Translation Legal and Medical Translation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a 'certified translation' typically mean in the US legal context?
- Translated by an ATA-certified translator
- A translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness (Correct answer)
- A translation approved by a federal court
- A translation with a notary seal
Correct answer: A translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness
A certified translation includes a signed certificate of accuracy from the translator or agency, attesting the translation is complete and accurate.
Question 2: Which US government agency requires certified translations of foreign documents for immigration purposes?
- FBI
- USCIS (Correct answer)
- IRS
- Department of Labor
Correct answer: USCIS
USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) requires certified translations of all foreign-language documents submitted with immigration applications.
Question 3: Why is legal translation considered a specialized field?
- Legal texts are always very long
- Legal terminology is jurisdiction-specific and mistranslation can have serious legal consequences (Correct answer)
- Legal translators must be licensed attorneys
- Legal documents are written in Latin
Correct answer: Legal terminology is jurisdiction-specific and mistranslation can have serious legal consequences
Legal systems and terminology differ significantly across jurisdictions, and errors can affect rights, obligations, and legal outcomes.
Question 4: What is a 'notarized translation'?
- A translation produced by a licensed notary public
- A certified translation whose translator's signature has been notarized by a notary public (Correct answer)
- A translation approved by the American Bar Association
- A translation submitted in a court proceeding
Correct answer: A certified translation whose translator's signature has been notarized by a notary public
A notarized translation has the translator's signed certification acknowledged by a notary public, confirming the authenticity of the signature.
Question 5: What is 'equivalence of effect' in legal translation?
- Ensuring both documents are the same length
- Producing a target-language document that has the same legal force and meaning as the original (Correct answer)
- Using equivalent legal fees in both jurisdictions
- Matching sentence structure exactly
Correct answer: Producing a target-language document that has the same legal force and meaning as the original
Legal translations must convey the same rights, obligations, and legal meaning as the source document to have equivalent legal effect.
Question 6: Why must medical translators understand both source and target medical terminology?
- To pass required government licensing exams
- Mistranslation of dosages, diagnoses, or procedures can directly harm or kill patients (Correct answer)
- Medical texts are written in Latin that must be decoded
- Insurance companies require bilingual translators
Correct answer: Mistranslation of dosages, diagnoses, or procedures can directly harm or kill patients
Errors in medical translation can lead to misdiagnosis, improper treatment, or dangerous drug interactions with potentially fatal consequences.
Translation Legal and Medical Translation 1
What does a 'certified translation' typically mean in the US legal context?