ATA Certification cheat sheet

Register is the conventional level of formality a text type demands; match it to the source's genre, not to your personal style preference.

A professionally usable translation reads as if written natively in the target language: no source-language syntax residue, no calques, no unintended code-switching.

Sentence-length redistribution is permitted and often required: split a source sentence when the target cannot sustain its clause load, and merge short sentences when the target favors compactness.

Terminology consistency rule: once a term is rendered a certain way, repeat that rendering throughout unless the text signals a deliberate shift.

Idioms transfer by function, not by image; render the pragmatic meaning and mark the register, not the literal wording.

Punctuation and typography follow target-language convention (quotation marks, dashes, spacing, decimal and thousands separators), not source convention.

False fluency risk: fluent target prose can hide a dropped qualifier or a reversed logical relation; verify each clause against the source after drafting.

For Chinese/Japanese/Korean targets, word-equivalent counts use four CJK characters = one word; plan prose length accordingly when instructions set a range.

Identify the text's proposition structure first: who does what to whom, under what condition, with what qualification; then translate.

Scope ambiguity test: decide whether a modifier attaches to the nearest noun or to the whole clause, and record the decision before drafting.

Negation and hedging are high-risk: double negatives, 'unless', 'not necessarily', and 'may' must survive with identical logical force.

Distinguish presupposition from assertion; a subordinate clause can carry a claim the main clause does not.

Cohesion mapping: track pronouns, ellipsis, and definite articles to their antecedents so the target does not create a new referent.

Cultural and institutional references may need explicitation rather than substitution; decide whether the reader shares the background.

When a passage is genuinely ambiguous, choose the reading best supported by the surrounding text and keep the target equally non-committal if possible.

Do not translate from a parallel or previously translated version of the text; comprehension must come from the source itself.

Use permitted resources only: general dictionaries, glossaries supplied with the instructions, and the source text itself; note any restriction before starting.

Term-selection hierarchy: established target equivalent in a general dictionary > transparent descriptive rendering > loanword with gloss.

Do not invent a technical term when a standard equivalent exists in a general dictionary; do not force a technical equivalent when the source uses the word loosely.

Consistency check: build a running list of recurring terms and verify each occurrence matches the chosen rendering.

Cognates and false friends require verification in a monolingual target-language dictionary, not just a bilingual one.

Acronyms and initialisms: expand on first use in the target if the target audience would not recognize the abbreviation.

Numbers, units, and proper names are terminology too; verify currency, measurement systems, and official name forms rather than transcribing blindly.

Unresolved term flag: if no reliable equivalent is found, render descriptively and record the uncertainty rather than guessing silently.

Read the instruction set fully before translating: it defines text source, purpose, audience, and medium, and each constrains register and length.

Purpose (informative, operative, expressive) determines whether to prioritize content fidelity, reader action, or stylistic form.

Audience determines explicitation level: a specialist reader tolerates unglossed jargon; a lay reader requires expansion.

Medium constrains format: subtitles need reading-speed limits, forms need field-length limits, print needs typographic conventions the target language expects.

Deliverable boundaries are literal: translate only the specified segment, preserve or omit markup exactly as instructed, and do not add commentary.

Length instructions are binding; count word-equivalents (four CJK characters = one word) before submitting.

If an instruction conflicts with a fidelity concern, follow the instruction and note the conflict only if the format permits notes.

Formatting fidelity is part of compliance: headings, lists, tables, and numbering must map to the instructed output structure.

Register markers include pronoun choice, honorifics, contractions, passive frequency, and lexical Latinate vs. Germanic preference in English.

Read-aloud test: a sentence that cannot be spoken in one breath in the target language usually needs restructuring.

Nominalization density differs across languages; convert source nominalizations to verbs when the target prefers verbal style.

Cohesive devices (however, therefore, in addition) must be present where the target requires explicit linkage, even if the source leaves it implicit.