What language is your doctor speaking? Facing the problems of translating medical documents into English

• Main Author: Mićović Dragoslava
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Medical Society 2013-01-01
• Series: Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo
• Subjects: court translation/interpreting; medical language; medical terminology
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0370-8179/2013/0370-81791308565M.pdf

What is translation - a craft, an art, a profession or a job? Although one of the oldest human activities, translation has not still been fully defined, and it is still young in terms of an academic discipline. The paper defines the difference between translation and interpreting and then attempts to find the answer to the question what characteristics, knowledge and skills a translator must have, particularly the one involved in court translation, and where his/her place in the communication process (both written and oral communication) is. When translating medical documentation, a translator is set within a medical language environment as an intermediary between two doctors (in other words, two professionals) in the process of communication which would be impossible without him, since it is conducted in two different languages. The paper also gives an insight into types of medical documentation and who they are intended for. It gives practical examples of the problems faced in the course of translation of certain types of medical documentation (hospital discharge papers, diagnoses, case reports,...). Is it possible to make this kind of communication between professionals (doctors) standardized, which would subsequently make their translation easier? Although great efforts are made in Serbia regarding medical language and medical terminology, the conclusion is that specific problems encountered by translators can hardly be overcome using only dictionaries and translation manuals.