Medieval scholars studying 12th-century manuscripts often relied on Latin translation methods developed during the early Christian period. However, by...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Medieval scholars studying 12th-century manuscripts often relied on Latin translation methods developed during the early Christian period. However, by the Renaissance, linguist scholars like Lorenzo Valla discovered that these traditional approaches frequently produced inaccurate interpretations. The problem was not with the translators' abilities, but with the evolution of Latin itself—the language had undergone significant changes over the centuries, developing new grammatical structures and vocabulary meanings that differed from earlier periods. Valla pioneered philological techniques that accounted for these linguistic transformations, enabling more precise understanding of ancient texts.
According to the text, what limitation affected traditional medieval translation methods when applied to 12th-century manuscripts?
The translators lacked sufficient training in classical languages
The manuscripts were written in regional dialects rather than standard Latin
Latin had evolved significantly since the methods were first developed, creating interpretive gaps
The translation techniques were designed for religious rather than secular texts
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Medieval scholars studying 12th-century manuscripts often relied on Latin translation methods developed during the early Christian period. |
|
| However, by the Renaissance, linguist scholars like Lorenzo Valla discovered that these traditional approaches frequently produced inaccurate interpretations. |
|
| The problem was not with the translators' abilities, but with the evolution of Latin itself—the language had undergone significant changes over the centuries, developing new grammatical structures and vocabulary meanings that differed from earlier periods. |
|
| Valla pioneered philological techniques that accounted for these linguistic transformations, enabling more precise understanding of ancient texts. |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Traditional medieval translation methods failed because they did not account for how Latin had evolved over the centuries between the early Christian period and the 12th century.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our passage analysis, the limitation was that Latin had changed significantly over time
- The traditional methods were developed during the early Christian period, but by the 12th century, Latin had evolved new grammatical structures and vocabulary meanings that the methods could not account for
The translators lacked sufficient training in classical languages
Claims the translators lacked sufficient training
✗ Incorrect
- The passage explicitly states the problem was not with the translators' abilities
The manuscripts were written in regional dialects rather than standard Latin
Suggests manuscripts were written in regional dialects
✗ Incorrect
- The passage never mentions regional dialects as an issue
Latin had evolved significantly since the methods were first developed, creating interpretive gaps
States that Latin had evolved significantly since the methods were developed, creating interpretive gaps
✓ Correct
- This perfectly matches the passage explanation about Latin undergoing significant changes over the centuries
The translation techniques were designed for religious rather than secular texts
Claims the techniques were designed for religious rather than secular texts
✗ Incorrect
- The passage does not mention religious versus secular content as the limitation