Gościński test

he revision parameters are the things a reviser ______ for.

checks

How many revision parameters can be distinguished?

12

Into how many groups are the revision parameters divided?

4

What is the first task of a professional translator of non-literary texts?

To guarantee that the translation means what the source means.

How should accuracy NOT be understood?

As a close translation matching the exact vocabulary and sentence structures of the source text.

What is the first question accuracy refers to?

Has the source text been correctly understood?

What is the second question accuracy refers to?

Does the translation express that understanding?

Why is revision by someone else superior to self-revision?

A second pair of eyes brings an unbiased perspective and is more likely to spot incorrect readings or ambiguities.

What should a translator do when numbers are central to the message?

Perform a completely separate check dedicated to their accurate reproduction.

What often happens when readability increases?

Accuracy suffers.

What often happens when precision increases?

Readability is sacrificed.

What does NANS mean?

No Additions, No Subtractions.

What burden is borne by translators compared with readers?

Translators must interpret and account for every expression.

When is it acceptable to omit something from the source text?

When removing unnecessary repetition or leaving explicit elements implicit if readers can recover them from context or knowledge.

What does it mean that completeness does not require explicitness?

Explicit source-text elements may be left implicit if readers can recover them from context.

What should be added to the target text when necessary?

Cultural or technical explanations.

What are the two forms of lack of logic in a translation?

1. The source text is illogical and the translator did not fix it. 2. The translator introduced nonsense.

Why is "The unemployment rate has gone up from 9.8 to 8.9 percent" difficult to correct?

You cannot tell whether "up" is wrong or the numbers are reversed.

What should a translator do if illogicality in the source text cannot be fixed?

Leave it unchanged but indicate that the error belongs to the original author.

Correct: "The short-term consequences are temporary and do not last very long."

The consequences are temporary.

Why do trainee translators introduce nonsense?

Lack of source-language knowledge.

Why do experienced translators introduce nonsense?

Fatigue, rushing, or lack of attention.

What is wrong with "We are making use of innovative technologies because the latest advances are not affordable"?

It contains an internal contradiction.

What should be done if the original contains factual, conceptual, or mathematical errors?

Point them out and request correction.

What does smoothness refer to?

The flow of the text and immediate understanding on first reading.

The meaning of a translated text should come across on ______ reading at ______ reading speed.

first; normal

Unsmooth writing in the source can/cannot justify unsmooth writing in the translation.

cannot

What does "The first duty of a translator is to translate" imply regarding institution names?

Source-language words should be minimized unless explicitly required.

The translation has to be suited to its ______ and the ______ they will make of it.

readers; use

Why is "Mary reports on client complaints" wrong in English meeting minutes?

English minutes are conventionally written in the past tense.

What terminology should be used when translating specialized texts?

Field-specific terminology used by native-speaker specialists.

What are parallel texts?

Original target-language texts written by native speakers in the same field.

Why should translators consult parallel texts?

To learn natural phraseology and specialist terminology.

What problem is illustrated by "washed his teeth"?

Producing unidiomatic word combinations because of source-language influence.

Translate the French number and currency: 4 000,21 $.

$4,000.21

What should a translator check if the source says "More information can be found on page 24"?

Whether the page reference is still correct in the translated document.

If you change a section heading, what else must be changed?

The Table of Contents.

What might be the consequence of poor presentation?

It creates a bad impression and may cause clients to go elsewhere.

Finish the sentence: You cannot correct a mistake until...

...you have found it.

What is a comparative check?

A check comparing the translation with the source text.

What does a comparative check verify?

Accuracy and Completeness.

What is a unilingual check?

A check of the translation on its own.

What does a unilingual check verify?

Content, Language, and Presentation.

What is the first procedural question before checking?

Shall I check CLP parameters at the same time as the comparative check or separately?

What is the second procedural question before checking?

If separate, shall I do the comparative check first or the CLP check first?

What is the third procedural question before checking?

If separate, shall I do the whole text at once or section by section?

What is the fourth procedural question before checking?

Shall I read the source text first or the translation first?

What is the fifth procedural question before checking?

How many words should I read at one go during comparative checking?

What is the micro/macro dilemma?

The difficulty of focusing simultaneously on small-scale and large-scale issues.

Give an example of a micro-problem.

Checking whether a specific term is correct.

Give an example of a macro-problem.

Checking whether paragraph connections are clear.

How can the micro/macro dilemma be solved?

By conducting separate checks for macro- and micro-level issues.

How else can the micro/macro dilemma be solved?

With practice, a reviser may learn to monitor both simultaneously.

How should you decide whether the Transfer or Language check comes first?

According to your own error-proneness.

If you introduce language errors while checking meaning, what should come last?

The language check.

If you introduce mistranslations while polishing style, what should come last?

The accuracy check.

What is the disadvantage of interrupting reading to make a comparative check?

It breaks comprehension flow and obscures macro-features.

Why should you read the translation first during comparative checking?

To avoid being influenced by the source text.

What happens if you read the source text first?

You may project its meaning onto the translation and miss errors.

How much time should you leave before revising?

The longest possible time.

Why should you leave time before revising?

To clear the source text from memory.

What should be the size of a unit during comparative checking?

Large enough to preserve context.

Why should very small units be avoided during comparative checking?

They may cause bad literal translations to be overlooked.

When is a correction definitely necessary?

When you cannot understand the translation without consulting the source.

When is a correction definitely necessary?

When you must read a sentence twice to understand it.

When is a correction definitely necessary?

When a passage sounds nonsensical on first reading.

Instead of asking "Can I improve this?" what should a reviser ask?

Do I need to improve it?

What should a reviser do if unsure whether to make a change?

Make no change and move on.

When should a reviser retranslate?

Only when absolutely necessary.

What is the first thing to do after making a linguistic change?

Re-read the entire sentence.

What is the second thing to do after making a linguistic change?

Check surrounding sentences for agreement and consistency.

When doing several checks, what should you avoid?

Correcting features that are not currently being checked.

Why should you avoid correcting features not currently being checked?

Because it distracts attention and may cause other errors to be missed.

If you find many mistakes early in revision, what should you consider?

Retranslating rather than revising.

If you cannot understand the translation without reading twice or consulting the source, what is necessary?

A correction.

Should you ask whether a sentence can be improved?

No.

What should you ask instead?

Whether it needs to be improved.

How many changes should be made during revision?

The fewest possible changes.

Should you rewrite a sentence completely or make small changes?

Make small changes.

What should you do if in doubt about a change?

Do not make the change.

How can revision time be minimized?

Through unilingual re-reading unless comparative checking is justified.

When is the longer comparative procedure justified?

When mistranslations or omissions are likely.

After making a linguistic correction, what must be checked?

That no mistranslation has been introduced.

After making a change, what else must be checked?

Whether changes are required elsewhere.

What should not prevent you from seeing macro-level errors?

Attention to micro-level features.

What should not prevent you from seeing micro-level errors?

Attention to macro-level features.

What should not prevent you from seeing meaning errors?

Attention to linguistic flow.

What should not prevent you from seeing linguistic-flow problems?

Attention to meaning.

What must be checked besides words?

Numbers.

How can you maximize your chance of seeing the text as a first-time reader?

Read the translation before the source text.

What balance should be sought?

A balance between accuracy and readability.

Whose needs should take priority in the final analysis?

The reader's needs.

What should be avoided on the front page?

Spelling and typographical errors.

What should not be done when revising the work of others?

Making unjustifiable changes.

What should not be imposed on other translators?

Your own translation approach.

What linguistic feature should not be imposed on others?

Your linguistic idiosyncrasies.

How can client and reader receive full benefit from revision?

By ensuring all changes are properly entered and saved.

What should you do if you fail to solve a problem?

Admit it to the client.