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Below you will find the seven translation principles. Click
on one of the numbered principles to go to the example. In
the example, click on any underlined word/phrase to see an
analysis of it at the very bottom of your screen.
1. Explain culturally-specific references in the language of origin text.
2. Preserve the proper level of language and connotation.
3. Expand the language of original passage ("language of origin") if necessary.
4. If the original text is convoluted, unravel and clarify it.
5. If necessary, totally change the word order of the original to make it clear and idiomatic.
6. If the syntax is loose and the meaning unclear, tighten up the syntax in the translation.
7. Use subordinate clauses, parentheses, etc. to clarify and focus.
In the passages below, French is the source language and English the
'target language'. My examples are taken from law, but the principles
involved apply to all other fields as well.
1. Explain culturally-specific references in the language of origin text.
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"Dès l'origine,
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"From its outset,
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| l'objet de
la Loi
fut d'assurer
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the object of the Social Aid Act was to ensure
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| une aide financière aux personnes sans
ressources ou incapables d'y
pourvoir,
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for people without resources
(or incapable of finding
resources) financial aid
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susceptible
de leur assurer un niveau de vie
décent:
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which could ensure them a
decent standard of living;
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| à l'égard des
personnes inaptes,
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with regard to those unfit
to work,
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| on pouvait parler d'une
forme de soutien permanent."
(sec. 163)
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one could call this a kind
of permanent support."
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2. Preserve
the level of language (whether
familiar, conversational, literary,
etc.) and the connotation of the
original.
| "Tout ce que l'on pourrait
exiger
du gouvernement
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"All one could demand of the government
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| est qu'il
refasse ses devoirs
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is that it
redo its homework
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| en reaménageant ses barèmes.
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and readjust its payment scales.
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| Dans ce contexte,
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In this context
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force est
d'admettre
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one has
to admit
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| qu'octroyer une réparation
monétaire rétroactive
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that granting monetary
compensation retroactively
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| en vertu de l'article
24 paragraphe 1
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under section 24,
subsection 1,
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| reviendrait à faire
indirectement
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would amount to doing
indirectly
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| ce que la Cour ne peut faire
directement
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what the Court cannot do
directly
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| en vertu de l'article
52."
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under section 52."
(sec. 326)
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3. A good translation should expand the original
if its meaning is not clear:
| "(255) En outre, le législateur
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"Moreover, whoever drafts the legislation
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| doit pouvoir bénéficier
d'une certaine latitude
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must be granted a certain
latitude
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quant à
la délimitation des groupes aux
besoins desquels
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when targeting groups whose
needs
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correspond
généralement une politique sociale
spécifique
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are best met by
a specific social policy
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| et
aux
priorités à
établir à cet égard."
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and when establishing
priorities for this purpose
i. e. choosing who qualifies
for which group.
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4. If the original text
is convoluted, unravel and clarify it.
| "Il était profitable à
la collectivité
de faire
appel à leur initiative
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"
Everyone
stood to benefit from the fact
that this group of young people were
encouraged to use their initiative
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| et à leur sens de
responsabilités,
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and their sense of responsibility,
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| de les encourager à
améliorer leur
formation
de facon
à
acquérir
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to improve their
training/education
in order
to become
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leur autonomie
et à assurer leur propre indépendance
financière à long terme
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self-sufficient
and
financially independent on a long-term
basis
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| mais aussi de briser l'isolement social
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and also break out of their social
isolation,
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| et de faire échec au risque de
dépendance prouvée face
à l'aide de l'Etat
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avoiding the proven risks of having to
depend on state assistance;
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| qu'aurait entraînée le
droit revendiqué par
l'appelante."
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the right claimed by the Appellant would
have entailed such risks." (244)
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5. If necessary, totally
change the word order of the original to make it
clear and idiomatic.
| "La limitation du montant d'aide
financière
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"At that time limiting
the actual amount of financial aid granted |
| aux moins de 30 ans
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to people under thirty |
| reflétait
alors
la préoccupation d'éviter
un effet d'attraction
à
l'égard de l'aide étatique et
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reflected two concerns:
(1)
avoiding
making government financial aid
a
tempting option
and
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| d'
inciter
les personnes jeunes et
aptes au travail
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(2)
encouraging
young, fit-to-work people
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| à intégrer le
marché du travail
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to enter the job market
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| afin de construire leur propre
sécurité financière." (section 8)
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in order to learn to build their own
financial security.
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6. If the syntax is loose
and the meaning unclear, tighten up the syntax in
the translation.
| "Quant au respect par le Québec
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"As to whether Quebec respects |
| de ses engagements relativement aux
instruments internationaux
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her commitments regarding international instruments
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| de protection des droits de la personne,
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which protect personal rights,
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entre 1984 et 1989
,
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given the time frame (1984-1989)
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| cette question n'est pas pertinente au
litige compte tenu de ce qui
précède .
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and prior events, the question is irrelevant to the case
at hand.
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Quoi qu'il en soit
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In any event,
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| l'intime
réfère à son argumentation
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the Respondent
refers the reader to her argumentation
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| quant à la portée
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concerning the extent of influence
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| des instruments internationaux de
protection
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exerted by international instruments
which protect
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| des droits économiques et sociaux
de base
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basic economic and social rights
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| telle qu'elle est exposée
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i. e. the way this argumentation is
developed
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| au regard de l'article 7
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apropos of section 7
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| de
la Charte Canadienne,
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of the
Canadian Charter,
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| compte tenu de
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bearing in mind
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| sa pertinence en l'espèce." (288)
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its relevance to the present case."
(288)
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7. Use subordinate
clauses, parentheses, etc. to clarify and
focus.
| "Compte tenu des grands objectifs
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"Taking into account the overall
objectives
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| du régime d'aide sociale,
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of the social assistance program
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de la conjoncture prévalant
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and the circumstances which prevailed
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| au début des années 80
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at the beginning of the 1980's
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| et de son effet sur le chômage des
jeunes
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(their effect on youth unemployment |
| et au regard des conséquences
préjudiciables de l'abolition
pure et simple de toute distinction
fondée sur l'âge,
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and the harmful consequences of the
abolition, pure and simple, of any
distinction based on age),
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| l'établissement
de la parité conditionnelle à
la participation à des programmes de
développement de l'employabilité
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establishing conditional parity for
participating in employment development
programs
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| constituait le moyen le moins
attentatoire
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was the least damaging way
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| d'atteindre l'objectif poursuivi." sec.
270
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of achieving the desired objective."
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