STC Professional Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Spanish translator is hired by an insurance company to translate a claimant's statement. The translator realizes the claimant's statement, if accurately translated, would hurt the claimant's case. The translator should:
- Soften the translation to protect the claimant
- Translate accurately and impartially regardless of the outcome (Correct answer)
- Refuse the assignment to avoid hurting the claimant
- Inform the claimant about the potential damage before translating
Correct answer: Translate accurately and impartially regardless of the outcome
Translators must remain impartial and translate accurately even when the content may disadvantage one party.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'competence' as an ethical requirement for STC certification?
- Having native fluency in both Spanish and English only
- Possessing linguistic, cultural, and subject-matter knowledge needed for a given assignment (Correct answer)
- Completing any translation task a client requests
- Holding a college degree in Spanish translation
Correct answer: Possessing linguistic, cultural, and subject-matter knowledge needed for a given assignment
Competence encompasses linguistic ability, cultural knowledge, and domain-specific expertise appropriate to each project.
Question 3: A translator working under a tight deadline suspects their work may contain errors but the client is pressuring for immediate delivery. The ethical approach is to:
- Deliver on time and fix errors if the client finds them
- Request additional time to ensure accuracy and explain the reason (Correct answer)
- Deliver the work with a disclaimer noting it may contain errors
- Ask a bilingual friend to do a quick review before sending
Correct answer: Request additional time to ensure accuracy and explain the reason
Delivering inaccurate work damages clients and end users; a translator must advocate for adequate time to meet quality standards.
Question 4: When a translator encounters an untranslatable cultural concept in the source text, the most ethical approach is to:
- Omit the concept entirely to avoid confusion
- Provide a functional equivalent and note the cultural nuance to the client (Correct answer)
- Invent a new word in the target language
- Translate it literally even if the meaning is lost
Correct answer: Provide a functional equivalent and note the cultural nuance to the client
Transparency about cultural gaps and providing the best functional equivalent upholds both accuracy and honesty.
Question 5: A translation agency asks a translator to backdate a certification to meet a client's regulatory deadline. The translator should:
- Comply since the agency bears responsibility for the request
- Refuse because backdating is fraudulent and unethical (Correct answer)
- Comply if the translation itself was completed before the deadline
- Ask the client's attorney for permission before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse because backdating is fraudulent and unethical
Backdating documents is a form of fraud regardless of who initiates the request, and the translator bears personal ethical and legal responsibility.
Question 6: How should a professional Spanish translator handle a situation where a client requests a translation that promotes racial discrimination?
- Complete it with a personal disclaimer attached
- Decline the assignment as it conflicts with professional ethical standards (Correct answer)
- Complete it since translation is a neutral act
- Translate only the non-discriminatory portions
Correct answer: Decline the assignment as it conflicts with professional ethical standards
Professional ethics permit and encourage translators to decline work that is illegal, harmful, or contrary to professional values.
Question 7: A translator who is also an attorney is asked to translate a legal contract. Regarding dual professional roles, they should:
- Provide both translation and legal advice to maximize value
- Act only in the role engaged — as translator — and not provide unsolicited legal advice (Correct answer)
- Charge higher rates due to dual expertise
- Disclose both roles and let the client choose which service to use
Correct answer: Act only in the role engaged — as translator — and not provide unsolicited legal advice
Mixing professional roles without explicit engagement can create conflicts of interest and exceed the scope of work contracted.
STC Professional Ethics 3
A Spanish translator is hired by an insurance company to translate a claimant's statement.
The translator realizes the claimant's statement, if accurately translated, would hurt the claimant's case.
The translator should: