Compiling terminology in EU directives and national transplant regulations. Case study: Sweden and Poland

Abstract

This paper discusses the problem of translating into Polish and Swedish medical terms and definitions contained in the EU directives on human cells, tissues and organs for transplant. The author briefly discusses the issue of translating medical terms and of creating concept definitions. The translated terms and definitions are then compared with their equivalents in national regulations. Transplantology is a relatively new and dynamically developing field of medicine, hence its terminology poses a challenge to translators. The results of work done by EU translators and terminologists are verified in the course of implementing the directives into the national law. The author focuses on the Swedish methods of team work within the National Tissue Project and highlights the positive effects of this work.