31 07 2019
5 Challenges Of Legal Translation That You Need To Know
Translating legal documents can be a challenging endeavour, especially for those translators who are unfamiliar with the industry. Overcoming these challenges while translating legal documents requires a combination of creativity and accuracy.
According to the Economist, an estimated 750 million cross-border e-commerce disputes take place every year. Transnational legal issues are difficult because laws differ significantly in meaning, tone, and style from nation to nation.
Legal translation is more than just making a document multilingual; it also needs to have relevance legally in several different countries. Legal document translation involves much more than taking written text and translating it into another language. Instead, it requires a deeper understanding of the law and the legal terminology of the target country. A professional legal translator must be able to compare dual legal systems to provide accurate translation to his client. Failing to translate legal documents and terms correctly can have adverse consequences on businesses and their reputations.
Legal Documents That Require Accuracy
While all the documents should always be translated properly, the translation of legal documents requires a high level of professional experience and accuracy due to the risks associated with a mistranslation. Few of the documents that should always be translated by a professional linguist with legal expertise are:
- Patents
- Contracts
- Immigration Documents
- Financial Records
- Safety Guidelines and many more.
Challenges in Legal Translation
Legal translation is a difficult niche within the translation field because every country has its own legal system and legal terminology which must be accurately conveyed in the target language.
1.Different Terminologies
The legal terminology between the source and target languages varies widely and is considered as the standard difficulty faced by legal translators. While translating, the translator must constantly compare the legal systems of the source and target languages that he is tackling.
2.Degree of Difficulty
The difficulty in translating a legal text depends on the two different legal systems referred to by the source and target language. Legal translations are sometimes more complex than other types of translations.
3.Cultural Differences
The legal language and law of a country reflect its culture. Therefore, the legal translator must understand the cultural differences of the legal systems of the two societies that will be addressed in his legal translation.
4.Legal Style
All legal languages are distinct languages– each being highly specialized with its style and shaped by the legal traditions of the relevant country.
5.Knowledge Of The Legal Systems
To translate a legal document from one language to another, the translator is required to have a solid understanding of the legal systems. Translators should know that similar legal concepts can be phrased differently from country to country.
Conclusion? Opt For A Professional Legal Translation Service Provider
A more affordable option is to use a professional legal translation service. This option positions a professional with a knowledge base in the language to translate the documents before beginning the work It might seem like a good idea to cut costs by employing a non-specialist translator, but when it comes to legal translation, an expert will only be of great help. Translating legal documents requires skill, patience, and attention to detail. Specialist legal translators are highly skilled professional linguists with extensive knowledge of legal terminology.
Bhasha Bharati is committed to breaking all communications barriers which can create obstacles in your business. We provide legal translation services in 100+ languages.
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