ITI Subject-Specific Terminology & Research 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In legal translation, what is the distinction between 'shall' and 'may' in contract drafting, and why is this terminological choice critical?
- They are interchangeable in modern legal usage
- 'Shall' expresses a mandatory obligation while 'may' expresses a discretionary permission, a distinction that is legally binding (Correct answer)
- 'May' is stronger than 'shall' in common law jurisdictions
- 'Shall' is used only in statutory texts; 'may' only in contracts
Correct answer: 'Shall' expresses a mandatory obligation while 'may' expresses a discretionary permission, a distinction that is legally binding
Confusing 'shall' (mandatory) with 'may' (permissive) in a contract translation can fundamentally alter the legal obligations of the parties.
Question 2: A translator working on an engineering text encounters the ISO standard number referenced in the document. What is the most important reason to look up the actual ISO standard?
- To check the standard's publication date only
- To access the official terminology used in the standard, which may differ from informal usage in the source text (Correct answer)
- To verify the standard's page count
- To confirm whether the standard has been translated before
Correct answer: To access the official terminology used in the standard, which may differ from informal usage in the source text
ISO standards contain precisely defined terms; using the official terminology from the standard ensures technical accuracy and consistency with related documents.
Question 3: In pharmaceutical translation, what is the 'INN' and why is it important?
- International Non-proprietary Name — the generic scientific name for a drug substance, used globally to avoid confusion with brand names (Correct answer)
- Internal Nomenclature Number — a manufacturer's internal product code
- Inactive Neutral Notation — a labeling system for excipients
- International Narcotics Notation — a classification for controlled substances
Correct answer: International Non-proprietary Name — the generic scientific name for a drug substance, used globally to avoid confusion with brand names
The INN is the globally recognized generic name assigned to pharmaceutical substances by the WHO, ensuring consistent identification regardless of brand name or country.
Question 4: When building a project-specific glossary for a long-term technical translation client, which principle should guide term selection?
- Include only terms the translator finds personally unfamiliar
- Include all client-preferred terminology, field-specific terms with ambiguous equivalents, and terms recurring throughout the project (Correct answer)
- Include only terms that appear more than 100 times in the text
- Limit entries to single-word terms for simplicity
Correct answer: Include all client-preferred terminology, field-specific terms with ambiguous equivalents, and terms recurring throughout the project
A project glossary should prioritize client-preferred terms, ambiguous field-specific terms, and high-frequency project terms to ensure consistency and reduce decision time.
Question 5: In environmental law translation, the term 'polluter pays principle' reflects a specific legal and policy concept. What does it mean?
- Polluters must pay fines to government agencies as punishment
- The entity responsible for producing pollution bears the costs of remediation and prevention (Correct answer)
- Consumers pay a tax on polluting products
- Polluters must pay competitors for market disadvantages caused by regulation
Correct answer: The entity responsible for producing pollution bears the costs of remediation and prevention
The polluter pays principle is a foundational environmental law concept establishing that those who cause pollution are financially responsible for its cleanup and prevention.
Question 6: A translator receives a highly technical mechanical engineering text and has no background in that field. Which is the most professionally responsible first step?
- Begin translating immediately and look up unfamiliar terms as they appear
- Assess the complexity of the terminology, consult reference materials and parallel texts in the field, and consider whether to accept the job or seek collaboration with a subject specialist (Correct answer)
- Decline all specialized work outside one's native field
- Ask the client to simplify the source text before proceeding
Correct answer: Assess the complexity of the terminology, consult reference materials and parallel texts in the field, and consider whether to accept the job or seek collaboration with a subject specialist
Professional responsibility requires translators to honestly assess their competence for a given specialization and to research thoroughly—or collaborate with a specialist—before undertaking work beyond their expertise.
Question 7: In financial translation, what is the difference between 'turnover' and 'profit,' and why can confusing them be consequential?
- They are synonymous terms used interchangeably in annual reports
- Turnover is total revenue generated; profit is what remains after costs are deducted — confusing them misrepresents a company's financial health (Correct answer)
- Turnover refers only to employee attrition; profit to financial gain
- Turnover is a tax term; profit is an accounting term with no tax relevance
Correct answer: Turnover is total revenue generated; profit is what remains after costs are deducted — confusing them misrepresents a company's financial health
Turnover (total sales revenue) and profit (net income after expenses) are fundamentally different financial measures; conflating them in translation can seriously mislead investors or regulators.
ITI Subject-Specific Terminology & Research 5
In legal translation, what is the distinction between 'shall' and 'may' in contract drafting, and why is this terminological choice critical?