Quiz questions
Translations
Brian Friel
Reading comprehension quiz questions for Translations — use them as a reading-check starter, a self-study tool, or a quick assessment. Answers are included below each question.
In Brian Friel's *Translations* (1980), what is the main task being undertaken by the British soldiers Yolland and Lancey in the Irish village of Baile Beag? A) Building a new military garrison B) Anglicising the Irish place names for a new Ordnance Survey map C) Collecting taxes from local landowners D) Establishing a National School to replace the hedge school **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation: Yolland and Lancey are part of a Royal Engineers mapping expedition responsible for translating and anglicising Gaelic place names into English for the British Ordnance Survey map of Ireland. This act symbolizes the play's central theme of cultural and linguistic imperialism.*
a_level_english_lit · aqa · edexcel · ib_lang_lit · leaving_cert
In Brian Friel's play *Translations* (1980), what primary task are the British soldiers Yolland and Lancey performing in the Irish town of Baile Beag? A) Building a new military barracks B) Mapping and renaming the Irish landscape into English as part of the Ordnance Survey C) Collecting taxes from local landowners D) Establishing a National School to replace the hedge school **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation:* Yolland and Lancey are carrying out the British Ordnance Survey of Ireland, which includes translating and anglicizing Irish place names into English. This task acts as the play's central metaphor for cultural imperialism and the diminishing of Irish identity.
ap_lit · aqa · ib_lang_lit · leaving_cert
In Brian Friel's *Translations* (1980), what is the main task being performed by the British soldiers Yolland and Lancey in the Irish village of Baile Beag? A) Building a new military garrison B) Translating the Bible into Irish Gaelic C) Anglicising Irish place names for a new Ordnance Survey map D) Establishing an English-medium National School **Correct Answer: C** *Explanation: Yolland and Lancey are part of a Royal Engineers unit working on an Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Their job involves changing Gaelic place names to English versions, which acts as the play's key metaphor for cultural erasure and colonial dominance.*
ap_lit · aqa · ib_lang_lit · leaving_cert
These quiz questions are part of Storgy's free teacher toolkit for Translations. For a full study guide with chapter summaries, characters, themes, and key quotes, visit the Translations study guide. To browse quiz questions for other works, return to the Quiz Questions hub.