A lot of translators are always afraid of working on legal translation. To be frankly, it is quite difficult without any application of specific rules and methods. However, after being acquainted with relevant background knowledge and translating principles and ways, you will do a good job on it. As we all know that wording of legal translation should be legal, accurate, concise, serious, precise and normal.

Undoubtedly, the legal translation must conform to laws and regulations; otherwise it cannot be accepted as a good work in spite of good wording and artistic writing. Meantime, the accuracy is also very important, especially figures, numbers and dates, which may lead to misunderstanding or loss of opportunities, or even lawsuits.

For example:

原文：女职工违反国家有关计划生育规定的，其劳动保护应当按照国家有关计划生育规定办理，不适用本规定。

译文：Labor protection of those women staff and workers that run counter to state stipulations concerning family planning should be treated according to State stipulations concerning family planning. The Regulations are thus inapplicable.

译文2：These Regulations do not apply to any violation of state family-planning measures by a woman employee whose labor protection is regulated by the said measures.

Moreover, the language of legal translation should be serious and solemn. The words in the context must express the principles precisely.

Example:

原文：The law holds that the man is responsible for his acts. The law also indicates what is good and right, and. what may and should be done.

译文1：法律认为公民应对自己的行为负责。法律还规定什么是美好的和正确的，规范了哪些事是允许做或应该做的。（Bad）

译文2：法律规定人人应对自己的行为承担责任，分清善良与正义，并规范人们的行为准则。（Good）

Read Also: How to Translate the Long Sentence in Legal Document

Furthermore, the structure should be precise and normal. Example: 《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于修改中华人民共和国公司法的决定》已由中华人民共和国第九届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第十三次会议于1999年12月25日通过，现予公布。

译文：The Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Revising the Company Law of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the 13th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on December 25, 1999, is hereby promulgated, and the revised Company Law of the People’s Republic of China.

In addition, the words should be concise and normal. Example:

承担资产评估、验资或者验证的机构因过失提供有重大遗漏的报告的，责令改正，情节较重的，处以所得收入一倍以上三倍以下的罚款……

译文：Where an institution in charge of asset of valuation, capital verification or certification provides by negligence reports with major omissions, it shall be ordered to make a rectification; where the circumstances are serious, a fine from one to three times the amount of the income derived therefore shall be imposed…

In summary, no matter it is in Chinese or in English, the legal translation must be legal, accurate, concise, serious, precise and normal. The translation of law is of very important and challenging work. We should take a serious altitude to it but not being afraid of it.

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