A person not familiar with the translation industry and/or not involved in the translation process might assume that document translation is a very straightforward process and is much easier than translating books or poetry. But that is not quite the case… I am not saying that translating books or poetry is an easy process. It certainly is not. But neither is document translation.
Let me give you one example. Let’s say that a book or poetry translator has the color “winter azure” in the original, which does not exist in the target language. It would not be crucial if the translator renders it as simply “azure,” or even “blue” or “cold blue” – to maintain rhythm or a poetic image.
On the other hand, a translator who works on a purchase agreement between, let’s say, a paint manufacturing company and a construction company or on a contract between a builder and buyer would be in a bind, trying to render the words “winter azure” in the target language. Before writing this article, I did my homework, checking how many words for blue exist in English and in Russian. A simple Google search shows that there are 144 (!) shades of blue in English (definitely beating the 50 shades of gray). The same search for Russian showed me 180 (!) shades of blue, including such lovely color names as “Washed-out Jeans Blue”, “Cheerful Blue”, and “Blue of the Hawaiian Ocean”. So, the translator is in a very difficult situation, which might lead to dire consequences if one side wants to sell/purchase “Royal Blue” and gets “Washed-out Jeans Blue” instead.
What is my point here? It’s pretty simple: Document Translation is a very complex process and should only be performed by true professionals experienced in this particular field.
I would like to arbitrarily split Document Translation into several categories here. Of course, there might be many more, but these will suffice to demonstrate my points.
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DOCUMENTS TRANSLATION: VITAL RECORDS AND EDUCATION
I combined these two categories, as they are very frequently requested translations in all immigrant communities. Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Adoption, and Death Certificates, and Passports, along with Driver’s Licenses, are the most common, with education documents (High School Diplomas, College, University, Academic Degree, various courses and training Diplomas) following in close second.
As a translator with many years of experience, I can’t shake a stick at how many times I have heard from potential clients something like “Why is it so expensive? What is there to translate? Anyone could do it!” I never argue. Instead, I might ask a simple question: “How is your name spelled in your passport? And how is it spelled in your American documents?” (DL, Asylum Application, any others). And very often those spellings are different, which means that a translator has to somehow resolve the discrepancy. When I explain this to the client, the answer very frequently is: “Oh, I didn’t even think about it!” Exactly.
By the way, this is a very frequent situation when translating Russian/Ukrainian/Belarusian documents that contain the spelling both in Cyrillic and Latin characters. When the document holder has already had documents issued in the US, the spelling is often different because across the seas they use a French transliteration system, as opposed to the English system here.
Also, the very same name can be spelled differently in cousin languages, like Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian, and sometimes people have documents from multiple places, which compounds the troubles.
Hence, a translator must inquire into name spellings. At the same time, the translator can’t be too indulging: clients may ask to omit something, like their patronymic or some details they consider undesirable, which can’t be done, of course – not in a legal context.
Also, there is often some misalignment as far as properly translating the addresses, phone numbers, names of organizations that issued the document, and so on. If done incorrectly, it might make the translation invalid for that very reason. Without going into details, there is still an ongoing discussion among translators on the right way (the only way, according to some) to do it, but that’s beside the point here. And the point is, all these things have to be rendered correctly, and that usually requires some research.
And don’t forget about dates – the format has to be re-arranged; otherwise, someone born on May 1st
(01.05 in many countries) would have a January 5th birthdate in the US.
The grades in educational documents and academic degrees are also to be rendered properly. It’s relatively easy to convert a Russian Grading system (1-5 – worst to best)) to an American F-A system, but how do you convert a Ukrainian 12-grade system into an American 5-grade system?
And now come the diploma subjects themselves! Do you want to translate them as they are named in the original, or do you want to find an equivalent? Literal translations often make no sense or give a completely false idea. For example, a Russian high school subject that literally translates as “Technology” actually signifies a class for girls where they learn the art of homemaking, so something like “Home Economics.”
Another Russian subject, translated literally as “The Safety of Living” is all-encompassing: anything from a healthy lifestyle to defense during warfare. One possible rendition would be “Valeology, Safety, and Defense.”
The point is, always work with a professional translator for document translation, even if it is a “simple” document such as a Birth Certificate, a Diploma, a Driver’s License, or something similar.
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DOCUMENT TRANSLATION: MEDICAL DOCUMENTS
If you are a translator with no medical background and you have been asked to translate a “simple” Immunization Record, would it be an easy task? What if it is a Discharge Summary or a Medical History? What if you are an agency that has been working with a translator who has done many projects for you, but none related to medicine?
Here is what my experience and expertise dictate: medical translations are much better performed by persons who have experience and knowledge in the medical field translation. Sort of a no-brainer, but it’s true: how would a person who has no knowledge of medical terminology and medical practices in both countries translate dosages, names of medications, diagnoses, etc.?
Here is an example: many medications that were popular in the Soviet Union were non-existent in the US. A translator with more knowledge or experience will simply write that the person was prescribed or was taking Valocordin, which would be absolutely useless for the doctor, for the patient or any other person for whom the translation was performed.
A knowledgeable translator, however, might make a note saying something like that: “Valocordin: acombined drug, the action of which is determined by the properties of its constituent substances. It has a sedative and antispasmodic effect. It facilitates the onset of natural sleep. Contains Phenobarbital and Ethylbromisovalerinate.(Information from Mexilife.com).Translator’s note.”
And that note would make the translation more useful – in fact, that is something I would write to make a situation clear for an American health professional.
Translator notes can certainly disambiguate things and be quite helpful. However, the translator must take care to never take on an expert role that doesn’t belong to us, phrasing the note neutrally and/or using verified sources. I’d triple check if the information is truly correct.
Also, a very diligent translator might call up some nurse and doctor friends and inquire how things are phrased in the U.S. medical, military, legal, etc. jargon. Such attention to detail actually differentiates “decent” professionals from true maestros.
Medical records require terminology expertise and careful attention to detail. Translate My Medical Documents
DOCUMENT TRANSLATION: IMMIGRATION
Translation of many documents used in the immigration process (Civil Acts, Educational, Medical) has already been discussed above. What is also frequently translated as part of the immigration process are affidavits and supporting documents.
Supporting documents are often clips from foreign language newspapers and/or magazines or even handwritten notes.
It goes without saying that the former requires Internet research to have the names of the publications translated correctly, while the latter are sometimes hard to decipher.
Also, the affidavit itself can be written in an awkward, not very literate language with grammar and spelling mistakes, and in such a situation, the translator always faces the challenge: “To fix or not to fix?” If and when there is an attorney handling the case, the decision might be up to them, but otherwise, the translator might be in dire straits. When hired to translate documents for the court (criminal, family, etc.), there is no such dilemma: you keep the style and the grammar of the original. Here, however, the point is much more moot: an asylum seeker without an attorney is your client and you are doing it for their benefit. So, the ethical way in this situation would be to either discuss it with them or – better still (if the client agrees) – to make a note that the grammar and style of the original were preserved in translation.
For affidavits, some translators consider it more appropriate that the document read well in English. After all, the ease with which it is read can only help the case. However, if the applicant is not super literate or erudite, I would still keep the language simple so there is not a huge discrepancy at the actual interview.
I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is for the attorney and the client that the translation of the affidavit and of supporting documents is true and correct. Even a minor incorrect detail can completely derail the whole application approval process.
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DOCUMENT TRANSLATION: TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
A very long time ago, I participated in a translation community discussion.
The subject was: which way is more efficient and productive to have a high-caliber translator in a certain technical field?
1. To train an engineer/scientist knowledgeable in the terminology of a particular field in both languages, but with poor language skills in the target language.
2. To train a translator with excellent language skills in both languages, but with very limited or non-existent terminology in a given field.
The participants of the discussion were very adamant supporters of both hypotheses, but never reached an agreement. However, the subject of the discussion demonstrates that in technical/scientific translation, mere knowledge of the terminology or mere mastery of the language are not sufficient: both are pertinent to the task. Just like you do not want an eye surgeon to perform your hernia surgery (they probably wouldn’t anyway), you do not want a translator who is chemistry-savvy to translate your real estate contract (they probably wouldn’t anyway if they are a professional).
Of course, it can be argued that while a true professional will not take on a translation they cannot competently carry out, one doesn’t back away from any topic, either – if need be, they can prepare and tackle project, though it might take them longer than it would take for someone conversant in the subject.
There is also a matter of unit conversion: pounds ⇄ kilograms, miles ⇄ kilometers, gallons ⇄ liters, and so on.
One more skill that is often needed/required in technical/scientific translations is good or even excellent computer skills. Graphs, tables, illustrations that require the translation of the headers, axes and other text to be translated and incorporated, if need be.
Technical documents demand both subject-matter knowledge and linguistic precision. Request Technical Translation
CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, LEGAL DOCUMENTS
Contracts and agreements come up often in Document Translation. These can be business contracts, prenuptial agreements, powers of attorney, wills, etc.
As with all translations, the professional needs to be a very thinking translator and always ask themselves: “Will this actually be understood by the target audience?”
An ideal document is translated in a way that the target audience thinks it was composed by an American lawyer (in the case of into-English translation for the US audience).
As always (or, as never), literal translations simply do not work. For example, the Russian term “juridical body” sounds ridiculous, but “legal body” or “legal entity” sounds natural. “Physical body” makes no sense and actually changes the meaning because the Russian term refers to an “individual” or “natural person,” not their “physical body.”
Legal terms are often not exactly identical, but close equivalents of each other. So, one needs to evaluate when it’s best to translate by using that equivalent or when we’re better off leaving the original. This can depend on many, many factors.
Should ambiguities be clarified or left in? Again, depends on the context: do you have the drafter or expert handy to clarify? If so, probably best. If not, let them be and don’t assume.
There are many more nuances in the translation of contracts, agreements, and similar documents, but the points above go to show how profound the thought process has to be.
Legal documents deserve accurate translation that preserves the meaning and intent of every clause. Get a Legal Document Translation
IN CONCLUSION
Document translation is not the most lofty, elite, or creative of all translation species. And yet, it can also be rewarding and fulfilling. The translator should know they did their very best, and they made the process simpler and clearer for all involved. In fact, a true professional can view document translation as a training ground: if they cultivate diligence and attention to detail here, they will later bring that same work ethic into more “glamorous” fields like book translation.
It cannot be over-stated, over-emphasized, or over-reminded:
Please work ONLY with true professionals.
We’re here to help.
HAPPY TRANSLATING!
Article by Natasha Geilman, Ph.D. in linguistics, court-certified interpreter, language professor