Beyond Words: What’s in a Name?
By: Becca Matson "The wife's name is wrong," the lawyer explained. "Can you change it to just her given name?" Our translator's response was immediate and firm: "No, that's not what the document says." What seemed like an error served as an example of why understanding cultural traditions is just as important as linguistic accuracy in legal translation. Legal documents don't exist in a cultural vacuum. They reflect the traditions, practices, and conventions of their source countries. In many parts of India, it's standard practice for a married woman's name to be recorded in civil documents using her husband's given name and/or surname after marriage. To someone unfamiliar with Indian naming traditions, this may look unusual or incorrect. Park’s professional translators understand these cultural contexts. ...
