ITI Cultural Adaptation & Localization 2

Question 1

Which term describes source-language words or phrases that are transferred unchanged into the target text because no adequate equivalent exists?

Accepted Answer

Borrowing (loanword)

Answer

Borrowing (or loanword transfer) imports a source-language term directly into the target text, often when the concept is culture-specific and no established target-language equivalent exists.

Question 2

A 'calque' (loan translation) is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

A word-for-word translation of a foreign expression that creates a new expression in the target language

Answer

A calque translates the components of a source-language phrase literally to produce a new expression in the target language, such as 'skyscraper' becoming 'gratte-ciel' in French.

Question 3

When adapting humor from one language to another, which challenge is most fundamental?

Accepted Answer

Humor often relies on wordplay, cultural references, or shared knowledge that does not transfer directly across cultures

Answer

Humor frequently depends on puns, cultural allusions, or pragmatic implicatures that are language- and culture-specific, requiring creative adaptation rather than literal translation.

Question 4

What is 'back-translation' primarily used for in professional contexts?

Accepted Answer

Translating from the target language back to the source language to verify accuracy, often used in medical and legal fields

Answer

Back-translation renders a translated text back into the source language, allowing reviewers who do not know the target language to spot mistranslations or changes in meaning, particularly in clinical trials and legal documents.

Question 5

In the ITI DipTrans context, 'realia' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Culture-specific objects, institutions, or phenomena that have no direct equivalent in the target culture

Answer

Realia are items deeply embedded in a source culture — foods, institutions, customs — that resist direct translation because the target culture lacks the referent entirely.

(ITI) Institute of Translation and Interpreting Diploma in Translation Practice Test

(ITI) Institute of Translation and Interpreting Diploma in Translation Practice Test

ITI Cultural Adaptation & Localization 2