According to Handakte WebLAWg, this legal portal for ebusiness in 12 languages went online today. English seems to be fairly well represented. The glossary was also available in Italian and Dutch. So you can choose Glossary in English and then go straight to the Italian. You then know that ADR – Alternative Dispute Resolution – in English is ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) plus Italian definition in Italian. Under Legislation (English), however, I got a list of all the relevant German statutes – a clickable screen folds down for ten countries.
This could become useful.
Author Archives: MMarks
Internationaler Urkundenverkehr / International Recognition of Documents
Information from the German Department of Foreign Affairs / Informationen vom Auswärtigen Amt
German certified translations sent outside Germany often need some kind of apostille to confirm that the translator was authorized. The translation itself cannot be given an apostille, but the President of the Landgericht where the translator was sworn can issue a confirmation that the translator is sworn, and that confirmation is a public document and can be given an apostille!
Beeidigte Übersetzungen fürs Ausland brauchen oft eine Apostille. Da ein Übersetzer aber keine öffentlichen Urkunden erstellt und nur Sachverständiger ist, kann eine beeidigte Übersetzung nicht mit einer Apostille versehen werden. Nötiger Zwischenschritt: der Präsident des Gerichts, wo der Übersetzer beeidigt wurde, kann die Beeidigung bestätigen; diese Bestätigung ist eine öffentliche Urkunde und kann mit einer Apostille versehen werden.
This confusing area is described in English and German on the website of the German Department of Foreign Affairs
Auf Englisch und Deutsch wird diese verwirrende Sache im Internetauftritt des Auswärtigen Amts beschrieben.
I have this information from Trudi Goetz, who posted it on a mailing list. Dieses Link wurde von Trudi Goetz auf einer Mailingliste gepostet.
Videos
Jurist’s Paper Chase links to a video of a press conference at the UN showing the President and the newly-elected prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Good for broadband /ADSL connections.
There is also a debate on gun control from Harvard, with Eugene Volokh (introduced by Sasha Volokh, both of The Volokh Conspiracy), Alan Dershowitz and Dennis Henigan. This video would be useful practice material for consecutive interpreting.
The Volokh Conspiracy also reports that you can get a robot vacuum cleaner for $199 now in the USA, by Roomba (the Electrolux one, the Trilobite, costs about EUR 1500).
A look around the Web shows Dyson have one too, and Panasonic is working on one. Their performance is widely said to ‘suck’. But I have great hopes of them.
Quarkteigosterhasen
There were two of these. I would like to take a better picture, but, rather as in the case of the Walrus and the Carpenter, they are no longer there to help.
Velcro
2
There was a question on a German mailing list recently about translating Klettband, and someone mentioned that Velcro is a mark and it might be safer to say hook-and-pile fastener or Velcro-type fastener, to avoid the risk of threatened lawsuits by the manufacturer protecting its property. At the very least, the translator should warn the client.
I was reminded of Mark Israel’s FAQ from the UseNet group alt.usage.english, which is a source of all kinds of useful information. Here is the beginning of his list of ‘trademarks, although people use them generically’:
Adrenalin (the generic words are “adrenaline” and “epinephrine”),
AstroTurf, Autoharp, BVDs, Baggies, Bakelite, Band-Aid, Beer Nuts,
Benzedrine, Biro, Boogie Board, Breathalyzer, Brillo Pads, Caplet,
Carborundum, Chap Stick, Chemical Mace, Chiclets, Cinerama,
Coca-Cola/Coke, Colorization ? (process of adding colour to
black-and-white footage), Cuisinart, Dacron, Day-Glo, Deepfreeze,
Demerol, Dianetics, Dictaphone, Dictograph, Ditto machine, Dixie
cups, Dolby, Dow Jones Average, Dry Ice ? , Dumpster, Dvorak
Keyboard, Erector Set, Eskimo Pie, Ethernet, Exercycle, Fiberglas,
Fig Newtons, Formica, Freon, Frigidaire, Frisbee, Grand Marnier,
Green Stamp, Hacky Sack, Hammond organ, Hide-a-Bed, Hi-Liter,
Hoover, Hula-Hoop …
I must say, I can’t imagine using Dianetics generically. Will have to work on that one.
Velcro
There was a question on a German mailing list recently about translating Klettband, and someone mentioned that Velcro is a mark and it might be safer to say hook-and-pile fastener or Velcro-type fastener, to avoid the risk of threatened lawsuits by the manufacturer protecting its property. At the very least, the translator should warn the client.
I was reminded of Mark Israel’s FAQ from the UseNet group alt.usage.english, which is a source of all kinds of useful information. Here is the beginning of his list of ‘trademarks, although people use them generically’:
‘Adrenalin (the generic words are “adrenaline” and “epinephrine”),
AstroTurf, Autoharp, BVDs, Baggies, Bakelite, Band-Aid, Beer Nuts,
Benzedrine, Biro, Boogie Board, Breathalyzer, Brillo Pads, Caplet,
Carborundum, Chap Stick, Chemical Mace, Chiclets, Cinerama,
Coca-Cola/Coke, Colorization ? (process of adding colour to
black-and-white footage), Cuisinart, Dacron, Day-Glo, Deepfreeze,
Demerol, Dianetics, Dictaphone, Dictograph, Ditto machine, Dixie
cups, Dolby, Dow Jones Average, Dry Ice ? , Dumpster, Dvorak
Keyboard, Erector Set, Eskimo Pie, Ethernet, Exercycle, Fiberglas,
Fig Newtons, Formica, Freon, Frigidaire, Frisbee, Grand Marnier,
Green Stamp, Hacky Sack, Hammond organ, Hide-a-Bed, Hi-Liter,
Hoover, Hula-Hoop …’
I must say, I can’t imagine using Dianetics generically. Will have to work on that one.