In an effort to increase international transactions without a commensu

Question

In an effort to increase international transactions without a commensurate increase in expenditures, some companies that sell consumer goods (such as electronics or kitchen gadgets) have turned to community-sourced translation. This method of translation relies on interested consumers to translate online user manuals and troubleshooting guides on a volunteer basis. Translated content obtained via this method can prove invaluable to boosting sales in non-English speaking locales if the company has no budget for translation, the company is uncertain of the sales volume it can achieve in a particular country, a country has dialects that translators may not be familiar with, or translators for a particular language are difficult to find or expensive to employ.

However, community-sourced translation can sometimes damage a company’s reputation. Without a professional translation team, the resulting user materials can, surprisingly, be less intelligible to some consumers than the English source is. There is a multitude of potential flaws, from syntax errors to an amateur tone to a lack of clarity due to unjustifiable paraphrasing, that can all give rise to serious concerns among potential consumers about the quality of the product. Improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can even put the user at risk of severe bodily harm. In reality, well-established and profitable consumer goods companies will derive minimal benefit from community-sourced translation. Any lesser-known company that relies on unpaid consumers to provide translations but doesn’t also employ professional proofreaders, at a minimum, opens itself to the possibility of costly lawsuits and irreversible loss of revenue.    1 
 1. Which of the following does the passage most clearly imply is true given the information stated about the problems caused by some improper translations? 
A. International sales are governed by safety laws, established by intercontinental business consortiums that regulate translation quality and prohibit the use of non-professional translators.
B. The severity of the consequences of a poor translation can vary according to the type of product the translated instructions accompany.
C. The fear that consumers have of operating certain risky electronic devices is heightened by a lack of instructions that have been translated in the specific dialect the consumers are accustomed to speaking.
D. Non-English speaking consumers who purchase potentially harmful electronic devices need more than just a high quality translation to be capable of safely operating the devices.
E. Translating instructions for potentially harmful electronic devices is more difficult than translating instructions for other consumer electronics that have a higher overall safety rating.

2 
 2. According to the passage, a company could rationalize the use of community-sourced translation, despite the risks inherent in this method, for which of the following reasons?

A. Building a case for a translation budget by proving that translations are effective sales tools
B. Expanding the company's market share in a cost effective way
C. Seeking out skilled translators for projects that are traditionally difficult to staff
D. Increasing profit margins
E. Reducing the workload of the company's proofreaders

3 
 3. The passage most clearly implies which of the following about the well-established and profitable consumer goods companies mentioned in the final paragraph?

A. They probably have not had a high enough previous sales volume from international consumers to make translation expenditures worthwhile.
B. They can usually afford to hire professional translators to work on their product lines in any language desired.
C. They tend to sell only high-risk consumer electronics that would create a liability risk for the company if they were translated by interested consumers.
D. They have a wider pool of affordable and experienced translators than do other consumer goods companies.
E. Additional sources of revenue will not be the deciding factor between their success and failure.

Vie3nrose · Answer

Question 1. Which of the following does the passage most clearly imply is true given the information stated about the problems caused by some improper translations?
 
A. International sales are governed by safety laws, established by intercontinental business consortiums that regulate translation quality and prohibit the use of non-professional translators.
 INCORRECT   -- No mention of organizations regulating translation quality, or prohibiting the use of non-professional translators. On the contrary, it seems like this is a fairly common practice among companies, and the risks outlined didn't include the reputation damage from breaking consortium laws
 
B. The severity of the consequences of a poor translation can vary according to the type of product the translated instructions accompany.
 CORRECT   -- Although poor translations on some products (like an iPhone) might just risk brand credibility ("give rise to serious concerns among potential consumers about the quality of the product"), but " Improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can even put the user at risk of severe bodily harm " (i.e. a lawnmower?).
 
C. The fear that consumers have of operating certain risky electronic devices is heightened by a lack of instructions that have been translated in the specific dialect the consumers are accustomed to speaking.
 INCORRECT   -- Although this might be true, the author does not discuss whether translating to a specific dialect would lessen a consumer's fear of risky products (out of scope), but it is mentioned that some translations may "be less intelligible to some consumers than the English source is" so maybe there's plenty of translated instructions, just still not in a way that's understandable to the consumer
 
D. Non-English speaking consumers who purchase potentially harmful electronic devices need more than just a high quality translation to be capable of safely operating the devices.
 INCORRECT   -- On the contrary, the passage implies that having properly translated instructions might be enough to not put the consumer at risk: "Improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can even put the user at risk of severe bodily harm"
 
E. Translating instructions for potentially harmful electronic devices is more difficult than translating instructions for other consumer electronics that have a higher overall safety rating.
 INCORRECT   -- Even if this might be true, the author does not specify/ make this comparison in the passage (out of scope). "There is a multitude of potential flaws, from syntax errors to an amateur tone to a lack of clarity due to unjustifiable paraphrasing, that can all give rise to serious concerns among potential consumers about the quality of the product" -- this description of the difficulties in translating does not differentiate between safe vs risky products

Question 2. According to the passage, a company could rationalize the use of community-sourced translation, despite the risks inherent in this method, for which of the following reasons?
 
A. Building a case for a translation budget by proving that translations are effective sales tools
 INCORRECT   -- Although the author mentions that "Translated content obtained via this method can prove invaluable to boosting sales in non-English speaking locales if the company has no budget for translation", the author is not recommending to do this for the purpose of building a case for a translation budget
 
B. Expanding the company's market share in a cost effective way
 CORRECT   -- first sentence of PG1: "In an effort to  increase international transactions without a commensurate increase in expenditures , some companies that sell consumer goods (such as electronics or kitchen gadgets) have turned to community-sourced translation."
 
C. Seeking out skilled translators for projects that are traditionally difficult to staff
 INCORRECT   -- On the contrary, one of the inherent risks that the author has listed is that most of these sourced translators are not very skilled: "Without a professional translation team, the resulting user materials can, surprisingly, be less intelligible to some consumers than the English source is."
 
D. Increasing profit margins
 INCORRECT   -- Author does not directly discuss profit margins. Although we might be able to infer this from increasing sales and not increasing additional costs, I still prefer Answer Choice B since it's more directly related to the passage (this question is not asking us to infer)
 
E. Reducing the workload of the company's proofreaders
 INCORRECT   -- Although the author lists many reasons for community sourced translators, there's no mention of doing this in order to reduce the workload of the company's proofreaders ("Translated content obtained via this method can prove invaluable to boosting sales in non-English speaking locales if the company has no budget for translation, the company is uncertain of the sales volume it can achieve in a particular country, a country has dialects that translators may not be familiar with, or translators for a particular language are difficult to find or expensive to employ.")

rocky620 · Answer

The passage is primarily concerned with Community-Sourced translations (for companies that sell consumer goods) to increase international exposure.
Flaws of using community-translations and then its consequences on Consumer+Well established companies+Lesser known companies

*Community Sourced Translations = CST

1. Which of the following does the passage most clearly imply is true given the information stated about the problems caused by some improper translations? 
A. International sales are governed by safety laws, established by intercontinental business consortiums that regulate translation quality and prohibit the use of non-professional translators.....  First part that the international sales are governed by safety laws can be implied. But We cannot imply that it prohibits the use of Non-Professional translators. Though it might prohibit improper translations. Who does it doesnot matter. Eliminate.  
B. The severity of the consequences of a poor translation can vary according to the type of product the translated instructions accompany..... . This is mentioned through a n example of electronic device which can cause severe bodily harms. Keep It.  
C. The fear that consumers have of operating certain risky electronic devices is heightened by a lack of instructions that have been translated in the specific dialect the consumers are accustomed to speaking......  In the passage. Consumers fear is not associated with the improper translations. Eliminate.  
D. Non-English speaking consumers who purchase potentially harmful electronic devices need more than just a high quality translation to be capable of safely operating the devices......  Its a very narrow choice. Eliminate  
E. Translating instructions for potentially harmful electronic devices is more difficult than translating instructions for other consumer electronics that have a higher overall safety rating......  Difficulty of translating is not implied in that passage anywhere. The only mention is about the cost effectiveness. Eliminate.

2. According to the passage, a company could rationalize the use of community-sourced translation, despite the risks inherent in this method, for which of the following reasons?

A. Building a case for a translation budget by proving that translations are effective sales tools.....  If a company is rationalizing/carefully using the CST even after knowing the risks associated with it. It might be trying to prove that it is important to have proper translations so as to avoid the risk and that spending money on something important is worthwhile. Keep It.  
B. Expanding the company's market share in a cost effective way.....  It may be possible only for a well established company (as mentioned in the passage). Even then the gains will be minimal. Eliminate.  
C. Seeking out skilled translators for projects that are traditionally difficult to staff.....  What good will CST do in seeking out the translators who already are difficult to staff. The difficulty level will remain same whether you used CST or not. Eliminate  
D. Increasing profit margins.....  It will depend the sale of the product for which CST is used, and it is mentioned that in general it is in effective. Opposite choice. Eliminate.  
E. Reducing the workload of the company's proofreaders.....  At the cost of risking a product (no matter how small). Yes. companies launch the product to risk their performance. Very nice.¯\_(ツ)_/¯Eliminate

3. The passage most clearly implies which of the following about the well-established and profitable consumer goods companies mentioned in the final paragraph?

A. They probably have not had a high enough previous sales volume from international consumers to make translation expenditures worthwhile......  It is mentioned  "In reality, well-established and profitable consumer goods companies will derive minimal benefit from community-sourced translation." . Minimal benefit directs towards lower sales in previous years. If not, the the company would have hired a professional translator (as it is a well established company, with budgets). Keep it.  
B. They can usually afford to hire professional translators to work on their product lines in any language desired......  Affordability is not mentioned. Eliminate  
C. They tend to sell only high-risk consumer electronics that would create a liability risk for the company if they were translated by interested consumers......  What product they sell cannot be implied for sure. Eliminate.  
D. They have a wider pool of affordable and experienced translators than do other consumer goods companies......  They may or may not. No such mention/implications in the passage. Eliminate  
E. Additional sources of revenue will not be the deciding factor between their success and failure......  OFS. Loss of revenue could have been implied. Eliminate.

IMO Option B, A, A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following does the passage most clearly imply is true given the information stated about the problems caused by some improper translations?

Explanation

This is an inference question, as indicated by the phrase most clearly imply. The subject of the question is the problems caused by some improper translations. The task of the question is to determine what logically follows from what the passage says about the problems caused by some improper translations. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, potential flaws…give rise to serious concerns among potential consumers about the quality of the product. The passage also says that improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can put the user at risk of severe bodily harm.

Choice A: No.  The use of the words safety and quality in this answer choice serve as memory traps for the words risky, harm, and improperly translated in the passage. The passage also discusses the disadvantages of utilizing non-professional translators and possible dangers they can cause in the second paragraph, but the phrase prohibit the use of non professional translators from this answer is extreme, since companies can still use them.

Choice B:  Correct.   The passage says that certain electronic devices can put the user at risk of severe bodily harm. The word certain indicates that not all electronic devices will have such an extreme effect if used incorrectly. Therefore, the passage supports the ideas that the severity of the consequences of a poor translation can vary.

Choice C: No.  This answer relies on an emotional appeal by tying together the fear that consumers may have to the dangers the passage states that non-professional translators may pose. It also includes recycled language such as certain electronic devices to seem attractive. While the passage does mention serious concerns among potential customers, it does not indicate whether these concerns rise to the level of fear.

Choice D: No.  This answer choice relies on outside knowledge. There may be some consumer electronic devices that require more than just a high quality translation for proper use, especially if the consumer is from a country in which the device is very uncommon. But this type of information is not offered by the passage.

Choice E: No.  There is no such comparison in the passage that translating instructions for potentially harmful electronic devices is more difficult than translating instructions for other consumer electronics that have a higher overall safety rating. While the passage does state that improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can even put the user at risk of severe bodily harm, this does not mean that the instructions for those devices are more complicated or difficult to translate

The correct answer is choice B.

2. According to the passage, a company could rationalize the use of community-sourced translation, despite the risks inherent in this method, for which of the following reasons?

Explanation

The question is a retrieval question, as indicated by the phrase according to the passage. The subject of this question is a company could rationalize the use of community-sourced translation. The task of this question is to determine what reasons the passage gives for a company to rationalize the use of community-sourced translation. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, community-sourced translation…can prove invaluable to boosting sales…if the company has no budget for translation, the company is uncertain of the sales volume it can achieve in a particular country, a country has dialects that translators may not be familiar with, or translators for a particular language are difficult to find or expensive to employ.

Choice A: No.  This choice uses the recycled language translation and budget. The passage says that community-sourced translation can prove invaluable…if the company has no budget for translation. There is no indication that the resulting translations are used for building a case for a translation budget.

Choice B:  Correct.   One of the reasons stated in the first paragraph for using community-sourced translation is to increase international transactions without a commensurate increase in expenditures. Because community-sourced translation is done on a volunteer basis, and can prove invaluable to boosting sales, it is a cost effective way of expanding…market share.

Choice C: No.  This choice is tempting due to the recycled language translators and difficult. While the passage states that community-sourced translation can prove invaluable…if…translators are difficult to find, it does not indicate that these translators, who work on a volunteer basis, qualify as skilled translators.

Choice D: No.  This choice is a memory trap. While the passage clearly states that community-sourced translation is used to increase international transactions without a commensurate increase in expenditures, the passage does not discuss all of the other costs that might go into selling consumer goods internationally. Sales increases and profit margins are separate concepts that are not linked in the passage.

Choice E: No.  This choice is a reversal of information from the passage. According to the passage, any lesser-known company that relies on unpaid consumers to provide translations but doesn’t also employ professional proofreaders…opens itself to the possibility of costly lawsuits. This indicates that using community-sourced translation would result not in reducing the workload of the company’s proofreaders, but rather increasing it.

The correct answer is B.

3. The passage most clearly implies which of the following about the well-established and profitable consumer goods companies mentioned in the final paragraph?

Explanation

The question stem includes the word implies, which indicates that this is an inference question. The subject of this question is well-established and profitable consumer goods companies. The task of this question is to determine what the passage says about the well-established and profitable consumer goods companies mentioned in the final paragraph. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, such companies will derive minimal benefit from community-sourced translation. Therefore, the companies in question have little to gain from using community-sourced translation mentioned in the first paragraph because the companies are already well-established and profitable.

Choice A: No.  The mention of international consumers makes this a recycled language trap because the passage says that community-sourced translation helps to increase international transactions. Since the passage claims that these companies will derive minimal benefit from community-sourced translation, this suggests that these companies already have a high enough volume without the need to utilize volunteer translators.

Choice B: No.  This choice uses the extreme language any. According to the passage, some translators are difficult to find or expensive to employ. So, even if a company generally can afford to hire a professional, it may not be able to find someone suitable for any language desired.

Choice C: No.  This choice uses the extreme language only, and the memory trap high-risk. While the passage states that improperly translated instructions for certain electronic devices can even put the user at risk of severe bodily harm, this indicates that the translated instructions, not the electronics themselves, are what causes risk. The passage does not specify whether well-established and profitable consumer goods companies sell these electronics, let alone only these electronics.

Choice D: No.  The passage makes no such comparison that well-established and profitable consumer goods companies…have a wider pool of affordable and experienced translators than do other consumer goods companies. The passage merely states that well-established and profitable consumer goods companies will derive minimal benefit from community-sourced translation, and that any lesser-known company that relies on unpaid consumers to provide translations…opens itself to the possibility of costly lawsuits and irreversible loss of revenue.

Choice E:  Correct.   The passage states that these companies are already well-established and profitable, which implies that they currently enjoy success. Since community-sourced translation is used to increase international transactions, these companies do not need the additional revenue from international sales to be the deciding factor between their success and failure.

The correct answer is choice E.

In an effort to increase international transactions without a commensu

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In an effort to increase international transactions without a commensu

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