2. INTRODUCTION
Previous interest in medical or scientific texts.
Interesting range of vocabulary.
Complexity and simplicity in just one text.
Good chance to acquire new knowledge.
3. ANALYSIS OF THE SOURCE TEXT
Type of language: Technical terms.
Chemical, biological and medical terms.
Audience: People related and not related to
medicine with an upper-intermediate English
proficiency level.
Field: Medical field.
4. Source: A.D.A.M Medical virtual encyclopedia.
Main Challenges:
Looking for the appropriate translation.
Use of expansion and reduction.
Further reading on certain terms: «bowel movement»,
«bloating», «polyps» «upper GI and small bowel series»,
«percusion vest»…
6. “The disease is the most common, deadly, inherited
disorder affecting Caucasians in the United States.”
“Es el trastorno mortal y hereditario más común
entre las personas de raza blanca en los Estados
Unidos.”
Change in order of words for stylistic reasons and
examples of expansion in order to make the term
clear.
7. Change of passive voice:
“Oxygen therapy may be needed as lung
disease gets worse”
“Se puede necesitar terapia con oxígeno a
medida que la enfermedad empeora.”
8. Examples of expansion and
reduction:
«Caucasians» = «personas de raza blanca».
«sinus» = «senos nasales».
«Bowel movement» = «deposición»
«Tránsito esofagogastroduodenal.» = «Upper GI and small bowel
series».
“La fibrosis quística es una enfermedad hereditaria”
“ Cystic fibrosis is a disease passed down through families”.
Sweat chloride test = La prueba de cloruro en el sudor o prueba de
electrolitos en el sudor
9. COMMENTS
Although there were barely calques, there were some
examples where adding extra words in order to
specify or to clear up something was necessary.
There was no need for literal translation in most
cases.
Difficulty with chemical terms.
10. CONCLUSIONS
Even if the text is intended to be read by all
audiences, there is always some kind of difficulty to
maintain the writer’s intention and the readability.
There will always be any kind of problem with the
meaning of certain words, without which, the text
would be completely misunderstood.
