STC Translation Techniques 2

Question 1

Which technique involves replacing a source-language idiom with a target-language idiom that conveys the same meaning but uses different imagery?

Accepted Answer

Idiomatic equivalence

Answer

Idiomatic equivalence substitutes a source idiom with a functionally equivalent target-language idiom even when the imagery differs.

Question 2

When a Spanish translator renders 'Se me cayó el alma a los pies' as 'My heart sank,' which technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Idiomatic equivalence

Answer

The translator swaps the Spanish idiom for an English idiom ('my heart sank') that conveys the same emotional meaning.

Question 3

Compensation in translation refers to:

Accepted Answer

Introducing a stylistic or cultural element elsewhere when it cannot be reproduced at the original point

Answer

Compensation means offsetting the loss of a source-text feature by recreating a similar effect at a different point in the translation.

Question 4

Which technique would a translator use to handle the Spanish subjunctive mood in a clause like 'Quiero que vengas' when English lacks a direct subjunctive form?

Accepted Answer

Transposition

Answer

Transposition shifts the grammatical category—here, converting the Spanish subjunctive construction into an English infinitive phrase ('I want you to come').

Question 5

A 'thick translation' strategy involves:

Accepted Answer

Adding extensive explanatory footnotes or glosses to preserve cultural context

Answer

Thick translation supplies cultural and contextual annotations alongside the translated text to aid comprehension.

(STC) Spanish Translator Certification Practice Test

(STC) Spanish Translator Certification Practice Test

STC Translation Techniques 2