Translation Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Translation facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the primary challenge of translating poetry? → Preserving meaning while maintaining rhythm, meter, and sound
2. What is a conflict of interest in translation? → Accepting a project where personal interests may compromise professional judgment
3. What does 'domestication' mean in literary translation theory? → Adapting the text to feel natural and familiar to target-culture readers
4. What is impartiality in interpreting and translation ethics? → Conveying messages faithfully without bias or personal opinion
5. Why is cultural knowledge important for a translator? → To convey meaning appropriately for the target audience
6. A translator discovers the source text contains a factual error. What is the best ethical practice? → Translate the error faithfully and notify the client in a translator's note
7. In the LISA QA Model, what are the two main categories used to classify translation errors? → Critical errors and non-critical errors
8. What is 'quality estimation' (QE) in machine translation? → An automated prediction of MT output quality without reference to a human translation
9. In the source-target sentence 'He swims well' becoming 'He is a good swimmer', which technique was used? → Transposition
10. Which regulatory body oversees the translation of medical device labeling in the United States? → FDA
11. What does 'register' refer to in translation? → The level of formality in language
12. Which US government agency requires certified translations of foreign documents for immigration purposes? → USCIS
13. What is the primary purpose of 'revision' in professional translation workflow? → To perform a bilingual check of a translation for accuracy and quality against the source
14. How much do you enjoy learning new languages? → I simply enjoy learning other languages.
15. When the English idiom 'it's raining cats and dogs' is rendered with the target language's own heavy-rain idiom, the technique is: → Equivalence
16. Which scenario best illustrates impartiality in legal translation? → Rendering the document accurately regardless of which party it may benefit
17. What does TER (Translation Edit Rate) measure as an automated quality metric? → The number of edits required to correct MT output into an acceptable translation
18. What is a 'notarized translation'? → A certified translation whose translator's signature has been notarized by a notary public
19. How good is your writing? → Good enough to be printed in a magazine
20. How solid has your education been so far? → Solid as a rock. Since kindergarten, I've been studying for at least 20 years.
21. What is the 'target audience' in a translation project? → The intended readers of the translated text
22. What is the term for a translation that conveys the overall meaning without being word-for-word faithful? → Free translation
23. Who translated Miguel de Cervantes' 'Don Quixote' into an acclaimed modern English version in 2003? → Edith Grossman
24. It creates the intended text content without the form or style. → Free translation
25. Why is meeting deadlines a key professional skill for translators? → Clients rely on timely delivery for their workflows
26. What is a 'target-oriented' approach to translation quality assessment? → Evaluating a translation based on how well it functions in the target language and culture
27. Why is continuing professional development important for translators? → Languages and fields evolve, requiring updated knowledge
28. A translator realizes mid-project that the source text promotes harmful misinformation. What is the most ethical course of action? → Notify the client and consider withdrawing if the issue is not resolved
29. What does 'back translation' primarily serve in quality assessment? → To verify accuracy by translating the target text back to the source language
30. What does 'fidelity' mean in the context of translation ethics? → Remaining loyal to the meaning and intent of the source text