October 2004 Chronicle
Focus: Legal Translating/Interpreting

Message from the Executive Director


Message from the ATA Board of Directors

Direct Speech in Legal Settings: A NAJIT Position Paper

Copyright 2004 by the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators
When words are especially important and clarity is sought, all parties need to be aware that the interpreter is not a narrator, but a repeater. Clear communication is essential in legal settings where the rights of others and life itself are at stake.

Researching Legal Translations: The Whys and Hows
By Madeline Newman Ríós
This article explains the need to research legal terminology in provisions of the law, specifically when specialized areas of the law are involved, when legal writers have paraphrased provisions of the law in their writings, or when international multilingual instruments specify terminology by convention.

So You Thought that Translation Was All About Words?
By Bradley A. Shaw
An introduction to several important issues and concepts that translators and interpreters consider, consciously or not, as they approach their craft.

Calling the Muse of Financial Translation
By James Sievert
To write well, you need all the tools of the great writers (the attention to detail) and the tools of the modern writer (the technology that will put you one step ahead of the source text), whether that tool is a one-dollar pencil or the whole World Wide Web itself.

When is it Due? A Look at the Phrasing of Time Frames in Legal English and Spanish
By Ricardo Chiesa
Time frames may look easy to translate, but are you aware of the various types that may occur in legal texts and how they differ from one another?

Self-assessment and Expertise in Interpreting
By Carol J. Patrie
Accurate self-assessment can improve your consecutive or simultaneous interpreting. Learn the five-step process designed to improve self-awareness and performance.

Translation at the World Court: The Weight of History
By James C. Brannan
At the International Court of Justice, decisions made over 80 years ago concerning matters of language policy for pleadings and decisions, as well as the complex bilingual drafting procedure, still have certain consequences for the work of today's translators.

Annual MICATA Symposium: The Translator/Interpreter as Mediator of Culture
By Kathy Hall Foster
This year's Symposium taught participants that there is more than one way to look at the world, and to look on individual differences as a learning opportunity.