Titles & Headings
• All NAATI test passages have headings
Some Practical Issues
in Translation
Paragraphing & Sub-paragraphs
• Retain the original paragraph divisions
+ unless there are very strong reasons to change
– not just because you ‘feel like it’
• Retain any sub-paragraphs / dot-points
+ also retain any identifying numbers / letters
+ many also have sub-headings
+ these are part of the text & must be translated
+ try to imitate the general layout of the source text
Transference of SL Words
• Some SL words may have no TL equivalents
+ differences in geography / culture
+ new technology
+ borrowing from SL to fill gaps in TL vocabulary
• These may require transferring the SL word into the TL
+ ie, the SL word is not translated
+ but a translator’s note may be required
+ requirements when SL & TL use different scripts
– may require transliteration
1
Names of People, Places etc (1)
• Particular cases of ‘transference’ are names of:
+ people (eg, Quentin Bryce)
+ places (eg, Riverview)
+ organisations (eg, Medicare)
+ positions (eg, Student Welfare Coordinator)
• Even when they can be translated, they should not be
• Names widely known in the TL usually have equivalents
+ eg, United Nations
+ but not those specific to SL country, eg Newstart
Abbreviations & Acronyms
• Some SL documents may use:
+ abbreviations, eg Kodam = Komando Daerah Militer
= Military Area Command
+ acronyms, eg NAATI = National Accreditation Auth-
ority for Translators & Interpreters
• These may also be handled by transferring the SL word
+ but a translator’s note may be particularly useful
+ some TL scripts may not allow separate letters for
acronyms
– may require full translation
Names of People, Places etc (2)
• Translation of position names depends on type of
document:
+ if TL readers will need to know SL term
– ‘transfer’ SL word, then explain in a TN
+ in other cases, translate using suitable equivalents
Punctuation & Capital Letters (1)
• Punctuation in translated text should reflect the original
+ but should be ‘converted’ to reflect normal TL usage
+ eg, English use of comma [,] for thousands / millions
+ many languages use full stop [.] for this purpose
• Quotation marks in SL should be reflected in TL
+ eg, to indicate quoting of exact words / unusual
meaning
• Use of round brackets ( ) should also be reflected in TL
+ ie, to indicate a parenthesis
2
Punctuation & Capital Letters (2)
• Insertions by translator must be in square brackets [ ]
+ emphasises information not in original document
• Upper-case / lower-case letters
+ if TL writing system allows for these:
– capitals in SL must be reflected in TL
– but only as consistent with normal rules in TL
– in English, capitals must be used when required,
even if SL did not have them
Translator’s Notes (1)
• Typical situations:
+ information that TL readers do not know
‘Pancasila [official state philosophy] Education’
+ information the translator does not know
‘loss of 1 laptop, 3 [word illegible], 2 watches’
+ mistakes in the SL document
‘pay the sum of $125,000 (one hundred and twenty
thousand dollars) to the other party’
‘moved from Melbourne to Sidney to seek work’
Words of Unknown / Uncertain Meaning
• Sometimes meaning of SL word:
+ cannot be found (not listed in available dictionaries)
+ is genuinely ambiguous (original badly expressed)
• Translators must alert their readers to this
+ if possible, indicate what intended meaning might be
+ don’t just leave blank space
+ this is what translator’s notes are for
Translator’s Notes (2)
• Typical situations [cont]:
+ for clarity in legal documents
– information not stated in SL, but required in TL for
grammatical reasons
‘he stated [that he] had once met this man’
– in most types of texts, this will not be required
• Over-use of TNs in NAATI tests may be penalised