BASICS

OF INTERPRETATION
LESSON 2

Register
Register is the level of complexity, sophistication or simplicity a person uses when he or she
speaks. One person may use more eloquent words to express the same meaning, while
another may not be as skilled with the language.

For example:

1. The patient needs an anticoagulant.

a blood thinner
2. The nurse has to lavage the wound first with copious amounts of water.
wash a lot of
3. The oncologist said that cancerous cells have metastasized.
cancer doctor spread
4. Withdrawing the medication seems to exacerbate the symptoms.
taking off make worse


Note: The HCP tends to use more high-register words, while the LEP tends to use simpler ways to communicate.

Let’s see some examples of low-register in English and Spanish:

1. My mom’s been puking all night.

mother vomiting
2. El chamaco tiene la panza hinchada.
niño estómago
3. Me caí pa’atras y me rompí el coco.
para atrás cabeza
4. I ain’t gonna have no surgery!
I’m not going to any

What happens when there’s no equivalent at the same register?

For example:

1. Me quebré la pata en una cascarita. (Informal soccer game in Mexico)

2. Me duele el cachete derecho.

When there’s no equivalent word at the same register level, it is acceptable to use the
more formal form.

Sample answers

1. I broke my leg playing soccer.

2. My right cheek hurts.

Medical Interpreting Training School | MITS © all rights reserved 5



Exercise: Please translate the following sentence using the same register level.

1. Pulmonary hypertension is caused by the constriction of lung vessels.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. The patient sustained an acute myocardial infarction.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Siento algo atravesado en el gaznate.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Me dan retorcijones en las meras tripas.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Interpretations and translations can vary depending on style or country of origin.

Literalism
Literalism, as the name suggests, is the interpretation of words in their simplest and basic
form. Many people believe that a good interpreter is one who interprets word for word
without making any changes to the target language. However, at this point, it is obvious to us
that a verbatim interpretation of a message may be inaccurate and sometimes even silly. As
we discussed earlier, there are certain parts of language that cannot be translated exactly,
word for word. Nevertheless, this is a prevalent issue for many novice—and sometimes
experienced—interpreters.

Let’s see some examples:

1. Keeping your thoughts bottled up can make you grow depressed.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Doctors are working around the clock to prevent a recurrence.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ¡Me siento de la patada doctor!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Hábleme fuerte que padezco de sordera.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: The interpreter must first understand the meaning of the message order to render an interpretation that
conveys the same meaning. The interpreter is someone who interprets meaning and not just words.

Medical Interpreting Training School | MITS © all rights reserved 6




Idioms
Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that may sound meaningless or silly if taken
literally. Their true meaning lies in the established usage by a group of people who
understand their underlying meaning. Therefore, they cannot be deciphered by the simple
understanding of each word, but their meaning must be deduced as a whole. When
interpreting idioms, being literal could be very problematic.

Examples in English:

1. Go the extra mile ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Have a gut feeling _____________________________________________________________________________
3. Fit as a fiddle ___________________________________________________________________________________
4. He got cold feet _______________________________________________________________________________


Examples in Spanish:

1.¡Ya déjenme en paz! ___________________________________________________________________________

2.¿Me está tomando el pelo? ___________________________________________________________________
3.¡Está peluda la cosa! ___________________________________________________________________________
4.Eso es pan comido. ____________________________________________________________________________

There are hundreds of idioms in English and in Spanish. That’s why it is advisable that
interpreters learn to recognize them and determine their exact equivalents in the target
language.

Euphemisms
A euphemism is one expression used in place of another to avoid using words that are
considered rude, embarrassing, unpleasant or taboo.

Examples in English:

1.
Pass away ____________________________________________________________________________
2.
Mentally challenged _________________________________________________________________
3.
Private parts _________________________________________________________________________
4.
The big C _____________________________________________________________________________

Examples in Spanish:

1. Hacer del dos _______________________________________________________________________

2. Un morenito ________________________________________________________________________
3. El pajarito __________________________________________________________________________
4. Ella se acostó con él _______________________________________________________________


Note: When interpreting, we should try to find an equivalent euphemism to maintain the discretion of the source
language.

Medical Interpreting Training School | MITS © all rights reserved 7