Redundant words slow readers down and obscure key information. In technical and legal texts, redundancies can creep in owing to literal translations from other languages or a desire to sound more formal. However, unnecessary words rarely add clarity. Instead, they
Rob Lunn Legal Trans Blog
The Rob Lunn Legal Trans Blog, published by Rob Lunn Legal Trans, focuses on the nuances of legal translation and editing. It covers topics such as improving clarity in legal and technical documents by removing redundancies and vague language, translating specific legal terms and concepts from Spanish to English, and understanding the function and translation of public registers in Spain. The blog also provides guidance on translating legislation and regulations into English, emphasizing the importance of applying appropriate drafting conventions and legal language skills.
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Editing for clarity: remove vague complex prepositions to improve readability
By Rob La Gatta
Vague complex prepositions like “in relation to” and “with regard to” add unnecessary complexity. This complexity hinders readability. This is something you can ill afford in legal and technical documents, which are dense enough as it is. To improve readability,…
Spain’s main registros: translations and background info
By Rob La Gatta
This post looks at the main public registers (registros) in Spain. It outlines what they are for and lists common translations and similar entities in English-speaking countries. Whether each registro is more a list or a place (or both) is…
How do you translate “registro” (as in Registro Civil)?
By Rob La Gatta
What is a registro? A registro, as in the Registro Civil, is an official place or list for recording information or events. The one registro can even be both a list and a place. For instance, the Registro Mercantil and…
Five things your translator should know when translating legislation into English
By Rob La Gatta
Translating the legislation or regulations of a country, company or university into English requires certain skills and know-how. This post lists five things your translator should know when translating legislation into English. 1. How to apply English drafting conventions Conventions…
Dilemmas of style when translating legislation
By Rob La Gatta
Many dilemmas of style arise when translating legislation into English. This post looks at the most common ones and solutions to them. By legislation I mean any laws or rules set down by a governing body, be that of a…
How to translate de una parte and de otra parte into English (contract translation tip 9)
By Rob La Gatta
How should you translate into English the terms de una parte and de otra parte that you find at the start of Spanish contracts? What’s the job of de una parte and de otra parte in a Spanish contract?…
Translating notary terms 4: Is “deed” a good translation for escritura pública?
By Rob La Gatta
“Deed” is sometimes used as a translation for escritura pública. Is it a good translation? What is a deed? A deed is a formal legal document. In England and Wales, transfers of land, mortgages, powers of attorney, some business agreements…
Translating notary terms 3: How to translate the names of Spanish public-form notarial acts into English
By Rob La Gatta
This post looks at how to translate the names of the two* main types of public-form Spanish notarial acts, escrituras públicas and actas notariales. It also identifies handy language to use in translations of them. Escritura pública An escritura pública…
Translating notary terms 2: What are public-form and private-form notarial acts?
By Rob La Gatta
A public-form notarial act is a document drafted by a notary that contains the entire notarial act. It is narrated from the notary’s perspective and includes all the details and circumstances of the act. All Spanish notarial acts are in…