The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2022 - 38

CF
y Acceptable Idiomatic
Translation: Japan had not
experienced foreign invasion
for a long period. It was, so to
speak, a hothouse flower.
Translations Don't Have
to Be Perfect
Although there's no clearcut
answer to the " literal "
vs. " free " question, we hope
that the examples here
give a general idea of what
ATA graders look for in a
successful translation. To
clarify doubts, try asking
these questions each time a
decision must be made:
If I translated this term or
phrase word for word...
y would every element of
meaning be retained?
y would the reader
understand the meaning,
with all its nuances?
y would the translation read
naturally in the target
language?
If I proposed a " free " or
" idiomatic " alternative,
would it...
y retain every element of
meaning in the source
language?
y introduce additional
elements of meaning not
present in the source text?
y retain the style and tone of
the source text?
One important point is that
as the translator you're not
the author of the passage, so
it's not incumbent upon you
to improve the writing. Also
remember that you don't
need to agonize over every
translation decision. A phrase
that sounds awkward but
maintains the original
meaning will be penalized
only one or two points (if at
all). Focus on key terms
(especially repeated ones)
and lines of argument.
Overall, remember that a
passing translation is
competent but not perfect.
Good luck!
38 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2022
NOTES
1
Larson, Mildred L. Meaning-Based Translation: A Guide to
Cross-Language Equivalence, 2nd edition (University Press of
America, 1997), 17, https://amzn.to/3oSrWYZ.
2.
ATA Certification Exam: Explanation of Error Categories,
http://bit.ly/error-categories.
Larry Bogoslaw, CT is chief editor and
publishing director at East View Press, an
academic publisher in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
After earning an MA in Italian and a PhD in
Slavic languages and literatures, he co-founded
the Minnesota Translation Laboratory, a community language
service. He has taught Russian and translation courses at various
colleges and universities. An ATA-certified Russian>English and
Spanish>English translator, he serves as deputy chair of ATA's
Certification Committee. larry@translab.us
Holly Mikkelson, CT is professor emerita of
translation and interpreting at the Middlebury
Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
She is a federally certified court interpreter and
an ATA-certified Spanish<>English translator
with four decades of professional experience. She has taught
classes and workshops all over the world. She has written
many articles and books on various aspects of interpreting
and is the author of the Acebo training manuals for court
and medical interpreters. She serves as deputy chair of ATA's
Certification Committee. hmikkelson@gmail.com
www.atanet.org
https://www.amzn.to/3oSrWYZ http://www.bit.ly/error-categories http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2022
