My July newsletter "News from InTrans Book Service" highlights publications that deal with medical vocabulary, or with building better vocabulary. E-mail me at lankhof@intransbooks.com if you would like to receive a copy

Besides speaking at least two languages, an interpreter or translator needs a very extensive vocabulary. My previous blogs have highlighted publications that can help you increase your general vocabulary.

Now, I would like to point out a few essential medical dictionaries to help you build vocabulary in that field. It is hard to say what is the best medical dictionary. The Stedman, the Dorland, or the Mosby's... These are the three most used dictionaries, every one of which has its own strong and possible weak points.

Here I would like to go a little deeper into the two larger Spanish, bi-lingual dictionaries. The Stedman is often preferred over the Mosby. The Stedman is a straightforward one volume bi-lingual, bi-directional dictionary and easy to work with. The Mosby consists of two volumes. Volume 1 and part of Volume 2 are the dictionary. You look up the head word in Spanish, with the English translation followed by an extensive explanation of the term in Spanish. Contrary to the Stedman, the Mosby has many illustrations. The dictionary part is followed by a complete bi-lingual and bi-directional glossary. Included with the book is a CD-ROM containing a monolingual anatomical atlas.

A third option for an extensive reference work is the monolingual Spanish Dorland in combination with the English Dorland. Although the editions are not the same, they still can be used very well as a bilingual resource.

If you have a favorite, let me know and your comment will be posted here. The ones just mentioned are the most complete dictionaries in the medical field but if you have no need for such an extensive reference tool, following are a few (Spanish) bilingual dictionaries that are good and friendly to your wallet.

• Spanish-English/English-Spanish Medical Dictionary by Onyra Herrera McElroy and Lola L. Grabb , this book is also available with a CD-ROM, a little more expensive but you get two dictionaries. By the same two authors the:
• Spanish-English/English-Spanish Pocket Medical Dictionary, a portable version of the previously mentioned.
  
• Dorland Diccionario de Idiomas de Medicina Inglés-Español/Español-Inglés. It is called a dictionary but it is more a glossary, just translations, no explanations.
  

The following three dictionaries are pocket sized and easy to carry around in a handbag or purse


• Diccionario Mosby Inglés-Español/Español-Inglés de Medicina. This dictionary is also a vocabulary. It is the condensed glossary as it appears in the Diccionario Mosby de Medicina, Enfermeria y Ciencias de la Salud;
  
• English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary by Glenn T. Roger, MD;
• Medical Spanish pocket plus.
  
  And there are more, but these are the ones that I recommend based on the feedback over the years. Check out your independent bookseller, contact me at lankhof@intransbooks.com or give me a call at 1-800-343-353 if you need more information. I'll be glad to help you get the best dictionary for your needs.