Issues and Pitfalls when Translation for Governmental Bodies
At QuickSilver, experience has taught us that when it comes to translation for Governmental Bodies, it is best to produce a faithful translation which strives towards readability. Government documents are often long and – necessarily – complicated; we try to produce a translation which is as readable as possible within the constraints of accuracy. We also know that it is essential for an NGO with a global focus to reach beyond one language, not least in terms of securing grants and funding.
Translating governmental documents is a complex task with several challenges that affect accuracy, clarity, and legal validity. Here are some of the main issues involved:
To include:
- NGOs and Charities
- Legislation
- Courts and Legal bodies
- Think Tanks
- Advisory Boards
Legal and Technical Precision
Government documents often contain legally binding language that requires exact terms to maintain legal accuracy. A mistranslation can alter the meaning, affecting legal interpretations or creating loopholes. Not being aware of issues such as these leads to – at best – confusion or – at worst – grave misunderstandings.
One of the greatest challenges of legal or governmental translations is that although it may seem that a term in one language has a precise equivalent in another, it in fact has a broader or narrower meaning. For example, the Polish term spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością is usually translated as a limited liability company, which is a more or less direct translation. The problem is that within US law, the closest equivalent would be private corporation.
Another key related issue is variation within a given language. When translating into English, for example, will your audience be based in the UK, USA or Australia? If the UK, in Scotland or England? All of these countries have distinct legal systems, but often use the same terminology to designate different or only partially overlapping concepts. Likewise, the different varieties of Spanish use legal terms in different ways. In peninsular Spanish, jurisprudencia means legal philosophy (in other words, it is a cognate of the English jurisprudence), but in Mexico jurisprudencia refers to the event of the Mexican Supreme Court resolving a case in the same way five times and thus establishing a binding legal precedent.
For certain documents, it might be necessary to use a sworn translator to ensure the translation will be legally recognised.
Consistency with Existing Documents
The tone, formality, and structure of government documents are usually standardised. Government documents have specific formatting and structure (e.g., clauses, subheadings, bullet points) that should be retained to maintain readability and alignment with the original. Translators must replicate this style, which can be challenging if the target language has different stylistic norms.
Furthermore, it’s important that terminology is consistent with other government documents to maintain continuity and prevent conflicting interpretations. This will usually require access to approved glossaries and style guides. We maintain a (client-specific) Glossary and Translation Memory (TM) for all our clients. TMs store consistent translations of recurring phrases and terms, improving consistency and speed for documents where the same terms are used. However, it is vital that we collaborate to keep terminology up-to-date, ideally with input from legal experts to ensure accuracy.
If the document is part of a bigger process or project (and most are) it may be necessary to provide access to the project — certain nuances in classified documents may not be fully understood without background knowledge, potentially leading to errors if context isn’t accessible to the translator.
Confidentiality and Security
Government documents often contain sensitive or classified information. It’s vital that your LSP (Language Service Provider) adheres to strict security protocols to prevent leaks, unauthorised access, or tampering. At Quicksilver Translate we use secure, encrypted software and platforms to manage the translation process, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected. All our translators, and other personnel involved (such as the Project Manager), sign confidentiality agreements.
While Machine Translation (including AI-assisted) can help with initial translations of repetitive sections, a human translator should always review the output to ensure it meets government standards. However, AIs use all the documents that are fed to them as training tools, which mean information can be stored on the AI server — so it’s important to check the ownership of your content if/when using AI or an online translation platform.
We keep records of terminology decisions, stylistic choices, and any changes made during the review process. This documentation serves both as a reference for future translations, and for accountability.
Intentional Ambiguity
Policy documents sometimes use deliberately vague language to allow for flexible interpretation, or future debate. The translation should preserve this ambiguity without creating confusion.
Specialised Translators
This kind of work requires a professional with experience in this field of translation. Your translator should have expertise in both the subject matter and the legal framework of the source and target countries. If possible, we try to assign translators who have experience with specific types of government documents (e.g., immigration papers, legislation, healthcare policies), as each type may have unique requirements and terminology.
Timing and Review
Plan for extra time! Government documents often require time for careful review and revisions. Factor in adequate time for both the translation and review processes, especially for complex or high-stakes documents. Plus, we would advise prioritising accuracy over speed — avoid rushing through translations to meet tight deadlines, coordinate with us to balance time constraints with quality assurance.
