I came to medical translation as a language specialist, not a medical one. Thus, when I translate I prefer focusing on the rationale behind word choices in both the source and target language, French and English. In that context, I have learned about many kinds of antibodies and how to best render them English. What are antibodies?Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are protective proteins produced by the immune system in response to the presence of foreign substances called antigens. They are highly specific and work to identify and neutralize antigens, such as bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, by binding to them. This process marks the antigens for destruction by other immune cells or activates other immune responses to eliminate them from the body. Antibodies play a crucial role in the body's defense against infections and are essential for the functioning of the immune system. How are they written in French?They often follow this pattern: “anticorps anti-XXX” with XXX being the antigen or protein that is targeted by the anticorps (antibody). They can also be shortened to simply “anti-XXX.” For instance, “anticorps anti-SARS-CoV-2" or “anti-SARS-CoV-2” refers to an antibody that recognizes and binds to antigens associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. How can they be rendered in English and still be clearly understood?As a linguist, I wondered, “Is the repetition of anti- necessary? Can the term be abbreviated as simply (anti-XXX) in English as in French?” I learned that the answers are yes and yes! Antibodies can be rendered in many ways in English that are as short as one hyphenated word or as long as a phrase consisting of several words. I will use anti-PLA2R for this example: Anti-PLA2R antibodies target the PLA2R (phospolipase A2 receptor) protein, a protein found on the surface of kidney cells. The presence of PLA2R antibodies in the bloodstream is associated with certain kidney diseases, particularly membranous nephropathy (MN), which is an autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation and damage to the glomeruli. These antibodies bind to the PLA2R protein, leading to the formation of immune complexes and subsequent kidney damage. The detection of anti-PLA2R in blood or kidney tissue is important for diagnosing and monitoring membranous nephropathy and guiding treatment decisions. In this paragraph, you can see that the name is rendered 4 different ways:
My tipMy tip would be to choose from those 4 options based on the context.
The longer, more explanatory one (1) will be used when the French source expands the term in the same manner. This is usually in a sentence at the beginning of a paragraph that tells the reader about the significance of the antibody. Option 2 is the least clear as it lacks the anti- prefix, so I would recommend only using it in rare instances when the source follows the same pattern and drops the prefix, “anticorps PLA2R.” For options 3 and 4, I would use the shorter one when space is an issue, for example on a list of laboratory tests, and the longer one when clarity is the priority. I hope this post was interesting to you and that you learned something from it. I know it helped me to put words to my translation choices, so that I can explain them to clients if need be in the future.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2023
Categories |