Mistranslating a poem usually lies in the bounds of “translators’ artistic freedom” and, even for mistakes in a novel there isn’t much more punishment than long days of internet mockery, as in the case of Hungarian translation of 50 Shades Of Gray where the band Kings of Leon became Lion King. However, a mistranslation in a legal document could cause serious problems between the contracting parties and, potentially, damages beyond enumeration.

So, while translating sitcoms or novels might be a good second job or provide some pocket money for linguistic students, legal translation require a full committed specialist with in-depth knowledge. Knowing the language is not enough.

“Translating a legal document is perhaps the hardest of them all,” said Kinga Hetényi, partner at law firm Schoenherr. Without a law degree, the task is almost impossible to fulfill as in legal practice words have very specific meanings. “When a legal translation has to be very good and accurate, there are two possibilities. Either we lawyers translate the text, or we assign the work to a translator and then we verify the result,” she explains.

“However, the verifying process, unless it’s a very good quality translation, is long and wearisome work. We have to check the original text, translate its meaning, than verify if the translated phrases mean the same. We have too think over the whole text in two languages simultaneously. Altogether, it’s not necessarily true that a translation is cheaper or quicker using a translator and then a verifying lawyer.” Hetényi added, however, that she had never heard of a client suing a translating agency or independent translator. More.

See: Budapest Business Journal

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