Which statement describes appropriate sight translation requests?

Which statement describes appropriate sight translation requests?

• A. Documents that must be translated by a professional translator and should not be sight translated by the interpreter.
• B. Documents that can be sight translated by an interpreter, but only in presence of a provider.
• C. Documents that can be sight translated by an interpreter without the provider present.
• D. Documents that require a provider to waive sight translation.

Answer: (A)

Sight translation is best used for quick, informal understanding of a document, not for material that carries formal, legal, or certified meaning. Some documents must be translated by a professional translator because of accuracy requirements and potential certification, so they should not be sight translated by the interpreter. This ensures the translation meets professional standards and, if needed, carries the proper certification. The presence or absence of a provider doesn’t change the need for a formal translation for those documents. In short, reserve sight translation for non-certified, non-formal texts and refer official documents to a qualified translator.

Sight translation is best used for quick, informal understanding of a document, not for material that carries formal, legal, or certified meaning. Some documents must be translated by a professional translator because of accuracy requirements and potential certification, so they should not be sight translated by the interpreter. This ensures the translation meets professional standards and, if needed, carries the proper certification. The presence or absence of a provider doesn’t change the need for a formal translation for those documents. In short, reserve sight translation for non-certified, non-formal texts and refer official documents to a qualified translator.