Matching Question on Quiz - Translation Spectrum

On the quiz you will be asked to complete a matching question in which you will have four possible translations of a source text and four points along the translation spectrum to match them with. Your choices will be: literal, faithful, idiomatic, and free. We've left out the balanced option. You should go about answering that question in the following manner:

1. First, read all four of the possible translations, do not try to answer each question indvidually. You are placing these four translations in order along the spectrum, so how they compare to one another is very important.

2. Then choose the two that you feel reflect more SL bias and the two that you feel are closer to the TL in form.

3. Going back to the two that have strong SL bias, identify the literal translation, which is the one that most directly copies the words and form of the ST, and the one that sounds the least natural in English.

4. Then the other sentence with SL bias should have a bit more compensation for the way ideas are expressed in the TL, but still closely follow the form of the ST. This option will be the faithful translation.

5. Next, turn your attention to the two sentences you feel reflect the form of the TL better. The one that sounds natural and most exactly expresses the message of the ST will be the idiomatic translation.

6. The free translation will sound natural in English but will be so different from the form of the ST that it will change the message in some way.