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@Linguist_CIOL DECEMBER/JANUARY The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT other cultures, and 450-word texts from semi- specialised newspapers or journals for Units 02 (translation of a semi-specialised text in technology, business or literature) and 03 (translation of a semi-specialised text in science, social science or law). The rules allow you to refer to bilingual and monolingual dictionaries, encyclopaedias and thesauruses (printed, not electronic), so practise using these. When you look up a word or expression, read the whole entry rather than pouncing on the first equivalent given. You will probably learn something new. Practice also means reading good-quality articles in source and target languages, especially with the semi-specialised units in mind. For the literature option, choose literary works in both languages, making careful notes about literary style, dialogue, varying registers and stylistic devices. For the exam, choose your Unit 02 and 03 options carefully, and have a back-up in case the set passage deals with an unfamiliar topic. • Read the rubric: it dictates your target readership and may offer help with technical terms that occur in the passage • Read the whole passage first to grasp the The successful student Preparing for the Diploma in Translation exam requires reflection and practice. Reflection means considering what the exam is testing: the production of a target text that is • Accurate: it says exactly what the source text says • Appropriate: it uses language that fits the subject matter and the intended reader • Authentic: it uses language that is grammatically correct, consistent and coherent (i.e. your target text reads like an original, not a translation); • Acceptable: it is legible and follows the conventions of presentation (punctuation, orthography, paragraphing, speech marks etc) of the target language. The DipTrans is a professional qualification; your translation must satisfy a potential client. Frequent practice using source texts or past papers (obtainable from CIOL) 1 is important. Choose 600-word texts from good journalistic sources for Unit 01 (translation of a general text), not from red-tops or their equivalent in © SHUTTERSTOCK In the second instalment of our column for IoLET Affiliates, the DipTrans Chief Moderator (French into English) offers his tips on preparing for the exam general sense or 'argument' • Don't do a full-scale 'rough' version and then a polished copy – it takes too long. When you're unsure of something, don't linger too long on it: pencil it in (or, if word- processing, type it in red) and come back to it later • Don't decide not to look something up; it's always worth the trouble • Check strategically: reserve time for checking and check methodically for omissions (a very common error), grammar, spelling, figures, punctuation and proper names. If you are word- processing, use the spellchecker but don't rely on it exclusively. For further guidance, I recommend Peter Newmark's A Textbook of Translation (1995), Mona Baker's In Other Words: A coursebook on translation (1992) and Routledge's Thinking Translation series. Notes 1 See ciol.org.uk/diptrans for available languages and resources. Please note some texts are subject to copyright. Texts from the last three sessions are offered as a benefit of membership. MIKE ROUTLEDGE