ATA ATA Translation Transfer Skills 2

Question 1

What does 'dynamic equivalence' mean in translation theory and practice?

Accepted Answer

Producing a target text that has the same effect on its readers as the source text had on its readers

Answer

Translating every word with its closest dictionary equivalent

Answer

Maintaining the grammatical structure of the source in the target text

Answer

Translating only the denotative meaning while ignoring connotation

Question 2

Which transfer strategy is most appropriate for culturally specific concepts that have no direct equivalent in the target language?

Accepted Answer

Use borrowing, calque, or an explanatory equivalent to convey the concept

Answer

Omit the concept entirely to avoid confusion

Answer

Substitute the nearest cultural equivalent even if it changes meaning

Answer

Always use footnotes and never translate the term itself

Question 3

What is 'transposition' as a translation procedure?

Accepted Answer

Changing the grammatical category of a word while preserving the meaning (e.g., verb to noun)

Answer

Moving paragraphs from one section of the text to another

Answer

Replacing a source-language idiom with a target-language idiom of opposite meaning

Answer

Translating from an intermediate language rather than the source language

Question 4

In translation of legal documents, why is back-translation sometimes used and what are its limitations?

Accepted Answer

Back-translation is used as a quality check, but cannot guarantee equivalence because languages are not symmetrical

Answer

Back-translation is used to verify that a translation is word-for-word identical to the source; its limitation is cost

Answer

Back-translation is prohibited in legal translation

Answer

Back-translation produces a more accurate translation than direct translation

Question 5

What is the primary goal of 'localization' as distinct from standard translation?

Accepted Answer

Localization adapts content culturally, technically, and linguistically to make it fully appropriate for a specific locale and market

Answer

Localization refers exclusively to translating a text into a regional dialect

Answer

Localization means translating only the user interface elements of software

Answer

Localization removes all cultural references from the source text

Question 6

How should a translator approach 'implicature' -- meaning that is implied but not explicitly stated -- in the source text?

Accepted Answer

Preserve the same degree of implicitness in the target text, conveying the implied meaning through natural target-language expression

Answer

Always make implicit meaning explicit in the target text

Answer

Ignore implicature because only explicit content should be translated

Answer

Add footnotes explaining all implied meanings