Legal Translation Gone Wrong: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Having Your Legal Content Translated
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Transcript of Legal Translation Gone Wrong: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Having Your Legal Content Translated
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Legal Translation Gone Wrong:10 mistakes to avoid when having legal content translated
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Welcome CB
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Your Presenters CB
• Vincent A. RuizAttorney, Ruiz Law Group
• Renee GrimmerLegal Account Executive, viaLanguage
• Chanin BallanceModerator, CEO and President, viaLanguage
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Today’s Agenda CB
Avoiding Common Mistakes through:
• Selecting and using the right resources
• Ensuring legal and linguistic accuracy
• Strategies for efficiency and cost savings
• Summary/Q&A
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Global Trends‐ RG
Global Trends
•Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
•UK Bribery Act –July 1, 2011
•EU’s Medical Device Directive
•International Packaging Laws
•International Remittance Market
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Rising Diversity ‐ CB
Top business languages worldwide
1. English2. Mandarin Chinese3. French4. Arabic5. Spanish6. Russian7. Portuguese8. Japanese9. German10. Italian
Bloomberg, August 2011
Spanish or Spanish Creole62%
Chinese5%
Tagalog3%
French2%
Vietnamese2%
German2%
Korean2%
Russian2%
Arabic1%
Other Asian languages
1%All Other languages
18%
Languages Spoken at Home in the U.S.(Other than English)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey
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•Lack of legal and linguistic experts
•Budgets
•Risk
•Limited time
Why is this a Growing Challenge? RG
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Section Break: Avoiding the Mistakes—Starting with the Right Resources– CB
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Use resources that are subject matter experts:• Language, region, culture, dialects• National/local laws and regulations • Specific subject matter expertise, area of law
NMistake 1: Using a General Translator VR
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Examples– VR
“Transit” and “tránsito” • True cognates• Literal translation= “un cheque en tránsito.”• Best legal translation= “un cheque no local.”
“Withdraw” and “draw” • Literal translation of “withdraw” = “retirar.”• But to “draw” on a line of credit is not “retirar fondos de una
línea de crédito.”• Rather, it is “disponer de fondos de una línea de crédito (to
“avail oneself” of borrowed money through a credit line
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Mistake 2: Matching the Wrong Resource – RG
Attorney, freelance translator, agency or employee?
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Mistake 3: Not Verifying Credentials VR
Look for: •Education•Experience•Native speaker•Regional expertise• Field experts
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Example—Regional Expertise VR
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“Fee” • In Mexico= “una comisión” (late payment or registration fee) • In other countries = “un cargo” (having a closer meaning to a
“charge”) or “un derecho” (e.g., a “planning commission fee)
“Tax Return” • A tax return is “una declaración de impuestos.” • In Puerto Rico, the U.S. tax return is referred to as “una planilla
federal (de taxes).”****note the use of the English word “taxes”
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Section Break: Ensuring Legal and Linguistic Accuracy CB
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• Reputational issues and sound business practices
• Compliance with strict regulatory requirements
• Avoiding legal exposure
The Importance of Relevancy and Accuracy
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Mistake 4: The Clash of the Clauses RG
• Always pay attention to sensitive content/clauses
• Call this to the translators attention
• I.E. Choice of Law Clause, Arbitration Clause, etc.
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Mistake 5: Not Establishing a Glossary and Style Guide VR
• List of translated (client‐approved) terms‐Ensures consistency‐Ensures understanding‐ Super‐duper® service = el servicio Super‐duper®
• Should not be taken as the final word for every instance
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Mistake 6: Not Drafting with Translation in Mind RG
• Standardize language• Remember text expansion• Simplify the layout • Font requirements
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Section Break: Strategies for Efficiency and Cost Savings– CB
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Mistake 7: Using too Much/too Little Translation Memory RG
Translation Memory (TM): • Saves Money (100% Matches =
proofreading charges only)
• Increases consistency
• Saves time
• Final proofing is essential
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Mistake 8: Cutting Short Quality Control VR
Don’t rely too much on translation tools and technology without having the final content reviewed by a legal professional or legal linguist.
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Avoid Added Fees: Prepare, Organize and Centralize RG
Sample File Structure
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Mistake 9: Using MT for important content RG
Consider your content: • Sensitivity• Purpose of translation• Desired outcome• Which pieces need to be
flagged for translation?
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• Know the variables to pricing
• Use translator/attorney teams
• Avoid rush fees: build time requirements into project deadlines
• Finalize files prior to submitting
NMMistake 10: Paying too Little/too Much RG
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Putting it all together…. CB
1. Select the right team and resources
2. Ensure legal & linguistic accuracy
3. Know how to cut time & costs
4. Appropriate usage of translation tools
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Q&A– CB
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Thank You For Attending! CB
A copy of the webinar will be emailed to you shortly
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Vincent Ruiz
Ruiz Law Group
www.ruizlawgroup.com