ITI Subject-Specific Terminology & Research 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A translator encounters the legal term 'estoppel' with no equivalent in the target language. What is the most appropriate research strategy?
- Use a bilingual dictionary and pick the closest word
- Consult specialized legal glossaries and monolingual legal dictionaries in both source and target languages (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague for a quick suggestion
- Leave the term untranslated and add a footnote later
Correct answer: Consult specialized legal glossaries and monolingual legal dictionaries in both source and target languages
Consulting specialized legal glossaries and monolingual dictionaries in both languages allows the translator to understand the concept fully before finding or coining a target-language equivalent.
Question 2: In pharmaceutical translation, what does the abbreviation 'QID' on a prescription signify?
- Once daily
- Twice daily
- Three times daily
- Four times daily (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Four times daily
QID is derived from the Latin 'quater in die,' meaning four times a day, a standard dosing instruction in medical contexts.
Question 3: Which resource is specifically designed to help translators identify standardized terminology in European Union legal documents?
- IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe) (Correct answer)
- WordReference
- Merriam-Webster
- Oxford Bilingual Dictionary
Correct answer: IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe)
IATE is the EU's official interinstitutional terminology database, providing validated multilingual terms used across EU institutions.
Question 4: When translating a patent document, a translator finds the phrase 'prior art.' Which field-specific meaning applies?
- Artwork that predates the invention's aesthetic design
- Existing publicly available knowledge relevant to a patent claim (Correct answer)
- The applicant's previous artistic or creative work
- A legal term for outdated court precedents
Correct answer: Existing publicly available knowledge relevant to a patent claim
In patent law, 'prior art' refers to any existing knowledge, publications, or inventions that are relevant to assessing the novelty of a patent claim.
Question 5: A translator working on a financial document needs to translate 'hedge fund.' Which approach best ensures terminological accuracy?
- Translate each word literally
- Use a general bilingual dictionary
- Consult financial glossaries and official regulatory documents in the target language (Correct answer)
- Search for the term on a general web search engine only
Correct answer: Consult financial glossaries and official regulatory documents in the target language
Financial glossaries and official regulatory documents provide authoritative, context-specific equivalents that reflect how the term is actually used in the target financial system.
Question 6: In medical translation, what is the difference between a 'sign' and a 'symptom'?
- They are synonymous in clinical contexts
- A sign is objectively measurable by a clinician; a symptom is subjectively reported by the patient (Correct answer)
- A symptom is confirmed by lab tests; a sign is patient-reported
- Signs apply only to mental health; symptoms to physical conditions
Correct answer: A sign is objectively measurable by a clinician; a symptom is subjectively reported by the patient
Correctly distinguishing these terms is essential in medical translation: a sign is an objective clinical finding, while a symptom is a subjective experience reported by the patient.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'term bank' in the context of professional translation?
- A financial institution that funds translation projects
- A structured database of approved terminology entries with definitions, context, and equivalents (Correct answer)
- A list of words that should be avoided in translation
- A repository of source texts for reference
Correct answer: A structured database of approved terminology entries with definitions, context, and equivalents
A term bank is a structured, searchable database containing terminology records with definitions, subject fields, usage examples, and target-language equivalents to ensure consistency.
ITI Subject-Specific Terminology & Research 2
A translator encounters the legal term 'estoppel' with no equivalent in the target language.
What is the most appropriate research strategy?