation with note-taking for each question-answer pair
Consecutive interpretation with notes ensures accuracy for each discrete Q&A pair, which is the standard for witness testimony in U.S. courts.
Question 3: A witness answers a question in Spanish but embeds an English idiom mid-sentence. The interpreter should:
- Interpret only the Spanish portion
- Interpret the entire utterance, rendering the English idiom's meaning in context (Correct answer)
- Flag the code-switching to the judge before proceeding
- Ask the witness to repeat in one language only
Correct answer: Interpret the entire utterance, rendering the English idiom's meaning in context
Code-switching is part of the witness's authentic speech and must be interpreted fully, reflecting any shift in register or emphasis it signals.
Question 4: Under the Court Interpreters Act (28 U.S.C. § 1827), competency for federal court interpreters is determined by:
- A self-declaration of bilingual proficiency
- Certification through the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts or a recognized exam (Correct answer)
- A letter of recommendation from an attorney
- Any state bar-approved bilingual assessment
Correct answer: Certification through the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts or a recognized exam
The Act requires interpreters to be certified by the Director of the AOUSC or, where no certified interpreter is available, to meet defined competency criteria.
Question 5: An interpreter realizes mid-testimony that she misinterpreted a key number (e.g., said 'fifteen' instead of 'fifty'). She should:
- Let it pass to avoid disrupting proceedings
- Interrupt with 'Interpreter's correction' and provide the accurate figure (Correct answer)
- Inform counsel privately at the next recess
- Request a mistrial
Correct answer: Interrupt with 'Interpreter's correction' and provide the accurate figure
Material errors must be corrected on the record immediately; allowing them to stand could compromise the integrity of testimony.
Question 6: The term 'dynamic equivalence' in translation refers to:
- Producing a word-for-word translation
- Achieving an equivalent effect on the target audience as the source had on its audience (Correct answer)
- Translating only the dynamic parts of a document
- Using machine translation validated by a human reviewer
Correct answer: Achieving an equivalent effect on the target audience as the source had on its audience
Dynamic equivalence, coined by Eugene Nida, prioritizes producing the same response in target-language readers as the source text produced in its original readers.
Question 7: When should a court interpreter request clarification from the speaker before rendering an interpretation?
- Whenever the interpretation would take more than 30 seconds
- Only when the utterance is completely unintelligible or potentially mishears could cause material harm (Correct answer)
- After every sentence to confirm accuracy
- Never; the interpreter must interpret whatever is said
Correct answer: Only when the utterance is completely unintelligible or potentially mishears could cause material harm
Requests for clarification should be rare, used only when proceeding would produce an inaccurate or misleading interpretation, and must be flagged on the record.
CTC Translation Accuracy & Techniques 3
In court interpretation, 'false friends' are best described as: