Sabinet | The curious case of legal translation
n Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies - The curious case of legal translation
Author E. Cornelius1
Source : Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, Volume 32, Issue 1, Apr 2011, p. 121 - 143
Keyword(s) : Bronteksontleding, Legal translation training, Regsvertaling, opleiding in, Retoriese strukturering, Rhetorical structuring, Source text analysis, Translation competence and Vertaalbevoegdheid
This article explores the nature and scope of legal translation which is an under-researched area in South Africa. In this article the author predicts that the demand for competent legal translators will increase in the future, evidenced by a recent call by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD), inviting applications for ten positions for "legislative language practitioners". However, legal translation differs substantially from general translation in the sense that legal translation is subject to heavy restrictions at all levels and legal considerations are of paramount importance in a country such as South Africa, which provides for eleven official languages. Legal translation involves different legal languages, different legal systems and different cultural systems that require specialised knowledge and skills of the translator. The aim of this article is to investigate the core competencies and skills the legal translator must have; to consider the balance between legal competence and translation or linguistic competence; and to propose a discourse-analytical method of source text analysis, developed by Bhatia as a simplification strategy, as this may be a powerful tool in the training of legal translators in South Africa. Recent developments in South Africa relating to the Department of Arts and Culture&apos;s obligation to translate legislation into all official languages, have important consequences for legal translation in general and the training of legal translators in particular.
Die unieke uitdagings van regsvertaling
Hierdie artikel verken die aard en omvang van regsvertaling, &apos;n studiegebied waaroor min navorsing in Suid-Afrika gedoen is. In hierdie artikel voorspel die outeur dat die vraag na bevoegde regsvertalers in die toekoms gaan toeneem. Dit word bevestig deur &apos;n onlangse oproep deur die Departement van Justisie en Staatkundige Ontwikkeling (DoJ&CD) vir aansoeke vir tien "legislative language practitioner"-poste. Regsvertaling verskil egter grootliks van algemene vertaling in die opsig dat regsvertaling aan swaar beperkings op alle vlakke onderhewig is en regsoorwegings van deurslaggewende belang is in &apos;n land soos Suid-Afrika wat vir elf amptelike landstale voorsiening maak. Daarbenewens sluit regsvertaling verskillende regstale, regstelsels en kulturele stelsels in wat gespesialiseerde kennis en vaardighede van die vertaler vereis. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die kernvaardighede en -vermoëns waaroor die regsvertaler moet beskik, te ondersoek; die balans tussen regsvaardigheid en vertaal- of taalvaardigheid te oorweeg; en &apos;n diskoersontledingsmodel vir bronteksontleding voor te stel wat deur Bhatia as &apos;n vereenvoudigingstrategie ontwikkel is en wat &apos;n kragtige hulpmiddel kan wees in die opleiding van regsvertalers in Suid-Afrika. Onlangse ontwikkelings in Suid-Afrika wat die Departement van Kuns en Kultuur die verpligting oplê om wetgewing in alle amptelike landstale te vertaal, het belangrike implikasies vir regsvertaling in die algemeen en vir die opleiding van regsvertalers in die besonder.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC62187