ATA Certification key terms

The level of formality and the stylistic conventions a text uses, shaped by its audience, purpose, and setting. Translators must reproduce an equivalent register rather than defaulting to their own habits.

The intended readers of the target text, whose background knowledge, expectations, and reading conventions determine how much may be explained, simplified, or left implicit.

The purpose or intended function a translation is meant to serve in the target setting. It guides decisions about what to preserve, adapt, or omit when literal equivalence would defeat the goal.

The set of instructions a client provides: source text, intended purpose, target audience, medium, deadline, and any style or terminology requirements. It defines what counts as an acceptable translation.

A working document recording agreed renderings of recurring terms, names, capitalization, punctuation, and formatting choices so that a text, or a team of translators, stays internally consistent.

A structured collection of terms with their approved translations, definitions, and usage notes. It supports consistent choices and documents the reasoning behind a preferred rendering.

A single record in a terminology resource, typically listing the source term, target equivalent, part of speech, definition, context, and status such as preferred or deprecated.

The systematic process of identifying a concept, checking candidate equivalents in reliable sources, and confirming that the chosen term fits the domain, register, and audience.

Original and translated documents on the same subject that can be compared to observe how experienced translators handled comparable phrasing, terminology, and formatting in the target language.

A target-language document of the same type and subject that was not translated from the source. It shows native conventions for structure, phrasing, and terminology in that genre.

A word in two languages that looks or sounds similar but differs in meaning, such as a cognate whose sense has drifted. Relying on appearance rather than verified meaning produces errors.

A word in the target language that shares an origin with a source-language word. Cognates may be reliable equivalents or may have diverged in meaning and usage over time.

Accurate understanding of what the source text says, implies, and does, including its structure, tone, and any ambiguity that the translator must resolve before producing the target text.

Information a text conveys without stating it directly, through implication, convention, or shared background. Translators must decide whether and how the target text should make it explicit.

Adding information in the target text that was implicit in the source, such as clarifying a referent or supplying a connector, so the target reader can follow the logic without extra effort.

A point where a source expression permits more than one reading. The translator resolves it using context, subject knowledge, and the text's purpose, then renders the intended meaning clearly.

The linguistic devices that tie sentences together, such as pronouns, conjunctions, and lexical repetition. Target languages often require different cohesive devices from the source.

The overall logical and conceptual connectedness of a text for its readers. A translation can be cohesive sentence by sentence yet incoherent if the argument's flow is disrupted.

A category of text defined by its communicative function and conventions, such as legal contract, news report, or instruction manual. Text type sets expectations for structure and style.

The customary format, sectioning, phrasing, and level of detail that readers of a given text type expect. Departing from them can make an otherwise accurate translation feel unprofessional.

Deliberate adjustment of content or form to suit the target audience or medium, such as converting a culture-specific example. It must be justified by the brief, not used to mask gaps.

Rendering that follows source wording and structure closely. It is useful for verifying content but often sounds unnatural or distorts emphasis when used as the final target text.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be derived from its individual words. It usually requires a target-language expression with the same function rather than a word-for-word rendering.

The habitual pairing of words that native speakers consider natural, such as a verb with a particular noun. Unnatural collocations mark a text as translated even when grammar is correct.

Using the same rendering for the same term or name throughout a text and across related documents, unless context clearly requires variation. It supports clarity and professional credibility.

Deciding whether to retain, transliterate, or translate names of people, organizations, and places, following client instructions, established usage, and target-language conventions.

Converting figures such as distances, temperatures, or currencies when the audience uses a different system, while preserving precision and noting the original where accuracy demands it.

Preserving the layout elements of the source, including headings, lists, tables, emphasis, and numbering, so the delivered file is usable and matches the client's expectations.

The channel through which the translation will be delivered, such as print, web page, subtitle, or software interface. Medium constrains length, formatting, and style choices.

The accepted conventions of the target language for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and phrasing. A professional translation reads as though originally written for that audience.

The final review of a translation against the source and the brief, checking accuracy, completeness, terminology, grammar, and formatting before delivery.

The translator's own re-reading of the draft, ideally after a pause and without looking at the source, to catch awkward phrasing, omissions, and inconsistencies in the target text.

Failure to render source content in the target text, whether accidental or intentional. Unintended omission is a major accuracy error; deliberate omission must be justified by the brief.

Target text content with no counterpart in the source. It may be legitimate clarification or an error that introduces information the author did not intend.

The dictionaries, glossaries, and reference materials the exam rules allow during the test. Candidates must know what is authorized and use it efficiently without relying on prohibited aids.

A dictionary written entirely in one language, useful for confirming a source word's precise sense or checking whether a target candidate is natural and correctly defined.

A dictionary that lists equivalents across two languages. It suggests candidates rather than final answers, since listed equivalents may not fit the context or register.