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Cryoglobulin Challenge9/2/2020 Recherche de cryoglobulines cryoprécipités I was presented with the challenge of translating the above, seemingly simple, phrase. This was the name of a laboratory test, listed with other common blood tests: hematocrit, neutrophils, various antibodies, etc. The challenge in translating the above phrase lies in the parts of speech used. Cryoprécipité is used as an adjective modifying cryoglobuline, a noun. However, cryoprécipité is almost always a noun in English (cryopreciptitate). To solve this challenge, I had to understand each word individually, then understand how they fit together.
So, how does one translate this challenging noun + adjective combination?
Well, I also had to do a little more research to learn how the two words are related. “Cryoglobulins are immunoglobulins that precipitate when cooled and dissolve when heated. Because these proteins precipitate when cooled, patients may experience symptoms when exposed to the cold. Cryoglobulins may be associated with a variety of diseases…” (Mayo Clinic Labs) In other words, cryoglobulins are found in the blood when it is chilled. In addition, cryoprecipitate is made from FFP (fresh frozen plasma). So, it appears that the lab tests for cryoglobulins IN cryoprecipitate. So, my translation could be “test for cryoglobulins in cryoprecipitate.” This uses two nouns and expands the source phrase, but it certainly explains what the test is for and how it is done, which are the two factors conveyed by the French phrase, and therefore must be included in the translation. Ta-da! Translation problem solved! Comments are closed.
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