DIPLOMA IN TRANSLATION 2014
EXAMINER’S REPORT ON CANDIDATE PERFORMANCE
LANGUAGE COMBINATION:
ENGLISH INTO SPANISH *
UNIT 01: GENERAL TRANSLATION
General report on candidate performance:
Reading comprehension was fairly good across most papers. However, a large number of candidates, who clearly understood the source text (ST), were
not able to render it accurately and faithfully. The distortions were mainly due to changing the viewpoint, using a different register or tone, using a
hyperbole or an understatement, or simply providing a free translation based on a personal reading. Markers felt that this year many candidates decided to
use a free translation method. When compared to the ST, many scripts read as an attempt to improve the original by reading in between the lines, adding
superfluous information and, in general, overtranslating many passages.
Excessive paraphrasing and freely rewriting the original text was the most common and serious mistakes that lead, in most cases, to failing the
examination. The text was at points rich in long sentences. This meant that not only good translation skills were needed but also good writing techniques in
the target language to achieve both idiomatic and accurate renderings.
On the other hand, this year markers awarded a fairly large number of Merits to candidates who not only fully understood the original, but were also able to
use the appropriate translation method. These translations did not distort the English original.
A few expressions created problems:Political non-starter was understood by all but it proved difficult to provide an idiomatic rendering.
Germans from across the country was understood correctly by less than half of the candidates as being de otras partes del país (from other parts of the
country), not 'del otro lado del país' (from the other side of the country).
There were several inclusions of Translator’s notes that were not necessary.
In conclusion, most candidates did understand the original, but the translation method used divided them into two groups. Those who rendered Aspect 1
without the degree of accuracy and faithfulness required to gain a pass, i.e., these Spanish versions of the original could not be used in a professional
context based on the DipTrans marking criteria; and those who did manage to convey the original content accurately.
In Aspect 2, although this was not a large source of errors as in Aspect 1, markers had to penalise recurrent errors regarding number and gender
agreement (noun-adjective; noun-noun; subject-predicate); use of gerund, prepositions, articles, relatives and pronouns; and syntax clause order (noun
clauses, verb clauses, subordinate clauses, etc.).
Some candidates had problems with the past tenses (imperfecto and indefinido) and chose the wrong option; equally, there seemed to be problems
choosing between the verbs ser/estar. These types of errors are normally made by non-natives so it was surprising to see such a high incidence of
mistakes.
This year, markers were concerned at the large number of candidates paraphrasing many sentences and phrases from the original. This could be due to a
lack of lexis command; however, markers could not help thinking that in several cases this was the result of rewriting the original –candidates imposing
their own style, which turned out to be one of verbosity in many cases.
Aspect 3 was well handled by most candidates. However, some candidates had problems with the use of capital letters in Spanish and applying current
rules regarding accents.
1
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
‘lenguaje’
‘viejo orden’; ‘de mayor tradición
histórica’; ‘de más edad’
‘el intérprete va varios segundos por
detrás’
‘traductores automáticos’
‘traducción mecánica’
‘maquinaria de la traducción’
‘traducción por máquina’
‘equipos de traducción’
‘programas de traducción’
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
lengua; idioma
A large number of candidates made this basic
word-choice error. Some candidates repeated
the mistake throughout the text; others used
either lenguaje, idioma or lengua; however, only
the last two are correct given the context.
**
estados más antiguos
Many candidates were not able to translate this
phrase accurately and faithfully. Renderings,
such as the examples given, distorted the
original meaning and its general sense.
**
ir varios segundos por detrás del
ponente
This reading comprehension error could be seen
in several scripts. Although it is true that
interpreters are a few seconds behind the
speaker, the ST refers to the listener being
several seconds behind the speaker. This type
of error changed the meaning of the original and
in some cases the renderings made no sense
given the context.
**
traducción automática
Some candidates were not aware of this term.
This could also be seen in the confusion
between translation and interpreting, where in
many scripts interpreting was translated as
‘traducción’.
**
2
Examples of good performance:
¿Es posible la unidad política sin una lengua común?
[…] sin un idioma en común […]
Y en los estados más antiguos, como España y Francia […]
[…] andar varios segundos por detrás del ponente […]
[…] traducción automática […]
The conference, though heavily Polish in attendance, is officially trilingual (English and Russian materials are available everywhere) and even more
multilingual in its attendees translated as ‘La conferencia, aunque con gran asistencia polaca, es oficialmente trilingüe (hay material en inglés y ruso
disponible por todas partes), e incluso más multilingüe entre los asistentes.’
Reducing the number of official EU languages to three or so is a political non-starter translated as ‘Reducir el número de lenguas oficiales de la UE a más
o menos tres es políticamente inviable.’
Additional comments:
Very common types of Aspect 1 mistakes that lead to Fail were the cases of excessive paraphrasing, over-translations and re-writing the original text.
Many candidates decided to do their “own version” of the original text. This was penalised as serious or very serious mistakes depending on the degree of
paraphrasing.
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
‘muchos de los países del mundo
surgieron/nacieron de las olas y
construidos alrededor de la idea’
muchos de los países del mundo
surgieron/nacieron de las
olas/oleadas de nacionalismo y se
construyeron/formaron alrededor de
la idea
In English, were born out and built share the
same verb tense. However, a large number of
candidates did not see that and used the wrong
tense in their translation of built. This error
should have been picked up during the final
revision phase.
‘fue difícil entender a muchos
panelistas esforzándose en inglés’
‘fue difícil entender a muchos
panelistas haciendo su mejor
esfuerzo’
[…] que se esforzaban en inglés […]
que hacían su mejor esfuerzo
This use of the gerund is incorrect and creates
an ambiguity.
‘muchas de los países’
muchos de los países
This type of gender agreement errors could be
seen in many translations.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
**
**
**
3
‘las naciones en cuestión a menudo
coincidían con aquellos que
hablaban la misma lengua’
‘es evidente que el idioma es una
razón importante por el cual ha sido’
‘la propagación del inglés… es
práctico’
[…] con aquellas que hablaban
[…] por la cual ha sido
[…] es práctica
‘No solo… pero’
No solo… sino
‘Pero’ is the one translation of but. However, if
but is part of the expression not just… but, the
correct rendering is sino.
***
Additional comments:
Most candidates did show a good knowledge of grammar and syntax in Spanish. Very few failed Aspect 2.
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘sólo’
‘ésas’
‘ésto’
solo
esas
esto
There are still many candidates who do not
apply current rules. This could be seen
throughout the text.
‘Romances’, ‘Germánicas’,
‘Eslavas’, ‘Bálticas’, ‘Celtas’,
‘Semíticas’
‘Estado’, ‘Inglés’, ‘Polaco’, ‘Ruso’,
‘Eurozona’
romances, germánicas, eslavas,
bálticas, celtas, semíticas’
‘estado; inglés; polaco; ruso;
eurozona
Use of capitals letters in Spanish is different
from English. Many candidates did not use them
properly, such in the examples given. Moreover,
there were cases of missing capitals, such as
writing ‘parlamento europeo’, ‘europa’, ‘unión
europea’ in lower case.
**
Incorrect transfer of these place names.
* or ** depending on the
case
‘Sur África’
‘África del Sur’
‘Crónica’, ‘Crínica’, ‘Crinita’, ‘Kyrnica’
**
Sudáfrica (also Suráfrica)
Krynica (markers also accepted
Krinica)
4
‘el plurilinguismo –y no solo…’
el plurilingüismo y no solo
This incorrect use of the em dash in Spanish is a
recurrent error that can be seen across all
**
papers and every year.
Recommendations to candidates:
A good text analysis will help you choose the right translation method and procedures, which must be used bearing in mind that accuracy and faithfulness
are paramount to gain a pass in Aspect 1. Therefore, knowledge of translation theory could be helpful. In addition, a good degree of reading
comprehension is essential, as it is applying common sense.
Misreading or misinterpreting a sentence, phrase or word will inevitably lead to inaccuracies that can substantially change the meaning and intention of the
original.
It is important to be aware that Aspect 2 does not allow for copying the English syntax, unless it is idiomatic and natural do to so. Using personal pronouns,
omitting articles, placing adjectives before nouns, using the passive voice, and placing the verb at the end of the sentence are some examples of possible
pitfalls depending on the context.
Aspect 3 is not only about good punctuation and spelling, but also about transferring place names correctly.
Unit 01: Pass Rate 32% (2014); 35% (2013)
UNIT 2A: TECHNOLOGY
General report on candidate performance:
The source text deals with new carbon films that will be useful in the development of more sophisticated solar cells. The translated text target audience are
educated readers of a website that describes technological innovations. The text, despite not being highly specialised, presented a fair challenge to
candidates in terms of semi-specialised terminology. It was worrying how most candidates showed a clear lack of ability to tackle the terminological
challenges. Very few managed to produce a correct and accurate target text.
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
‘celdas solares cristalinas’
Suggested solutions
células solares de silicio cristalino /
silicio monocristalino
Comments
Example of key terminology whose
mistranslation was considered a very serious
error. This was one of the main key terms in the
text. An accurate rendering into the TL was
essential to pass the examination.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
***
5
‘silicio uní-cristalino’, ‘silicio cristalino
simple’, ‘silicona cristalina’.
silicio cristalino; silicio
monocristalino
Another key term in the text whose
mistranslation was considered a very serious
error An accurate rendering into the TL was
essential to pass the examination.
‘películas delgadas de nanotubos de
carbón pulido’
películas finas y lisas de nanotubos
de carbono
Example of a very serious mistranslation of key
terminology. This was one of the main key terms
in the text. An accurate rendering into the TL
was essential to pass the examination.
***
’con una eficiencia en la conversión
de potencia’
con una eficiencia / rendimiento de
conversión de energía
Example of a serious mistranslation of key
terminology.
**
***
Examples of good performance:
In a pair of recent papers, Yale engineers report a novel and cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells through the
application of thin, smooth carbon nanotube films.Proposed translation (with alternative lexical choices): En un par de ensayos / artículos recientes, los
ingenieros de Yale informan de una forma novedosa y rentable de mejorar el rendimiento de las células solares de silicio cristalino / silicio monocristalino
mediante la aplicación de películas finas y lisas de nanotubos de carbono.
Silicon, an abundant element, is an ideal material for solar cells because its optical properties make it an intrinsically efficient energy converter. Proposed
translation (with alternative lexical choices): El silicio, un elemento abundante, es un material ideal para las células solares porque sus propiedades ópticas
hacen que sea, intrínsecamente, un eficiente convertidor / transformador de energía.
Additional comments:
Most failed papers resulted from mistranslations of key terminology. The technical terminology was challenging despite not being highly specialised. Most
candidates, when faced with this terminology challenge, did not show the ability to provide correct and accurate equivalents in the target language.
In scientific and technical texts the accuracy of the terminology is crucial in order to convey the original information and message correctly. Failing to
produce the correct equivalent technical terms results in most cases in a target text that would not make sense to an educated reader. Hence
mistranslations of essential key terminology resulted in failing Aspect 1 and therefore the examination.
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
‘Sus propiedades ópticas lo hace un
convertidor...’
Suggested solutions
Sus propiedades ópticas hacen de
él un convertidor...
Comments
Example of agreement mistake.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
**
6
‘una fina película de compuesto de
nanotubos de carbono’
películas finas de un compuesto de
nanotubos de carbono
Example of omission of article resulting in an
awkward and difficult to understand sentence
structure.
**
‘reportaron una novedosa y forma
rentable de mejorar’
‘que a la que se ha reportado a la
fecha’
informaron de una forma rentable y
novedosa de mejorar...
Example of a very serious wrong collocation.
***
‘propiedades óptimas en un
convertidor de energía intrínseco en
eficiencia’
sus propiedades ópticas hacen que
sea, intrínsecamente, un eficiente
convertidor / transformador de
energía.
Example of a very serious case of wrong syntax
resulting in a nonsensical sentence in the target
language.
***
Additional comments:
Most mistakes in Aspect 2 were due to excessive paraphrasing and over-translations that lead to non-idiomatic and cumbersome renderings. The other
common mistakes were wrong grammatical agreements (subject–predicate or adjective–noun) or simply wrong sentence structures, like in the examples
above, showing a poor grasp of Spanish syntax. Nevertheless, most candidates performed fairly well in Aspect 2, showing acceptable writing skills.
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘hibridas’; ‘uní-cristalino’
híbridas, unicristalino
Examples of spelling and accentuation mistakes.
**
‘células solares orgánicas – un
alternativo existente a...’
células solares orgánicas –una
alternativa existente a...
Example of punctuation mistake and wrong use
of hyphen instead of Spanish em dash.
**
‘carbon’
‘que la qué se ha reportado...’
‘idoneo’
‘energia’
‘Diciembre’
carbón
que la que se ha reportado
idóneo
energía
diciembre
Examples of spelling, accentuation and
capitalisation mistakes.
**
‘nanotubo/polímero’
‘carbono/polímeros’
polímeros de nanotubos de carbono,
polímeros de carbono
Examples of literally transferring English forward
slash to Spanish, considered a not too serious
punctuation mistake.
*
7
Recommendations to candidates:
Read the Diploma in Translation Handbook thoroughly. Study past examination papers. A translator needs a broad cultural knowledge of both native and
target cultures and candidates need to read extensively in both languages. Keep up-to-date your knowledge of current issues, especially in your areas of
specialisation. Become familiarised with relevant terminology, read regularly good quality specialised magazines in both source and target languages.
Specialised terminology is strict and synonyms cannot always be used. Read the source text very carefully and make sure you understand it well and have
identified and solved any potential problems before your start translating. Do not think that translating allows you to use awkward expressions; your
translated text needs to be idiomatic and read naturally as if written originally in the target language. Appropriate tone and register are essential. Do not
over-translate, paraphrase in excess or reinterpret the original writing “your own version”. After you finish your text, read it with the eyes of a third party,
referring to the source and assess if the text clearly conveys all the information, can be understood and it objectively represents a faithful rendering of the
original.
Unit 2A: Pass Rate 33% (2014); 20% (2013)
UNIT 2B: BUSINESS
General report on candidate performance:
The ST deals with the prospects of Portugal and Ireland exiting their bailout programmes as scheduled. Translated TT was aimed at an educated reader of
finance section of a broadsheet newspaper.
Aspect 1: the source text presents a fair degree of technical economic terminology, but nothing which cannot be found in a good specialised dictionary.
Correct and accurate translations of all the key terminology is essential to achieve pass mark.
Aspect 2: the original text is structured in long one single sentence paragraphs. Candidates need to prove good writing skills in target language in order to
come up with syntactically correct and idiomatic solutions.
Aspect 3: the main challenge is the correct transfer of figures into the target language and the correct use of numerical punctuation and abbreviation
standards.
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
‘El valor de las rentas de Portugal a
10 años’; ‘el tipo de referencia de los
bonos portugueses a 10 años’
La rentabilidad / rendimiento (de los
bonos) a diez años de Portugal
Examples of very serious mistranslations of key
terminology and concepts. The original concepts
are not understood correctly and the rendering
provides wrong information.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
***
8
la rentabilidad de los bonos
portugueses de referencia a diez
años
‘la prima de los bonos’
la rentabilidad / el rendimiento de los
bonos
Example of serious mistranslations of key
terminology. The terms are substituted by non
valid or exactly equivalent synonyms resulting in
wrong information.
***
‘deuda garantizada por el Estado’,
‘bonos gubernamentales’
deuda soberana; deuda pública;
bonos del estado
Examples of minor mistranslations, nonaccurate lexical choices
*
‘volvió a la senda del crecimiento’
volvió a un crecimiento modesto...
Example of rewriting the original text and
inaccurate rendering.
*
Examples of good performance:
Amid expectations that central banks in the US, Japan and elsewhere will tighten monetary policy, yields on Portugal’s benchmark 10-year bonds surged to
6.6 per cent last week from a low of 5.2 per cent in late May. Proposed translated text (with alternative options): Ante las expectativas de que los bancos
centrales de EE.UU., Japón y otros (países) ajusten sus política(s) monetarias, la rentabilidad de los bonos (portugueses) de referencia a diez años (de
Portugal) se dispararon de un (desde un mínimo de) 5,2% a finales de mayo al 6,6% la semana pasada.
Ireland, seen as the most successful of the bailout countries after returning to modest growth in 2011, is scheduled to exit its €67.5bn bailout programme in
December. Portugal, still mired in a deep recession, is due to wind up its €78bn programme six months later. Proposed translated text (with alternative
options): Irlanda, considerado el país con más éxito de los rescatados tras regresar a / volver a (a tener) un crecimiento modesto en 2011, tiene prevista
su salida del (programa de) rescate de 67.500 millones de euros en diciembre. Portugal, aún sumido / atrapado en una profunda recesión, debe dar por
terminado su programa de 78.000 millones de euros seis meses después.
Omissions that led to a Fail:
There were no very serious omissions that lead to fail. Some candidates chose to omit adjectives and qualifiers that were important to the translated terms
in order to keep them accurate. A typical example is omitting benchmark qualifying benchmark 10-year bonds.
Additional comments:
The source text presents a fair degree of technical terminology and economic jargon, but nothing which cannot be found in a good specialised dictionary.
Like in any technical text, correct and accurate translations of all the key terminology are essential to achieve a pass mark. An added degree of difficulty in
this text was that most specialised terms had an array of two or three valid alternative translations. It was important to understand the actual content and
message of the original text to be able to choose the most accurate one. Many candidates failed to use the correct key terminology.
9
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘endurezcan sus política monetaria’
Endurezcan sus políticas
monetarias
Example of wrong agreement.
*
‘ambos países han tenido suceso...’
Ambos países han tenido éxito
Example of poor command of target language,
with a translation of success that makes no
sense.
**
‘monitoreo de los objetivos fiscales
menos prominente que el monitoreo
incluido...’
Una supervisión de los objetivos
fiscales menos estricta que la
incluida en...
Example of poor writing skills and erroneous
translations resulting in a non-idiomatic
sentence.
***
‘A menos de un año en el cual los
líderes...’
A menos de un año de que los
líderes europeos...
Example of poor syntax resulting in a very
awkward and syntactically wrong sentence
structure in the target language.
**
Additional comments:
Although the original message was reasonably simple and straightforward to decode, the presence of long English sentences required good writing skills
in order to come up with correct and idiomatic solutions in the target language. There were single sentence paragraphs that were challenging to transfer
into Spanish.
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
‘€67.5 billones’, €78 billones’
‘6,6%’, ‘78 000 millones’.
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
67.500 millones de euros; 78.000
millones de euros
Very serious mistake transferring crucial figures.
Billion translated as ‘billón’ instead of miles de
millones.
***
6,6%, 78.000 millones
Inconsistent use of numerical punctuation,
mixing the old and new standards. It would be
either the new standard: 6.6 % and 78 000
millones; or the old one: 6,6% and 78.000
**
10
millones. In economic texts in Spanish the old
standard is still the one preferred and most
regularly used.
‘comisario europeo de economía’,
‘Diciembre’
Comisario europeo de Asuntos
Económicos, diciembre
Examples of wrong capitalisation or lack of it.
*
‘EEUU’, ‘U. E.’
EE. UU., UE
Examples of wrong use of abbreviations and
initials in the target language.
**
Additional comments:
A very serious mistake under Aspect 3 was the wrong transfer of figures into the target language as well as the wrong use of numerical punctuation, as
explained in the examples above. Considering figures convey an essential part of the message in the technical economic texts, these mistakes were
treated as serious and very serious, leading to fail.
Another typical mistake was wrong punctuation of abbreviations and initials, as in examples above.
Recommendations to candidates:
Best advice to candidates is to read on the subject and specialised matter they will be translating.
Read specialised publications regularly in both source and target languages to grasp a sound general knowledge of the specific subject.
It is essential to be equipped with good general and specialised dictionaries and to develop, through practice, the ability to pick up the best lexical choices
depending on the context.
Specialised economic and business terminology is strict and synonym substitutions are not always possible.
Unit 2B: Pass Rate 28% (2014); 43% (2013)
UNIT 2C: LITERATURE
General report on candidate performance:
This literary text is full of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, which presented a challenge for some candidates. Lexical problems abound, together
with the occasional problem of comprehension. There were also some problems with grammar, especially with object pronouns and prepositions. Finally,
Aspect 3 also caused many problems among the candidates, in particular the use of inverted commas for direct speech in English, but dashes in Spanish.
Aspect1:
There were a few terms whose decoding some candidates struggled with:
- Beanbag was translated wrongly as ‘saco de ejercicios’ (punch bag); ‘silla-cojín’ (unidiomatic combination chair-cushion); ‘asiento en forma de
bolsa relleno con bolitas’ (type of seat shaped as a bag filled with little balls), etc. In a literary paper, candidates should have cared less about the
11
exact translation of meaning (if there was not one equivalent term available) and should have opted, as some did, to find a similar object (‘puf’) or a
hypernym (‘asiento’). By choosing an unidiomatic word or expression we are attracting the readers’ attention to that word.
With regard to encoding problems, there was a sentence which caused problems:
- His face froze in bewilderment. Two candidates opted for a simplification of the message: ‘se quedó perplejo’, ‘se quedó estupefacto’ (both: [he was
stunned]). In a literary text, form is as important as meaning and candidates should have attempted a translation closer to the original, such as Se le
quedó congelada la expresión, de puro asombro
There were some instances of literal translation, which rendered the text unidiomatic:
You see was translated as ‘a ver’ but a more idiomatic rendering would have been es que…. [the thing is…]
All right was translated as ‘está bien’ but a more idiomatic rendering would have been ¿vale? [all right?]
Castrato should have been left with the original (Italian) spelling as the RAE accepts it as such and it does not need to be italicised. Candidates who chose
to translate it into Spanish (‘castrado’) changed the meaning of the word slightly and did not maintain the spirit of the original.
Aspect 2:
The sentence I was thinking that in another second Bangs would understand how rude he had been and that then I would have to watch the
embarrassment dawn on his face caused problems because many candidates chose not to specify the subject after then, which meant that Bangs
remained the subject of the sentence instead of Barbara (the narrator).
Aspect 3:
The most common mistakes under this aspect were:
a) dialogue writing: lack of awareness of dialogue-writing conventions and carelessness in all the papers.
b) punctuation: missing commas, dashes. Particularly serious is the lack of comma before a vocative.
c) spelling: ‘halagada’ missed the h in several instances. Elsewhere, there was lack or misuse of the graphic accent. Only a few candidates seemed to
be aware of the most recent RAE recommendations regarding accents in solo and demonstrative pronouns, which was surprising as it is not a new
rule anymore. This also applies to monosyllabic words such as ‘rio’. Surprising mistakes were: ‘arboles’ (árboles), ‘estas’ (estás); ‘congelo’
(congeló); ‘crujian’ (crujían); ‘reir’ (reír); ‘invérsamente’ (inversamente).
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘en el que la gente confía’
A quien la gente se confía/cuenta
sus confidencias.
Most candidates translated it with the meaning
of to trust.
***
‘estoy enamorado’
Me gusta / Estoy chiflado / ‘ando
amartelado’
An idiomatic expression is required. ‘Estoy
enamorado’ is equivalent to being in love
*
12
whereas ‘I’ve got a crush’ is a bit less serious,
so ‘me gusta’ would be a better match.
‘Silla-cojín’
‘si hubiese tenido un admirador, él
se hubiese agitado’
Puf, asiento
Odd word combinations, elaborate translations
and explanations of what a beanbag is do not
have a place in a literary text. The best options
were: ‘puf’ (close in meaning) or the hypernym
‘asiento’ (seat).
*
de haber tenido un abanico lo habría
agitado
Complete misunderstanding of the original. Fan
(manual cooling device) was translated wrongly
as ‘ventilador’ (mechanical cooling device) or
‘admiradora’ (female admirer) in several scripts.
The right term was abanico.
***
Examples of good performance:
‘estar colado’, ‘estar amartelado’ for to have a crush on somebody.
‘me hacía querer seguirle el juego’ for to play the thing out.
Omissions that led to a Fail:
There were no that many omissions and, certainly, none that led to a Fail. Some of the words/expressions that were omitted were: up and down, real, I find,
etc.
Additional comments:
Apart from the occasional problem of comprehension, the main problem seemed to be reproducing the idiomatic nature of the original.
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘Inmediatamente entendí’
Lo entendí enseguida
The object pronoun was missing.
**
‘alineando la calle’
que bordeaban la calle
English grammar was used.
**
13
‘Tendría que ver su sonrojo’
Yo tendría que ver su sonrojo
Other alternatives could be tendría
que verle el sonrojo en la
cara/tendría que verle cómo se le
iluminaba la cara de vergüenza
By omitting the subject in the sentence I would
have to watch the embarrassment, the subject
becomes Bangs instead of Barbara.
***
‘esperando por una reacción’
Esperando una reacción
The preposition should have been omitted.
**
Additional comments:
The most common mistakes in this Aspect affect prepositions, pronouns, verb tenses, incoherence, and lack of gender and/or number agreement.
Occasionally the English grammar was followed.
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘alagada’
halagada
Incorrect spelling.
***
‘¿Por que...?’
¿Por qué...?
No accent mark used.
**
‘a mí’
a mí
Italics were not used.
**
‘Bárbara’
Barbara
The name was translated into Spanish.
*
‘De verdad Barbara’
De verdad, Barbara
A comma must be introduced before the
vocative.
*
Additional comments:
The main mistakes found in this area affect the use of inverted commas for direct speech, not adhering to the conventions for writing dialogue in Spanish,
the no-replication of italics (where typed), accents used incorrectly or not being used when needed, spelling, and punctuation.
Recommendations to candidates:
Read the source text very carefully and try to identify key phrases, hidden “traps” and complicated clauses. Never attempt to start translating without this
“workout” first.
14
Beware of false friends/cognates. Correct collocation of words is crucial.
Always double-check meanings found in dictionaries.
Do not think that translating allows you to use awkward expressions you would never use as a native speaker.
Make sure you use the appropriate register at all times.
Be faithful to the original.
Think very carefully before changing quotations into reported speech.
Always consider whether the ordering of the sentence in the source text should be modified in the interests of greater clarity and authenticity in the target
text.
Candidates/translators must "read" the translated text with the eyes of a third party, without reference to the source in order to assess their translation in
an objective way.
Avoid using translator’s notes unless they are necessary. Use translator’s notes only as you would in professional practice.
Candidates preparing for the Literature exam are advised to be familiar with the Spanish conventions for writing dialogue.
Unit 2C: Pass Rate 27% (2014); 24% (2013)
UNIT 3D: SCIENCE
General report on candidate performance:
The text deals with the role of microfungi in preventing attacks by insects. The target text audience is readers of the science pages of a national
newspaper.
The source text key scientific terminology is challenging, but nothing that a good science dictionary would not cater for. There are some convoluted
passages that require a good understanding of the original message prior to translating.
There is an element of necessary paraphrasing and sentence rearrangement when translating those paragraphs into Spanish in order to keep the target
text idiomatic and natural. The key is to avoid distortions of the message and information from the source text.
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
‘hongo mycorrhizae’
Suggested solutions
hongos micorrícicos/micorrizos
Comments
This was a key term in the ST that few
candidates translated correctly.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
***
15
‘pulgones’
‘productos químicos’
‘científicos’
Áfidos, afídidos
sustancias químicas
investigadores
These are examples of inaccurate lexical
choices not distorting the original message.
*
‘escasa sorpresa, tan solo un
fantástico sistema de señales’
sorpresa más absoluta ante tan
potente y tan fantástico sistema de
señales/señalización
An example of a very serious mistranslation
resulting in a serious distortion of the original
message.
***
‘se alimentan de las plantas dañadas’
que se alimentan de las plantas y las An example of a serious mistranslation resulting
in a distortion of the original message.
dañan
**
Examples of good performance:
But below ground, most land plants are connected by fungi called mycorrhizae translated as ‘Sin embargo, la mayoría de las plantas terrestres están
conectadas bajo tierra mediante / a través de / hongos, esto se denomina micorriza / denominados (hongos) micorrícicos/micorrizos.’
It joins an established body of literature that has suggested that the mycorrhizae can act as a kind of information network among plants. translated as ‘Se
suma a un corpus consolidado / probado de estudios que sugieren que las micorrizas pueden actuar como una especie de red de información / a modo de
redes de información / entre las plantas.’
Omissions that led to a Fail:
There is one case of a candidate who omitted three paragraphs, this situation results in an automatic fail.
Additional comments:
As commented in the introduction, there is an element of necessary paraphrasing and sentence rearrangement when translating some paragraphs into
Spanish in order to keep the target text idiomatic and natural. The key is to avoid distortions of the message and information from the source text.
In the first paragraph the author makes a questionable use of a specialised term, “mycorrhizae”. The author uses this term to define a type of fungi but this
term, in an accurate use, defines the phenomenon of the underground network of fungi and its functions as described in the article. The correct term of
these fungi would have been “mycorrizal fungi”, as used later on in the text. This leads to some confusion among candidates that was taken into
consideration by the examiners.
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
16
‘las redes de micorrizas parecían no
recibir las señales...’
Parecía que las redes de micorrizas
no recibían las señales...
An example of non-idiomatic rendering resulting
in an awkward sentence structure.
**
‘El hallazgo podría ponerse en
práctica en varias cosechas
dañadas por la presencia de los
áfidos, “sacrificando” a alguna
planta en particular que sea más
susceptible a una infestación para
que...’
El descubrimiento/hallazgo podría
usarse en muchos cultivos
afectados por los áfidos/que son
dañados por/, haciendo que una
planta en particular se “sacrifique” y
sea más susceptible a que los
áfidos la infesten, de forma que...
An example of non-idiomatic rendering resulting
in an awkward sentence structure. In this case
the poor writing skills in the target language also
compromises the message.
***
‘Como los científicos permitieron
que algunas plantas...’
Cuando los investigadores dejaron
que los áfidos infestaran a algunas
plantas...
This is a case where a wrong translation of “as”
results in a non-sensical sentence structure.
**
Cuando los investigadores dejaron
que los áfidos infestaran a algunas
plantas...
Following the above case, in this same sentence
the subsequent use of the passive mode in
Spanish shows poor writing skills resulting in a
difficult to understand TT and distorted
message.
**
‘Como los científicos permitieron
que algunas plantas fueran
infestadas por los áfidos...’
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘traves’
través
An example of a missing graphic accent.
**
‘Profesor Pickett’.
El catedrático Pickett
A case of wrong capitalization.
**
“Los hongos micorrícicos necesitan
(obtener) productos de la
fotosíntesis de las plantas, así que
deben hacer algo (a cambio) por
ellas”, explicaba John Pickett del
centro de estudios Rothamsted
A particularly serious case of wrong punctuation.
***
“Los hongos... algo por ella –
Explicó John Pickett del centro de
investigación Rothamsted-.
17
‘Ecology Letters (“Notas de
Ecología”)
declaraba a la BBC News (“El
telediario de la BBC”).’
Ecology Letters (Notas de Ecología)
declaraba a la BBC News (las
noticias de la BBC)
Cases of questionable transfer of names. In the
case of publications or news programs these
can well be left in the source language in italics.
If a brief explanation is provided in brackets, it
needs to be very concise and with no quotations
marks.
*
Recommendations to candidates:
Best advice to candidates is to read on the subject and specialised matter they will be translating.
Read specialised publications regularly in both source and target languages to grasp a sound general knowledge of the specific subject.
It is essential to count with good general and specialised dictionaries and to develop, through practice, the ability to pick up best lexical choices depending
on the context. Specialised scientific terminology is strict and synonym substitutions are not always possible.
Unit 3D: Pass Rate 17% (2014); 45% (2013)
UNIT 3E: SOCIAL SCIENCE
General report on candidate performance:
There were problems with all three Aspects. The most common ones in Aspect 1 regard inaccuracies in the translation of some terms, as well as some
omissions and additions. Erroneous grammar was common for Aspect 2, and there was some lack of cohesion. As for Aspect 3, figures caused problems,
as well as the translation of some names of countries. Both the absence and wrong usage of accent marks were also common.
Aspect 1
Many of the semi-specialised terms posed problems to the majority of candidates:
Turnover referred to staff turnover and the majority of candidates grasped this. However, there were a few unfortunate translations: ‘facturación’,
‘movimiento de mercancías’ being the worst culprits.
Underinvestment was translated by some as ‘infraversión’ and ‘subinversión’. In a semi-specialised text such as this, an idiomatic expression would have
been preferable, such as ‘falta de inversión’ or ‘poca inversión’.
The pool in global talent pool was translated wrongly as ‘piscina’ (swimming pool) and ‘fuente’ (fountain). ‘Reserva’ was the correct term and the one used
by most of the candidates.
Aspect 2
The sentence beginning with ‘Incluyen’ caused many problems because it was very unidiomatic stylistically to do a direct translation. The better renderings
included linking it to the previous sentence by means of a comma or a connector.
The sentence ending in real time also posed problems with regard to word order. The sentences written by candidates who followed the English order
lacked clarity whereas those candidates who changed the word order had better results.
18
The gerund leading in leading to a rising pool of international students worldwide was translated by several candidates as a gerund in Spanish, which is
incorrect. Instead, a relative clause should have been used.
‘En relación a’ is an incorrect prepositional phrase that even natives have problems with. Language professionals should be aware that the correct
expressions are: con relación a and en relación con.
The correct transfer of prepositions was something that escaped the vast majority of the candidates. Especially problematic were ‘a través del Proceso de
Bolonia’ (mediante el Proceso de Bolonia) y ‘a través de la emigración’ (debido a la emigración).
‘Del OCDE’ is wrong and should have been transferred as De la OCDE because O stands for organisation, a feminine word in Spanish.
Aspect 3
It was a mistake to leave the expression Bologna Process in English, although the candidate also provided a translation in brackets.
The most common mistakes under this aspect were:
d) punctuation: missing commas, dashes.
e) spelling: ‘hecho’ (echo); ‘multiplico’ (multiplicó); ‘domestica’ (doméstica); ‘perdidas’ (pérdidas); ‘sima’ (cima); ‘ésto’ (esto); ‘pais’ (país); ‘paises’
(países); ‘como’ (cómo).
f) not translating the acronym EU and leaving it ‘EU’ (UE).
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
‘infraversión’
Falta de inversión
The terms ‘infraversión’ and ‘subinversión’ can
be understood but are inappropriate renderings
in this type of text.
‘labor intensiva’ / ‘trabajo físico
intensivo’
que emplean mucha mano de obra
Some of the candidates’ choices are attempts at
a literal translation.
‘alto nivel de producción’
‘rotación de personal’
Some candidates chose the wrong denotation of
this term.
‘Facturación’
rotación de personal
Turnover was wrongly understood as [income]
and not as staff turnover.
‘hace aproximadamente dos años’,
‘y como hace dos años’
‘desde hace dos años
aproximadamente’
The idea of as of is lost in some renderings.
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
**
**
***
**
19
Examples of good performance:
‘La reserva mundial de talento’ for The global talent pool.
‘veteranos’ for old players.
‘ir a la par’ for aligned.
‘casi se duplicó’ for almost doubled
‘creció más del doble’ for more than doubled
‘aumentó más de ocho veces’ for rose more than eightfold
Omissions that led to a Fail:
Turnover and Through the Bologna Process and other measures.Some of other less crucial omissions were: also, about, other, intensive, etc.
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘A través del Proceso de Bolonia’
Mediante el Proceso de Bolonia
‘A través de’ means physically through
something so mediante (through, by means of)
is a better option in Spanish.
**
‘La clase media creciente de las
economías emergentes también
están’
...también está
Lack of number agreement.
**
‘Llevando a‘
Lo que lleva a
Incorrect use of gerund in Spanish. A relative
clause is needed.
**
‘Del OECD’
De la OECD
The correct article is la because O stands for
Organisation (in Spanish, a feminine word).
**
Additional comments:
Grammar was the main problem in this Aspect: missing articles/prepositions, wrong verb tenses, number and gender agreement, and various syntax
errors.
20
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘sólo’
‘solo’
No accent mark needed.
**
‘numero’
‘número’
Accent mark missing.
**
‘22
000’
‘22 000’
Conventions for writing figures: A figure should
not be split into two lines.
**
‘gobiernos’
Gobiernos
Gobiernos in this context should be capitalised
and only the candidate awarded a Distinction
managed to write it correctly.
**
Additional comments:
The most common problems in this Aspect were accent marks, names of places, figures and punctuation.
Recommendations to candidates:
Candidates are advised to find out about the correct transfer of figures and acronyms by consulting authoritative newspapers and journals in both
languages. Candidates should make sure they leave aside enough time to check the text for spelling and punctuation.
Keep up-to-date your knowledge of current issues in the UK, particularly in the subjects of specialisation (or option).
Become familiarised with relevant terminology. The only way to achieve this is by regularly reading good quality specialised magazines of both source and
target languages.
Always double-check meanings found in dictionaries.
Read the source text very carefully and try to identify key phrases, hidden “traps” and complicated clauses. Never attempt to start translating without this
“workout” first. Beware of false friends/cognates. Correct collocation of words is crucial. Do not think that translating allows you to use awkward expressions
you would never use as a native speaker. Make sure you use the appropriate register at all times. Be faithful to the original.
Candidates/Translators must "read" the translated text with the eyes of a third party, without reference to the source in order to assess their translation in an
objective way.
Unit 3E: Pass Rate 17% (2014); 40% (2013)
21
UNIT 3F: LAW
General report on candidate performance:
There were problems with all three Aspects. The most important ones were found in Aspect 1. There were problems with terminology, which in a technical
text are normally crucial. At times, the register of the source text was found to have been lowered in the translation. On many occasions, the candidates
used a narrative style. Although there were some omissions, there were, especially in some cases, many additions.
As far as Aspect 2 is concerned, grammar seemed to cause some problems for the candidates: sentences missing articles or prepositions, lack of
gender/number cohesion, etc.
Finally, Aspect 3 was not fault-free either: Missing accent marks, others wrongly used; punctuation issues, and wrong spelling of words.
ASPECT 1: Comprehension, accuracy and register
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘sección’
‘Artículo’
Most candidates translated this term literally;
however, ‘section’ means artículo, and ‘article’
means sección.
‘alguien a nivel gerencial’, ‘un
individuo de posición elevada’, ‘un
empleado en un puesto de
responsabilidad’, etc.
Un alto cargo
The versions offered were, in general, a little too
narrative and, at times, they read more as an
explanation than a term.
*
‘asesinatos’
Homicidio sin premeditación
Inaccurate translations: ‘asesinato’ means
murder.
***
‘el abogado revisor’, ‘el abogado
que revise el caso’, ‘el abogado
apelante’, ‘el letrado que se ocupe
de la causa’, ‘el abogado encargado
de la revisión del delito’, etc.
El fiscal
The candidates’ versions were either too literal
or too narrative.
**
**
Examples of good performance:
‘Fiscal General’ for Director of Public Prosecutions.
‘Artículo’ for Section.
22
Omissions that led to a Fail:
There were a few omissions, although they did not lead to a Fail. Criminal was the most frequently omitted word, and other omissions include: across the
organization and of accountability.
Additional comments:
Different types of problems were found in this area, which could be summarised as follows:
. Problems with vocabulary
. Use of a narrative style
. English names kept in parentheses in the target text
. Use of false friends
. Additions
. Use of words which did not exist
. Use of unnecessary footnotes
ASPECT 2: Grammar (morphology, syntax, etc.), cohesion, coherence and organisation of work
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘como principio de identificación’
Como el principio de identificación
The article is missing.
*
‘otras legislación’
Otra legislación
Lack of number agreement.
**
‘define “personal de alta dirección” a
aquellas personas’
Define ....como …
This sentence is ungrammatical.
**
‘será culpable si: ……..que la
organización
Será culpable si: … la
The relative pronoun is not needed.
***
Additional comments:
The main problems in this area include:
. lack of gender and/or number agreement
. ungrammatical sentences: two prepositions together, article or preposition missing, etc.
. use of passive voice.
23
ASPECT 3: Technical points relating to spelling, accentuation, punctuation and the transfer of dates, names, figures, etc.
Incorrect versions
Suggested solutions
Comments
Seriousness of mistake
Very serious:
***
Serious:
**
Not too serious: *
‘organizo’
organizó
Accent mark missing.
**
No italics used for the translation of:
a significant role in the
management... a substantial part
Italics have to be used.
No italics used.
*
‘Sim embargo’
Sin embargo
Wrong spelling
**
Inverted commas missing for
“controlling mind”
Use of inverted commas.
Inverted commas missing.
*
Additional comments:
The main problems in this area include: missing accent marks, accent marks wrongly used, punctuation, wrong spelling
Recommendations to candidates:
Please refrain from using footnotes when they are not needed.
There is no need to keep names and/or concepts in English when a translation can be easily provided.
Become familiarised with relevant terminology. The only way to achieve this is by regularly reading good quality specialised magazines of both source and
target languages.
Since candidates are not allowed to “google” any unfamiliar terms as in a real-life situation, have up-to-date specialised glossaries to hand during the
examination. Always double-check meanings found in dictionaries.
Read the source text very carefully and try to identify key phrases, hidden “traps” and complicated clauses. Never attempt to start translating without this
“workout” first.
Beware of false friends/cognates. Do not think that translating allows you to use awkward expressions you would never use as a native speaker. Make sure
you use the appropriate register at all times.
Be faithful to the original. Candidates/translators must "read" the translated text with the eyes of a third party, without reference to the source in order to
assess their translation in an objective way.
Unit 3F: Pass Rate 55% (2014); 57% (2013)
-** Although great care has been taken in the compilation and production of this report, IoLET cannot, in any circumstances, accept responsibility for errors, omissions or advice
24