Practice texts for translation

By Helen Eby|2019-12-03T10:36:53-08:00December 3rd, 2019|Certification, Translation|

The following are examples of texts that clients often need to be translated:

Manuals.
Forms, service change notices, application materials.
Medical, court, or other legal documents.
Flyers, posters, signs, brochures.
Marketing materials, advertising campaigns.

However, this course leads to certification. Therefore, we need to prepare for something that will prepare participants to translate any and all of these texts.

What texts will we translate?

All texts will be taken from direct sources. We may occasionally ask students to submit possible translation texts as homework assignments, because it is important to develop criteria for finding our own practice material as professionals, not just for exam preparation.

What sources will we use?

Newspaper articles, especially opinion pieces or stories that express a point of view.
Excerpts of books, often found at the beginning of the book or a section.
Sections from literary sources.
Excerpts from medical and legal contexts.
Well-written material that gives us a model for good writing.

These articles are typically more than 300 words long, so we will often give participants the whole article and indicate what section is assigned for homework. The rest of the material may be useful for context. Towards the end of the course, we may stick to 300 word texts with less context.

We will also find some examples of these materials that vary in translation quality to discuss the challenges involved and the end result of a good or a bad translation.

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About the Author: Helen Eby

Helen Eby grew up in Argentina, the land of the gauchos. She is certified as an English Spanish translator by ATA and as a Spanish interpreter by the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts and by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. She co-founded The Savvy Newcomer and the ¡Al rescate del español! blogs, both of which are team efforts to provide resources for other language professionals. She is also a founding board member of the Spanish Editors Association.