Hello Yoon Sun!

Thanks for posting wonderful questions! I truly wish I have mentioned more of these in the lecture videos.

1.Metric system conversion
On module 6, I believe that the article was written by an American as the writer used ft instead of cm for the height. In this case, would it be appropriate for the translator to convert those figures into the appropriate metric system?

-> It is always right to translate in verbatim for numbers and metrics. However, if you are aware that certain metrics are way more commonly used in one language than the other, such as feet and centimetres in this case, you may accurately convert the number and add to your translation in a bracket. In practice, this must be carefully discussed with your employer especially if your translation requires numerical accuracy such as medical/scientific studies documents.


2.Pronouns for organizations that have Korean name
For any international organization we know of, sometimes we use the name it was written in English. For examples, Doctors without Borders can be 국경없는 의사회, Amnesty International for 세계인권단체, WHO for 세계 보건 기구, etc. What would be more appropriate to use when translating?

->Translating organization/institution names often lies in a grey area. I believe it really depends on the context and how well known the organization is. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to try your best to translate them into the target language and also provide it in its original language. In practice, translators may ask the employer for additional information or instruction on such matters.


3. How important is it translating word by word with grammatical symmetry between two targeted languages?
I would like to know how much of freedom do translators have to translate pieces. Sometimes worrying about keeping the original piece's structure caused an awkward outcome or perhaps I have not yet reached the level.

-> This also may not be a simple black or white answer. It mostly depends on the context and, in real life, the type of translation your employer wants. When translating formal documents, you often have to follow the verbatim translation even if it means your translation feels slightly awkward in the target language. When translating literatures such as poem and children books, you will have greater autonomy to convey the meaning in the appropriate context. One great example of this would be translating "짜파구리" into "Ram-don" in the movie Parasite, a beautiful translation work done by Mr. Darcy Paquet. In transcription, you will hear terminologies such as verbatim and intelligent verbatim. Similar logic applies to translation and interpretation as well.


For the ITT exam, I personally would not worry too much about the above you mentioned. Try to focus on correctly delivering meaning and using a consistent tone throughout the passage.
In practice, I do think it is very important to be versatile in order to become a successful translator. Know that your work can always get better.

I sincerely hope this helps and please let me know if there are more questions.

Stay safe,

- Mason (Instructor)