Session II - Tasks

Give accurate and concise answers to the following questions: 1. What do you understand by translation? 2. What do you understand by science and technology?

3. What do you understand by scientific-technical translation?

4. What would you say are the main differences between scientifictechnical translation and literary translation?

5. For other types of translation, what do you think is the most specific trait of scientific and technical translation?
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 1

Session II - Tasks
Give accurate and concise answers to the following questions: 6. What does attract you the most and the least from scientific-technical translation? 7. What scientific and technical subjects interest you most?

8. Which do you think should be the traits of a good scientific and technical translation?

9. Do you think the style is important in the translation of scientific and technical texts? Why? 10. What skills should a good professional scientific and technical translator have?
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 2

Session II - Tasks
Translate the text into the target language and answer the questions below: Without L-DOPA they cannot move; with L-DOPA many will become disabled through too much movement and there is yet another problem. The drug sometimes stops working altogether leaving them completely paralyzed. It is a particular issue for young people as they have to live with Parkinson's for many years. For 30 years science has struggled to find a replacement for L-DOPA, or something that makes it work better and most of this work has been focused on the belief that dopamine is the sole key to treating Parkinson's. Dozens of new compounds which affect dopamine levels in the brain have been tried. Some work in some patients, but to date science has failed to come up with anything that is better than L-DOPA, or which calms its terrible side-effects [...]
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 3

Session II - Tasks
1. List from highest to lowest the difficulties you found in translating the text above.

2. Explain the causes of the first three difficulties you have listed in the previous question.
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 4

Session II - Tasks
Define briefly the following characteristic features of scientific-technical translation: 1. The communicative field that involves 2. Textual genres involved 3. The importance of the subject field 4. The nature of knowledge 5. The comprehension problems
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 5

Session II - Tasks
Define briefly the following characteristic features of scientific-technical translation: 6. The terms and other units of expertise 7. The wording 8. The need for reference 9. The main goals 10. The quality of the original texts
Unit 1 Characterization of scientific and technical translation 6