Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT9 S4 Q8 Explanation

A translation invariably reflects

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsEvaluate

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Stimulus

A translation invariably reflects the writing style of the translator. Sometimes when a long document needs to be translated quickly, several translators are put to work on the job, each assigned to translate part of the document. In these cases, the result is usually a translation marked by different and often incompatible to be translated quickly, it is better to use a computer translation program than human translators.

What this question is testing

Evaluate

Conclusion

The author wants you to walk away thinking: when a long document needs to get translated fast, use a computer, not a team of humans.

Evidence

Two main reasons. (1) Splitting a long document among multiple human translators produces a stylistic mess — each section reads differently. A computer program produces a single uniform style. (2) Computers are faster and run at 80% accuracy.

Question Stem

This is a LEAST Evaluate question — a tricky variant. Four of the answers will raise real concerns about the argument; the correct answer is the one that does not matter.

Evaluate

The kinds of issues that matter here:

Could the human-style problem be fixed by giving translators a style guide? (If yes, the human approach is rescued.)

Does 80% accuracy meet users' needs? (If 80% is too low, computers lose.)

Are the 20% errors trivial typos or catastrophic mistakes? (Catastrophic errors kill the case for computers.)

Can we even compare accuracy as a number across the two methods?

Goal

Find the answer that does not meaningfully affect the comparison. The argument already specifies the computer produces a stylistically uniform translation, so any question about whether different programs each have their own style is beside the point — only one program is being used for the document.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
8.

Which one of the following issues would be LEAST important to resolve in

Answer choices

  1. Opposite18% picked this

    whether the problem of stylistic variety in human translation could be solved by giving stylistic

    This issue does matter, so it is the wrong answer for a LEAST question. If giving stylistic guidelines could fix the human-translator inconsistency problem, then one of the author's main reasons to prefer computers (uniform style) loses its bite. Resolving this question affects the argument — exactly the opposite of what we want.

  2. Opposite20% picked this

    whether numerical comparisons of the accuracy of translations can reasonably

    This issue does matter. The argument cites an 80% accuracy rate for computers as a key piece of evidence. If numerical accuracy comparisons cannot reasonably be made between methods (or even meaningfully described), the 80% number is meaningless and the entire accuracy claim falls apart. Resolving this affects the argument, so it is the opposite of what a LEAST question wants.

  3. Correct58% picked this

    whether computer translation programs, like human translators, each have their own

    Why this is right

    This is the issue that does not matter. The argument is about using a single computer program for one long document, and the stimulus already states that the computer produces a "stylistically uniform translation." Whether different computer programs each have their own distinct style is irrelevant — only one program is doing the job, so its output will be uniform regardless of how it compares to other programs' styles. This question can be answered either way without affecting the argument. That is what makes it the LEAST important.

    Skill tested: Evaluate · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  4. Opposite2% picked this

    whether the computer translation contains errors of grammar and usage that drastically alter the meaning

    This issue does matter. An 80% accuracy rate could mean small typos in 20% of sentences, or it could mean the translation occasionally completely mistranslates critical passages. Catastrophic errors would make computer translation unsuitable for serious documents — undercutting the argument's recommendation. Resolving this question is highly important, which makes it the wrong answer for a LEAST question.

  5. Opposite3% picked this

    how the accuracy rate of computer translation programs compares with that of human translators in relation

    This issue does matter. The argument cites an 80% accuracy rate for computers but never tells us how accurate human translators are or what level of accuracy users actually need. If humans translate at 95% and users need >90%, computers are inadequate; if humans translate at 60% and users need 70%+, computers win. Resolving this comparison is essential to the argument, so it is the opposite of what a LEAST question wants.

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