Certified Translator (ATA Certification) Translation Competence and Technique Syllabus

Translation Competence and Technique syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Translation Competence and Technique in Certified Translator (ATA Certification), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Core Translation Strategies

   4 topics

   • Literal vs. free translation and the appropriate middle ground
   • Translation procedures
     • Transposition and modulation
     • Adaptation and equivalence
     • Borrowing, calque, and explicitation
   • Restructuring syntax across language pairs
   • Avoiding source-language interference (translationese)
2. 2

   Target-Language Production

   4 topics

   • Idiomatic, natural target-language phrasing
   • Matching register and tone to the source
   • Sentence and paragraph flow in the target language
   • Consistency of terminology and style across the passage
3. 3

   Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

   5 topics

   • Translating proper nouns, titles, and institutional names
   • Numbers, dates, currencies, and units of measure conversion conventions
   • Untranslatable terms and compensation strategies
   • Making defensible choices under ambiguity
   • Avoiding indecision: committing to one rendering
4. 4

   Exam-Specific Translation Workflow

   4 topics

   • Time budgeting across two passages in three hours
   • Drafting, revising, and self-editing on the exam
   • Following Translation Instructions (TIs) provided with each passage
   • Producing a complete, finished, client-ready text

Translation Competence and Technique flashcards for Certified Translator (ATA Certification)

19 of 50 cards from the Translation Competence and Technique deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In translation theory, what is 'literal translation'?

   A rendering that closely follows the source text's words, structure, and order, prioritizing formal correspondence over natural target-language expression.

2. In translation theory, what is 'free translation'?

   A rendering that prioritizes conveying the source's meaning and effect naturally in the target language, allowing departure from source wording and structure.

3. What is the recommended 'middle ground' between literal and free translation?

   Translate as literally as possible and as freely as necessary—staying faithful to meaning while producing natural, idiomatic target-language text.

4. What is 'translationese' (source-language interference)?

   Unnatural target-language text that mirrors the source's syntax, idioms, or word choice too closely, producing wording a native writer would never use.

5. Why is avoiding translationese critical for ATA certification?

   Graders penalize unidiomatic, source-bound renderings; the target text must read as though originally written in the target language.

6. What are the two main categories of translation procedures in Vinay and Darbelnet's model?

   Direct (literal) translation and oblique (indirect) translation.

7. Name the three direct translation procedures of Vinay and Darbelnet.

   Borrowing, calque, and literal translation.

8. Name the four oblique translation procedures of Vinay and Darbelnet.

   Transposition, modulation, equivalence, and adaptation.

9. What is 'borrowing' as a translation procedure?

   Taking a source-language word directly into the target text without translation, e.g., keeping 'déjà vu' or 'software'.

10. What is a 'calque' as a translation procedure?

    A loan translation where a source expression is translated element-by-element, e.g., 'skyscraper' becoming 'gratte-ciel'.

11. What is 'transposition' as a translation procedure?

    Replacing one word class with another without changing meaning, e.g., translating a noun with a verb.

12. What is 'modulation' as a translation procedure?

    Changing the point of view or semantic perspective, e.g., 'it is not difficult' becoming 'it is easy'.

13. What is 'equivalence' as a translation procedure?

    Rendering an expression with a completely different form that conveys the same situation, typically used for idioms and proverbs.

14. What is 'adaptation' as a translation procedure?

    Replacing a source cultural reference with an equivalent that exists in the target culture when the original has no counterpart.

15. What is 'restructuring' in translation?

    Reorganizing syntax—word order, clause structure, and sentence boundaries—so the meaning fits the target language's grammar naturally.

16. Why is syntactic restructuring necessary across language pairs?

    Languages differ in word order, clause linking, and grammatical structures, so a faithful translation must rebuild sentences rather than transfer structure word-for-word.

17. What is 'register' in translation?

    The level of formality and the style of language appropriate to a context—e.g., formal, neutral, colloquial, technical, or intimate.

18. Why must a translator match register and tone to the source?

    Mismatched register distorts the author's intent and audience relationship; a formal source rendered casually (or vice versa) is a meaning/accuracy error.

19. What does 'tone' refer to in a translation?

    The author's attitude or emotional coloring—e.g., ironic, earnest, persuasive, neutral—which must be preserved in the target text.

See more Translation Competence and Technique flashcards →

Planning Translation Competence and Technique for Certified Translator (ATA Certification)

Translation Competence and Technique (Certified Translator (ATA Certification)) FAQ