Legal translations differ significantly from the translation of ordinary texts. There are many specific terms that only a professional can understand. Therefore, in Kyiv Regional Translation Agency, translators with the appropriate specialization are engaged in the translation of legal documents.
Of course, any translation must be done without errors. Regardless of its specificity and complexity. But we treat legal documents with special attention. Here, any errors can lead to a refusal to accept documents, if this is an immigration case, or to legal proceedings, if it is related to contracts.
Typical mistakes in legal translation
Below are some common mistakes that occur in translations of legal documents:
- The context is not taken into account when translating. Yes, legal texts are translated as literally as possible, but it is important to understand that the document is a constructor. Some words or expressions can be translated differently depending on the overall context. If you do not take this into account, you can seriously distort the meaning of the document, which should not happen in legal translations.
- Errors in word translation. There are words that look the same in different languages, but are translated differently. There are such examples in the legal field, so the translator must know such lexemes well to ensure a high-quality translation.
- Translation of the main text of the document only. It is important to translate all elements, including seals, headers and footnotes. In jurisprudence, there are explanations to documents, they can be made in the form of an appendix - they also need to be translated. All elements, in addition to the main text, play an important role in legal documents, so they cannot be missed.
Most translation errors are related to a lack of understanding of the specifics of legal documents. Therefore, translation should be done not just by a translator, but by a specialist who understands jurisprudence, knows all the rules, nuances, terminology from the inside. As practice shows, it is not enough to have a thorough command of languages.
A professional translator of legal texts works as accurately as possible, trying to translate the text almost word for word, but always taking into account the context. There should be no elegance or embellishment in the translation. Legal texts often contain many repetitions - this is normal practice, so repetitions should also be conveyed during translation.
Replacing one word with a synonym can lead to confusion. Maximum precision is important for lawyers. For example, if a document refers to an agreement, you cannot replace that word with “contract”, even if the same word is constantly repeated. This is a feature of legal texts and translations, so translators should also be aware of them.
Also, a translator of legal texts must adhere to general translation standards: not allow grammatical, syntactical, punctuation errors, accurately transfer names, company names, numbers and other data. Any inaccuracies, incorrectly indicated data can also lead to lawsuits.
Kyiv Regional Translation Agency adheres to the following principles when working with documents: translators with specialization and experience work with legal texts, all translators adhere to international standards, each finished document is checked twice for errors, typos, and inaccuracies. All this allows us to provide our clients with high-quality services.
