Admission requirements
This course is open only to students registered for the MA Translation specialization.
Description
Translating legal texts is a difficult but fascinating exercise. The legal translator has to overcome the same problems that any translator faces. But in addition, legal texts are often complicated and difficult to understand for the layman, which is what the legal translator often is. Then there are the fundamental differences between the legal system of the Netherlands and the Common-law legal systems of England and its former colonies (to complicate things: there are considerable legal and therefore also legal-linguistic differences between these systems). Legal translators need to work accurately as errors may have dire consequences. They also need to be creative, as there are very few good bilingual legal dictionaries.
The aim of this Legal Translation course, and of the second-semester Legal Translation II course, is to provide you with the knowledge and skills that you need to translate and edit legal texts from Dutch to English and vice versa. We will explore three legal situations in which the services of translators are often called in, and explore the law, translation theory, and language needed to translate the documents used in these situations. In Legal Translation I, we familiarize ourselves with the basics of law, legal stylistics and legal translation theory while focusing on law in action and translating documents used in civil, administrative and criminal law procedures. We will also explore a procedure brought before the European Court of Human Rights
Course objectives
Knowledge and understanding of the law of the Netherlands, the United States, and English and Wales, insofar as these are relevant for the legal translator
Knowledge and understanding of methods of comparative law, insofar as these are relevant for the legal translator
Ability to apply your knowledge and understanding of law and comparative legal methodology to pre-translation analysis of legal texts
Enhancement of your knowledge of translation theory, in particular with regard to legal translation
Ability to analyse and solve theoretical and practical translation problems
Skill in translating and editing legal texts from English to Dutch and vice versa; the translations should be marketable
Improvement of your oral and written proficiency in Dutch and English
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Online web lectures, seminars, research
Assessment method
Assessment
Two translations with an introduction, legal and stylistic analysis and annotations
Portfolio of translations prepared for the weekly seminars
Weekly in-class mini-tests
Weighing
Two translations with an introduction, legal and stylistic analysis and annotations: 50%
Portfolio of translations prepared for the weekly seminars: 25%
Average mark for the weekly in-class mini-tests: 25%
Resit
If the final mark is lower than 5.5, failed course components can be retaken.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Course materials are available on Brightspace or online.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats
Remarks
All other information.