Legal & Finance Sector

A legal translator needs to be able not only to translate the meaning of a text, but also be able to take account of the legal culture of the source country and express it in terms of the legal culture of the target language. It’s almost like performing two simultaneous translations of one document.

Here is a simple example. In Ukraine there is a type of business entity which can be translated literally as “physical person – entrepreneur”. In Russia, the same type of business entity (again translated literally) is called an “individual entrepreneur”. What would be the correct way to translate it into English? Literally, or by finding an equivalent in Anglo-Saxon legislation? Which legislation to be exact – of the US, the UK, or elsewhere? If you are translating into British English, then we suggest using the British equivalent – “sole trader” or “self-employed”. If into American English, then “sole proprietor” would fit better. In Canada, it will “a self-employed person”. And there exist far more complicated juristic terms, which often should not be translated word for word, but instead localised into the target language. AI won’t do this for you. A human linguist is needed for legal content.