Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

San Marcelino, Zambales, Philippines
College of Teacher Education

Lesson 3:
Literal Translation, Technical Translation & Legal Translation

Submitted by:
Antonio, Justine
Fabunan, Mark Earlvin

In partial fulfillment in the course

ELECEN 2: Translation

March 13, 2023

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
a) Identify the different types of translation in the era of globalization.
b) Cite examples where different translations are used/found.
c) Translate a certain statement to a target language.

Introduction
There's a vast realm of translation among us ever since the advent of
globalization and it has been a necessity in various business strategies in every sector.
This variety means there are many different types of translation, each with its own
unique processes and requirements. Despite this, they are all linked with one objective
and that is to be a bridge across the existing across language barriers.
Translators typically specialize in one type of translation, allowing them to offer
clients the expertise they need for the best results. In this lesson, we will tackle three
types of translation.

Literal Translation
The first one is literal translation. This is when the source language is translated
to their nearest target language equivalents but the translation is distorted and it may
not be the one you have expected. This is because the lexical items are translated out
of context.
Literal Translation Examples
Several internet translation programs offer literal translations. The materials are
often free and do not need any prior understanding of the intended language and other
technical skills. The translations are generated by algorithms that translate phrases one
at a time, which is why they appear artificial and automated.
When it comes to idiomatic expressions, a literal translation frequently seems absurd.
 Balat Sibuyas- Balat means “Skin” and Sibuyas means “onion”. If we’re going to
translate it to English, it literally means onion skin.
 Kutong Lupa- Kuto refers to “head louse” while Lupa refers to “soil”. If combined
the two words will literally mean soil louse, however in Filipino idiom it refers to
someone who is stubborn specially kids.
 Magsunog ng Kilay- This idiom literally translates to “burn eyebrows”, but in
Filipino idiom it means “to study hard”.
 Matamis ang Dila- Literally means “sweet tongue”. This idiom refers to someone
who is considered as a sweet talker.
Technical Translation
Technical translation involves the conversion of text documents are necessary
for companies to comply with local and international standards. These documents
include patents, manuals, user guides, tender documents, catalogues, technical
drawings and Material Safety Data Sheets. This means, technical translation is needed
in almost every industry, from engineering and construction to life sciences and
pharmaceuticals. It is this variety of subject domains is that makes technical translation
especially challenging, since each comes with its own specialist jargon. Translators also
need an in-depth understanding of how technical texts are written, their nature and their
legal requirements.
Technical Translation Examples
Involves any technical content that needs to be translated. Because of the
requirement to maintain consistent language throughout the text, as well as the
possibility of inaccuracies compromising the safety or efficacy of products or services,
this form of translation is frequently challenging.
User manuals- refers to a reference document that gives thorough information on a
product's operation and maintenance.
Installation instructions- a detailed guide to install a specific setup of software or
hardware in order to make it useable with a computer or guide to piece a large
equipment together.
Patents- Patent translators boast subject matter expertise as well as mastery of the art
of writing patents, which is governed by legal and practical requirements. A freelance
patent translator explained, “[T]he aim is often to craft the wording of a very broad claim
covering all bases for all possible future applications for a new method, technique,
gadget or gizmo, while disclosing as little real, new information as possible, because
such information disclosure would naturally tend to narrow down the scope of the
patent’s claims.”

Legal Translation
Legal translation is similar to technical translation but it involves the transcription
of more specific legal documents. These include contracts, company or government
proposals, court transcripts, service-level agreements (SLAs), laws, witness statements,
notarized documents and many more. In translating these documents it is to be ensures
that these documents are understood, respected and legally binded for all audiences.
As such, the translator must understand the political, legal and socio-cultural context of
a legal text. This will allow them to translate it in a way that anyone from different
cultural, political and social backgrounds can readily understand.
Legal Translation Examples
This category of business translation involves the translation of legal, legislative,
and judicial documents. Accuracy is critical in legal translation since even little errors
can have serious consequences.
Warrants- an order issued by a court that authorizes police enforcement to do activities
that are outside of their customary scope such as Search warrants, arrest warrants, and
execution warrants.
Registrations- a document testifying to a person's registration
Decrees- a formal order issued by a court of law:

Senate Bill No. 2862 AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN OFFICIAL FILIPINO VERSION OF THE PHILIPPINE
CONSTITUTION AND ITS TRANSLATION INTO MAJOR REGIONAL LANGUAGES, ARABIC, AND SPANISH,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

“There exists a Filipino version of the Old Philippine constitution and was appended to English which the
present

Filed on July 21, 2015 by Legarda, Loren B.

It is believed that the new official version of the 1987 Constitution in Filipino will not only equip the
people with clear understanding of their fundamental rights and government but will also enable the
national language, as a matter of policy, to truly modernize and develop with the participation of the
various native Philippine languages.
May Filipino version na ng 1987 constitution
In the official gazette, there is a Spanish version oof the 1899 malolos constitution

Contracts- is a legally binding agreement. An agreement is a commitment or a series of

pledges that are not contradictory and are accepted by all parties concerned.
Insurance Policies- a legal contract between an insurance company and the insured in
which the former pledges to perform a specific service or pay out a specific amount of
money if the latter suffers a type of loss covered by the policy.
Certifications- a documentary confirmation of an educational or occupational
competence, whereas certification is the act of conferring credentials on a professional
or recognizing the quality of services/goods.
Potential loss of reputation
Losing your reputation can be devastating for your company. If consumers think that
you don't care about their interests, they will not buy your product or use your services.
Being out of business means that you could lose your entire financial security. Make
sure that your company's reputation is well-protected by hiring professional translators
and proofreaders.

Potential legal liability

Mistranslating legal documents can result in serious legal consequences, which can
cost you a lot of money. For example, missing an important term or legal requirement in
a contract can lead to big financial losses. Also, if you get sued, the plaintiff may claim
that you intentionally omitted some crucial information from the translation and that it
was done with malicious intent.
If you don't hire a translator with the required qualifications and experience, he will
probably make mistakes in the translation, and the document will become invalid. In this
case, you will be held responsible for the mistakes and lose your good reputation.

Loss of financial security

You may lose your whole financial security if your company cannot hold up its end of
the deal. If you sign a contract with another company, and there are mistakes or gaps in
it, you will have to pay for them. Hire professional medical translators to translate
medical records, insurance contracts, and other legal documents to make sure you don't
spend thousands of dollars on repairing the damage.

Clients could claim that you falsified the translation

If you don't use a reliable translation service provider, it is possible that your clients
will claim that the translation was falsified. Falsifying a translation is considered to be
illegal and will not be tolerated by anybody. If you do this, you will lose your good
reputation and face legal proceedings. If there is one mistake in a translation, people
will assume that everything in it was false. It is very difficult to prove that something is
true and accurate when there are no sources to confirm it. That's why you should
always hire professional translators who have the required skills and experience so they
can translate all of your legal documents accurately and reliably.
But how can you know whether your translation is real? You need to check several
things: experience, qualifications (education), and references (testimonials).
A professional translator should have at least one year of experience translating legal
documents. Make sure that he or she holds at least a bachelor's degree in Translation,
English, or another relevant field and has experience translating legal documents
successfully in at least one field (like medical translation).
You can also check whether they work as an individual contractor or part of a translation
agency - this way, you can be sure that they are legitimate professionals and can
provide quality services and guarantee their accuracy.

Making a mistake in the proofreading stage could result in losing your

entire financial security
Proofreaders must be experienced professionals who have worked with legal
documents and possess excellent knowledge of specific terminology used in courts
and law firms. In addition, make sure that they have excellent knowledge of grammar
rules and know how to make adjustments when needed! Having proofreaders that are
not familiar with legal terms or have no experience in translating legal documents is very
risky because they might overlook some essential information as they don't recognize
important words used in courts and law firms They might also misunderstand some
crucial phrases like "subject to change" or "in force until further notice" because they do
not possess enough knowledge about certain issues discussed in legal texts.
Hiring professionals who have knowledge about legal terminology and experience
translating legal documents is very important! Such professionals can easily spot
mistakes made by other translators when proofreading important legal documents.