science

Index Translationum

Index Translationum is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Index Translationum rather than just read about it. In short: The Index Translationum is UNESCO's database of book translations. Books have been translated for thousands of years, with no central record of the fact.

Key takeaways

Index Translationum belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Index Translationum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Index Translationum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Index Translationum is UNESCO's database of book translations. Books have been translated for thousands of years, with no central record of the fact. The League of Nations established a record of translations in 1932. In 1946, the United Nations superseded the League and UNESCO was assigned the Index. In 1979, the records were computerised. Since the Index counts translations of individual books, authors with many books with few translations can rank higher than authors with a few books with more translations. So, for example, while the Bible is the single most translated book in the world, it does not rank in the top ten of the index. The Index counts the Walt Disney Company, employing many writers, as a single writer. Authors with similar names are sometimes included as one entry, for example, the ranking for "Hergé" applies not only to the author of The Adventures of Tintin (Hergé), but also to B.R. Hergehahn, Elisabeth Herget, and Douglas Hergert. Hence, the top authors, as the Index presents them, are from a database query whose results require interpretation. According to the Index, Agatha Christie remains the most-translated individual author.

Statistics Source: UNESCO

Top 10 Author

Top 10 Country

Top 10 Target Language

Top 10 Original language

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Index Translationum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Index Translationum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Index Translationum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Index Translationum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Index Translationum

In research: Index Translationum appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Index Translationum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Index Translationum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Database stubs, Indexes (publishing), Online databases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Index Translationum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Index Translationum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Index Translationum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Index Translationum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Index Translationum in simple terms?

The Index Translationum is UNESCO's database of book translations. Books have been translated for thousands of years, with no central record of the fact.

Why does Index Translationum matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Index Translationum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Index Translationum.