I’ve uploaded another article by Geoffrey Perrin on DE>EN legal translation. It appeared in Lebende Sprachen in 1989.

There have been changes in the juvenile criminal law since then, but the basic contrast between the German and English systems is still valid. This is illustrated by diagrams. The article is folowed by a glossary. The glossary contains terms actually in use and also coinings, marked *: suggested translations rather than terms actually in use.

The article is a first-class illustration of the practical problems in collating terminology for a field.

Download file

Some of the points discussed:

In legal translation we are not comparing like with like, so the principles of terminology work cannot be fully adhered to – it’s better to use terms that are not identical, in order to avoid misconceptions.

Where do we take our language from – does it have to be one specific target legal system?

bq. One or two further observations on the approach I have adopted in compiling my list: in a number of instances, I have provided glosses or explanations in brackets – the translator will decide himself, of course, whether the circumstances call for them to be included, either by building them into the text he is producing, or in the form of footnotes. In some cases, I have not hesitated to use terms which are now obsolete as regards official use in Britain where I feel these are suitable for conveying a German concept (e.g. “misdemeanour” for “Verfehlung”). The soft sciences are particularly prone to rapid obsolescence in the terminological field, since they are precisely those spheres of life which are most at the mercy of the whims of governments as they come and go. If one were to reject a term simply because it ceased to be employed officially a year or two previously, the terminologist’s job would become even more difficult!

This reminds me of how many words have been changed in English law in recent years. I usually still use plaintiff, custody, access.

I have started using a script, closecomments.php, to block any comments on posts older than thirty days old. At least, if I run the script every day, that will be the case, and otherwise it may be 31 or 32 days.

The script came from tubedogg at geeksblog.

I did this because I get comment spam and also trolls, and often they use one or two particular entries. I suppose that particular URL has been handed on.

There’s one entry I would have liked to leave open, and that is Macroglossum Stellatarum, which may come to life again when the moths return. I suppose there is no way of opening a single comment?

Englische Urteile geben die Namen der Parteien an. Oft heißen die Fälle nach den Parteien. Deutsche Urteile geben die Namen nicht an. Manchmal fehlen auch die Namen der Richter und andere Personen- und Ortsnamen.

This is a piece of a judgment I’m supposed to be translating. Someone who did a summary of the case did at least know that ####### was D, or C, or British Virgin Islands. This time even the judges’ names are secret.

bq. Nach knapp 6-jährigen Ermittlungen im In- und Ausland mit mehr als 30 Durchsuchungsmaßnahmen bei Banken, Hauptvermittlern, Vermittlern und Anlegern sowie bei den Beklagten zu 2 und 3 in #######, nach insgesamt zehn Rechtshilfeersuchen an #######, #######, #######, ####### und ####### mit einem Fehlschlag der Rechtshilfebegehren an ####### und ####### – hat die Staatsanwaltschaft die Ermittlungen eingestellt, weil nicht mit der notwendigen Sicherheit der Nachweis geführt werden könne, dass der Beklagte zu 2 Gelder der Kapitalanleger zweckwidrig verwendet habe und dass der Beklagte zu 2 oder ausländische Gesellschafter der Beklagten zu 1 von vornherein beabsichtigt hätten, die von den Kapitalanlegern als Risikokapital zur Verfügung gestellten Gelder nicht ordnungsgemäß entsprechend den Prospektangaben in asiatischen Fonds und Firmenbeteiligungen anzulegen.

Here is a list of solutions to the prepositions quiz for non-native speakers of (legal) English:

Download file

In a few cases I have indicated where American English would differ. In one case there are two possible answers. There may be other correct answers I haven’t thought of.

(Via Delia Venables): new website for the UK government.
Here is the section on the judicial system(s).

The previous site, ukonline, still exists.

According to Herbert Schlicht, the Fürth bird expert, the wrong stork has arrived at the nest in Gustavstraße (article in Fürther Nachrichten).

The pair of storks that have used the nest for some years now (and brought up 4 young in 2001) are not expected back for a week. According to Schlicht, storks aren’t stupid. Some of them only fly as far as Spain, Israel or Turkey and get back earliest. But the storks that come all the way for Africa are stronger and they fight the usurpers for the nest. Last year, for instance, the nest was so damaged after all the fighting that no eggs were hatched at all.

If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you can just about see some white feathers slightly left of centre in the nest.