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Post image for What freelance translators need to know about Contracts and Purchase Orders

I recently published a post for newbie translators featuring some of the basics of how contracts work and what you need to keep in mind when entering into an agreement with a new client. Now, at the request of one of my readers, here’s what you need to know about contracts and purchase orders [...]

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Post image for Getting Started: Some Insights for Newbie Translators

The first thing that hit me this morning when I was thinking about this post was that I’ve been working as a translator for ten years. When you consider the fact that I’ve only been around this planet for a little over thirty years, it turns out I’ve been a translator for almost one third [...]

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Post image for In Search of the True Bilingual

I’m starting this post with a couple of confessions: I like Cypress Hill even though half of the time I have no idea what they’re talking about. As a half Hispanic person who actually grew up in LA, you’d think I could speak “street”, but I can’t. Why? Because I wasn’t your average “Latina” growing [...]

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Thumbnail image for When governments can’t understand politically relevant languages they are turning to computer programs for answers. But where does that leave translators?

When governments can’t understand politically relevant languages they are turning to computer programs for answers. But where does that leave translators?

by Paula 06.29.2011

If there’s one thing all translators know, it’s that no matter how good we are at what we do or how hard we try to render flawless work, something always gets lost in translation. There are about as many theories as to why this is as concepts and words lost somewhere between target and source [...]

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Thumbnail image for Question 3: How can Access to Justice be ensured through Translation and Interpretation?

Question 3: How can Access to Justice be ensured through Translation and Interpretation?

by Paula 03.17.2011

Over our last three posts we have looked at the connection between the right to access to justice and translation, what the right to access to justice entails, why governments should allot generous budgets for translation services, and the consecuences of poor translations in courts and legal documents. In today’s post, I would [...]

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Thumbnail image for Question 2: What can happen when quality linguistic services are not ensured during the legal process? How do violations occur in court?

Question 2: What can happen when quality linguistic services are not ensured during the legal process? How do violations occur in court?

by Paula 02.15.2011

In the two previous posts, we established that a) there is a between translation (as a global concept that includes interpretation) and the assurance of certain fundamental human rights, and b) that failure to provide translation services throughout the legal process constitutes a human rights violation. In today’s post, I would like [...]

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Thumbnail image for Question 1: Why should governments allot generous budgets to ensuring quality legal translators and court interpreters? A problem or a legal obligation?

Question 1: Why should governments allot generous budgets to ensuring quality legal translators and court interpreters? A problem or a legal obligation?

by Paula 01.31.2011

As promised here is the first question of a series of posts by which I intend to illustrate the importance of quality legal translation and court interpreting as a means for ensuring the exercise of fundamental human rights.
Question 1: Why should governments allot generous budgets to ensuring quality legal [...]

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