The verb ‘shall’ and other modal verbs are frequently found in legal documents in English. In legal translations, the legal translator needs to be able to correctly employ deontic modality. Read this interesting paper on the functions of modal verbs in European and British Legal Documents.Continue Reading..
An interesting article praising the role of the passive voice, which can often be useful in legal writing and in legal translation.
The last two posts have raised the issue of Ottoman land-holdings in Greece and the relevant Greek legal terminology involved which GR-EN legal translators may not be aware about because of the Turkish roots of the words.
In yesterday’s post, the article referred to set out some thoughts about the nature of legal translation in the Greek-English combination and some of the difficulties translators face. One of the issues raised was that other languages have often influenced English legal language.
The same is true of Greek legal language to a certain extent.
Below is an interesting article written by Mata Salogianni, examining some aspects of legal translation in the Greek-English combination.Continue Reading..
The Greek language is truly a gift to the development of European civilization, and its culture has influenced many people extending beyond the borders of Europe. Although many educated Europeans carried with them the love for the ancient Greek language and culture upon settling in the New World, not much was known about the Greek culture as a whole.
It wasn’t until the early 20th century that Greeks established themselves in the diaspora, creating church communities, schools, clubs, and associations, which served as a benchmark of locality, as well as a tool for the spreading of Hellenism.Continue Reading..
An interesting overview of how English developed into the complicated language it is today can be found at:
http://www.vox.com/2015/3/3/8053521/25-maps-that-explain-english.
Maps 4 and 5 are particularly interesting and explain the origins of key legal words like law, judge and justice.
Call for Papers: Abstract submission deadline: 08 March 2015 (extended)
The First International Conference on “Translation and Interpreting: New Voices on the Marketplace” (TINVOM): 16-18 April 2015
Languages of the conference: Arabic, English, French and Italian.
Please send your abstracts to: abstract@tinvom.tn
The Conference Website: http://www.tinvom.tn/
This book review of “Legal Translation and the Dictionary” is taken from academia.edu. Although referring to Czech legal translation it raises many interesting issues for legal translation in general
Continue Reading..
LEGAL TERMINOLOGY AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS by Maria Botti
Legal terms, most of the time, do not represent objects with a physical aspect, but legal concepts which lawyers in different times and places have named differently. Should legal terminology be influenced by time and place? Which is the ‘correct’ choice of the word, when we translate from Greek into Anglo-Saxon legal language? When is it not unethical to approach the target-language more and leave our own behind? The answer does not only depend upon the most important person of the reader, but also on the approach we take concerning how our own system is presented.
Click here for the full article in Greek: http://www.eleto.gr/download/Conferences/4th%20Conference/4th_24-02-KanellopoulouBotti.pdf
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