When it comes to legal document translation, you have very specialized needs.  The last thing you want is to end up with a contract that different people view differently because of errors in translation.  Because of that, you’ll want to consider these criteria for choosing a legal document translator.

 Choose a translator who is translating into their native language. While there are some people who are equally skilled at translating in both directions, you want a translator who is going to rewrite your contract for a native speaker. To avoid accidentally saying something that is the exact opposite of what you intended, you’re better off with a translator for whom the language is natural.

Look for a translator with a background in legal or technical language. The best way to get an accurate translation is to choose a translator who understands the language.  That doesn’t mean that they have to understand the ins and outs of the law; it just means that you need someone who comprehends what they’re translating.

Look at previous work. See what else the translator has done. You don’t have to speak the language that they’re translating into in order to know that they’ve done a good job.  Take a look at the clients they’ve worked for in the past.  The more impressive the resume, the better the odds that you’re going to get an experienced translator who will do a quality job on your work.

Choose a respected translation company. If you’re working with a quality translation company with plenty of experience, you know that you’re getting translators who can be trusted with your legal documents.

Looking for more tips on contracting a legal document translator?  Contact us to see how we can help.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-10-22T14:00:26.784Z):

The Newest Language in the World

English has long been the foreign language most commonly learned and used by non-native speakers all over the world. Until the last few decades, speakers of other languages who learned English tended to learn American English, which gradually replaced British English as the dominant international language after World War II. But now a new dialect of English is taking over the world: Globish.

French IBM executive Jean-Paul Nerriere coined the term while working in Japan in the 1990s. Nerriere observed that non-native speakers of English far out-paced British or American executives in communicating effectively with Korean or Japanese clients.

Is “Globish” a Lingua Franca?

Globish is English without borders. It downplays grammar and structure, avoids confusing idioms, is quick to learn, and efficient to use. Nerriere has identified 1500 essential words that ease communication between non-native English speakers, who number about 2 billion people worldwide.

The traditional name for a simplified language in wide international use is “lingua franca.” The original lingua franca was a form of Italian used in the Mediterranean as a language of trade and diplomacy from the middle ages until the 18th century. Lingua franca borrowed freely from other languages, including Greek, Spanish, and Turkish.

The Future of Globish

It will be interesting to see how Globish develops in the future. Like lingua franca, it may adopt loan-words from many other languages, or it may stay closer to English. Will people start writing books, even poetry, in Globish? Will movies be made in it?

International Business Still Needs Translation Services

But even with the tremendous success and widespread use of Globish, international business will still continue to depend on professional, high-quality translation services. A language like Globish cannot capture all the nuance, achieve technical precision, and express the unique cultural contexts of traditional languages. Also, while 2 billion Globish speakers can communicate readily across linguistic and cultural boundaries, there are still at least another 5 billion who can’t talk to one another so easily.

Contact us to learn more about we can help you communicate better with your business partners around the world.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-10-22T14:00:08.653Z):

Different people have different opinions about translation.  Some believe in translations that stay faithful to the original while others prefer translations that make more sense in the destination language.  As such, the choice is between fidelity and transparency.  However, there are many other views about translation as well, as evidenced by the large number of writers who have something or the other to say about this art.  Here are a few quotes that might help elucidate exactly what one should look for when getting translation services:

1. “Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world.”—Italo Calvino. Given that Calvino writes in Italian, it’s quite possible that English-speaking audiences might never even have heard of him if it weren’t for translation services. As a business, you can also feel free to move beyond the borders of your country. Take your product abroad and use translation services to introduce it to people who speak different languages.
2. “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”—Robert Frost. This seems, at first glance, to be a negative quote about translation.  It talks about something that translation can’t do i.e., translate poetry.  Even when you’re translating slogans for a business, you often run up against this problem.  There are no effective French translations for Nike’s “Just do it” which is why the brand chose to leave the slogan in English. Sometimes, no translation is the best translation.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to translate something. Often, you can come up with something adequate or even better in the destination language, even if it might not mean the same thing.
3. “The original is unfaithful to the translation.”—Jorge Luis Borges. Sometimes, we spend so much time worrying about whether we’ve done a faithful translation that we forget that we’re dealing with two separate languages.  A phrase from one language may never mean something exactly the same in a different language.  This doesn’t mean that the translator has done a poor job.  Rather than thinking of the translation as being unfaithful, you can think of the original as being unfaithful to the translation!
4. “I read the Bible to myself; I’ll take any translation, any edition, and read it aloud, just to hear the language, hear the rhythm, and remind myself how beautiful English is.”—Maya Angelou. These words show that a work can be beautiful even after it has been translated.  Maya Angelou talks about the Bible. But have you ever read Madame Bovary by Flaubert in English? It’s still a masterpiece. Even Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have survived their myriad translations and are still regarded as classics.  As long as your business translation reads well in the destination language and doesn’t come across as stilted, it will achieve its purpose.

Contact us for more great quotes about translation services.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-10-19T14:01:08.810Z):