Certified Translator (ATA Certification) Target-Language Writing and Quality Control Syllabus

What is the purpose of the first self-revision pass focused on meaning fidelity?

To compare the translation against the source and verify that meaning is complete and accurate — nothing mistranslated, no shifts in sense — before polishing mechanics.

What is the purpose of the second revision pass?

To check mechanics and consistency — grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, terminology, and register — ideally reading the target text on its own without the source.

Why is it recommended to do the mechanics pass reading the target text WITHOUT the source?

Reading the target alone reveals awkwardness, errors, and unnatural flow that source-comparison masks, because you judge it as a standalone piece of native writing.

Define an 'omission' error in translation QC.

Content present in the source that is missing from the target — a dropped word, phrase, sentence, or unit of meaning that should have been rendered.

Define an 'addition' error in translation QC.

Content in the target that is not present or implied in the source — extra information, unwarranted explanation, or padding the translator inserted.

What is an 'unfinished sentence' error and how is it caught?

A sentence left incomplete (truncated, missing a clause or end). It's caught in the mechanics pass by reading the target text alone for grammatical completeness.

What are 'Translation Instructions' (the brief/specs) and why must they be verified?

Client-provided specifications — purpose, audience, dialect, terminology, formatting, what to translate or leave. Compliance is mandatory; ignoring them is an error even if the translation is otherwise accurate.

In ATA exam grading, what happens if you ignore the Translation Instructions (passage instructions)?

Failing to follow the instructions can incur errors/penalties even for an otherwise good translation, because the instructions define the task's requirements.

List the three broad phases of a systematic translation QC workflow.

1) Meaning-fidelity pass (compare to source). 2) Mechanics/consistency pass (target alone). 3) Compliance check against the Translation Instructions and final proofread.

What is a 'calque' and why is it a quality concern?

A calque is a literal word-for-word borrowing of a source-language expression or structure. It often produces unnatural or wrong target phrasing, flagged as awkward usage or mistranslation.

How should you handle italics for foreign words, titles, or emphasis in the target language?

Apply the target language's typographic conventions for italics (e.g., work titles, foreign terms, emphasis), which may differ from the source's use of italics or quotation marks.

What is terminological consistency and why is it a QC checkpoint?

Using the same agreed term for the same concept throughout the document. Inconsistent terms confuse readers and signal poor quality; glossaries and find-replace checks enforce it.

Why might a single source term need to be rendered consistently rather than varied for 'elegance'?

In technical/legal/medical texts, varying a term implies different concepts. Consistency preserves precision; stylistic variation can introduce ambiguity or error.

What is a 'false friend' and what error category does it cause?

A word that looks similar across languages but differs in meaning (e.g., Spanish 'actual' = current, not 'actual'). It causes mistranslation/faithfulness errors if rendered literally.

How do you verify correct verb tense and mood in the target when the source system differs?

Map source meaning to the target's own tense/mood system rather than copying the source tense — choosing the form that conveys the same time/aspect/modality naturally.

What punctuation issue commonly arises with dialogue when translating into Spanish or French?

Dialogue uses em dashes (—) to mark speech in Spanish/French rather than English-style quotation marks; the translator must convert the convention.

What is the difference between a hyphen, en dash, and em dash, and why does it matter in QC?

Hyphen (-) joins words; en dash (–) marks ranges; em dash (—) sets off clauses. Using the correct dash per target-language typography is a mechanics-pass checkpoint.

How should non-breaking spaces be handled in French typography?

French inserts non-breaking spaces before high punctuation (; : ! ?) and inside guillemets « ». Correct spacing is part of proper French mechanics.

What is a 'register mismatch' error example?

Using slang or contractions in a formal legal document, or stiff bureaucratic language in marketing copy — tone that conflicts with the document's purpose and audience.

Why should numbers, dates, and units be checked against the target locale during revision?

Date order (DD/MM vs MM/DD), 12/24-hour time, measurement units, and currency formats vary by locale; rendering them wrong causes factual/usage errors.

What is the recommended approach to spacing out revision passes in time?

Let the draft 'rest' before revising so you read with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot errors, awkwardness, and omissions you'd otherwise gloss over.

Distinguish 'proofreading' from 'revision' in the QC process.

Revision compares source and target and improves accuracy/style; proofreading is the final surface check for typos, spelling, punctuation, and formatting in the finished target text.

What does 'clarity' require beyond grammatical correctness?

That the reader understands the intended meaning easily — unambiguous reference, logical structure, and well-chosen words — even when each sentence is technically correct.

How do you catch dangling or ambiguous pronoun references during revision?

Check each pronoun has one clear, correct antecedent; rewrite to name the referent when ambiguity or gender/number mismatch could confuse the reader.

What is the ATA 'standard error' concept, and how does it relate to QC?

ATA quantifies translation quality by counting standard errors (weighted by severity). Systematic QC aims to drive these errors—mistranslation, omission, grammar, mechanics—to zero before delivery.

Why is consistency in capitalization across headings, lists, and body text a QC item?

Inconsistent capitalization (e.g., title case in one heading, sentence case in another) looks unprofessional and may violate the style guide; the mechanics pass enforces a single convention.

What target-language issue does 'subject-verb agreement with collective nouns' raise?

Whether a collective noun takes singular or plural agreement varies by language and usage; the translator must apply the target language's rule consistently.

How should quotation marks be nested (quote within a quote) and why check it?

Languages alternate primary and secondary marks (e.g., English “ ‘ ’ ”; French « ... ‹ ... › »). Correct nesting is a target-language punctuation convention verified in the mechanics pass.

What is the risk of over-editing in revision, and how is it controlled?

Polishing can introduce new errors, additions, or meaning drift. Control it by re-checking edited sentences against the source and doing a final read for newly introduced mistakes.

Summarize the order of QC priorities: meaning, mechanics, and instructions.

First secure meaning fidelity (no mistranslation/omission/addition), then perfect mechanics and consistency in the target, and finally confirm full compliance with the Translation Instructions before delivery.