Bilingual Legal Translators and their Importance in the Translation of Documents

Translator, a word that in today's world, usually alludes (especially as far as the younger generation is concerned) to a digital tool that can help us get by in sporadic situations. Well, this is not entirely surprising, but a professional translator is an expert in the art of converting texts from one source language to another target language, ensuring that the message and meaning of the original is conveyed accurately and effectively. Beyond having a fluent command of the source and target languages, a professional translator possesses a deep knowledge of the linguistic subtleties, cultural conventions and terminologies specific to the different fields of action in which he/she is forced to deal with according to the task at hand. His work involves not only translating words, but also capturing the tone, style and intent of the original text, adapting it appropriately to whatever the target language may be. Given the above, the professional translator must keep up to date with advances in his or her area of expertise and use technological tools to improve productivity and ensure consistency in his or her translations. In addition, confidentiality, ethics and integrity are fundamental values for this type of professionals, who are committed to treat such confidential and personal information with the utmost care and respect. In other words, anyone who intends to work in translation as a professional field must be a facilitator of interlinguistic communication, a specialist in language and culture, and a guarantor of quality and accuracy in the transfer of information between different languages and idiosyncratic aspects of each people.

OK, but anyone can develop those skills... right?

Clearly, like everything else in life, it is a matter of determination and hard work. Translation is no exception, nor is it a field of work reserved for a few enlightened individuals chosen by life or chance. Any individual who so desires can make a living from translation and make a living from it, but everything has its caveats that make the process more demanding (and interesting).

Depending on the country or region, the steps to become a professional translator or specialize in a particular area of translation may vary. The most common is to take undergraduate studies related to the learning of a foreign language and to specialize in translation in order to be formally accredited by the authorities and companies dedicated to this profession. On other occasions there is the possibility of being certified as a translator by competencies, that is, validating before a national authority (such as an association or union of translators) the knowledge of the second language that one possesses through a series of exams and tests in order to obtain the endorsement and due recognition as a translator. This last case can happen in circumstances where, as is becoming frequent nowadays, a person dedicates himself to translations in an autonomous way (freelance) to the point that his performance allows him to make a living from it, so that the person considers formalizing his knowledge and experience without the need to undertake university or technical studies. It is a case to be admired, indeed, although as a general rule, the ideal is to acquire information from experts in the field in an academic manner and thus avoid having to stumble so much in a self-taught way.

This last clarification is made with the best of intentions. Throughout history there have been cases of people who have come to excel in the world of languages, both in the field of translation and simultaneous interpretation, with unexpectedly self-taught beginnings, as in the case of the legendary translator and interpreter KatoLomb, who acquired her passion for languages during the world wars, thanks to the fact that knowing other languages saved her life and eventually became an authority in this profession. However, as mentioned before, this is a job that requires detail and thoroughness, so learning from an expert is immeasurably more efficient than our self-esteem would like to admit.

It can't be that complex!

To finish contextualizing, let's take a look at a bit of history. There are different types of translation, each with its own specific characteristics and requirements. Since Hellenistic times, when the Greeks came into constant contact with the Persians and eventually with the Romans for various commercial and warlike reasons, the need to understand each other was imperative. It was then that the first techniques and approaches to translation began to be created as a skill of primary necessity. Thus, a confrontation was created between translation currents in which some advocated word-for-word translation while others defended the banner of sense-for-sense translation. Eventually it was realized that languages do not have the same structures, so sense-for-sense became the cornerstone. With this came approaches, which we can make use of in order to achieve increasingly accurate results. These modern approaches or techniques include calque, transposition, modulation, adaptation or equivalence, each of which requires significant effort and hours of study to apply properly.

Now, the grace and magic of knowing all these techniques is to apply them in such a way that it is imperceptible and it feels as if the person is reading a text that was written in his or her mother tongue in the first place, even if it is a translation from another language. Thus, texts can be considered within more general terms. General translation is the most common type of translation and covers a wide range of texts, such as e-mails, letters, articles and personal documents. This type of translation focuses on conveying the message clearly and accurately, while maintaining the original meaning of the text. On the other hand, technical translation focuses on specialized documents, such as instruction manuals, scientific reports or engineering-related texts. Here, the translator must have an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and master the specific technical terminology. Legal translation deals with legal documents, contracts, deeds and judgments. A legal translator must have a thorough knowledge of the legal system and understand the linguistic and cultural subtleties of the legal systems involved. Another type of translation is medical translation, which covers texts related to the field of medicine and health. Here, the translator must have specialized knowledge of medical terminology and understand the different conventions of each country. In addition, there is literary translation, which focuses on the translation of literary works such as novels, poetry and theater. This type of translation requires creative skills and a deep understanding of culture and literature. These are just a few examples of the types of translation that exist, and each requires a unique approach and specific skills on the part of the translator to ensure a successful and accurate translation.

Well, that's valid, but I'm bilingual; I don't need all those studies.

While it is true that being bilingual and fluent in both languages, either because you were raised in a family where two languages were dominant or because you learned at a high level of proficiency, can be very useful, one must be careful in assuming that this alone will allow you to do a satisfactory job. In cases of short documents or where the jargon does not require specificity, there may be success in such work. However, the translation of legal documents involves a myriad of particularities that make it necessary to have acquired prior academic knowledge in order not to die in the attempt. Documents such as divorce certificates, minutes, complaints and even declarations necessarily require the expertise of the professional bilingual translator, his or her idiosyncratic background, analytical skills, research, constant updating and correct use of the technological tools at his or her disposal that allow the proper approach to each document.

In short, a professional bilingual translator, and even more so when it comes to the legal area, is an ally that should be chosen with care, because as we have described here, there is a whole history and field of study that shows why we cannot rely solely and exclusively on our bilingual competence (no matter how capable we are of communicating in another language) or, much worse, on technological tools. International legal proceedings are not only a matter of great importance on a personal level, but also one to which we owe a great deal of respect since it is not only us who are involved in this chain of events; there are also the clerks, judges and other legal authority figures who deserve respect for their time, so delivering properly translated documents is the best way to keep us within the bounds of cordiality.