Legal Translation and Terminology

1. Legal Translation and Terminology 30/11 - 2/12, 2007 Zagreb Principles of terminology for legal translators Peter Sandrini

2. Overview • Part 1 • Basic concepts of Terminology • What makes Legal terms special? • How can we compare legal terms? • Part 2 • How to compile a legal terminology collection? • Terminology management • Legal Terminology databases

3. Aim of terminology • The goal of terminology management in the field of law is to document and to describe the terms and concepts • of a particular legal system in all the languages used; • or of different legal systems in their respective language comparing them • The concept in the sense of a knowledge unit is central to this task. Only as elements of a particular legal setting embedded in a knowledge structure concepts are able to convey their specific role and meaning to the user.

4. Objective • Descriptive terminology • What are the basic knowledge units of a specific subject field? (concept description)‏ • Which linguistic representations are used for them?(terms, synonyms)‏ • Normative terminology • How can we improve communication in this subject field? • Which representations/terms should be used/preferred?

5. Comparative Law Real-life aspectproblem of society, independent of a particular legal system

6. What can comparative law contribute? • Basic methodology for a comparison of legal concepts • Importance of legal background • Ultimate tertium comparationis is outside legal systems and is functional

7. Comparative Legal Terminography

8. Comparing legal concepts • Example: • DE Kündigung • IT licenziamento • EN dismissal • HR ?

9. Kündigung and licenziamento • Kündigung describes the dismissal of the worker either by the employer or by the worker himself it is the standard procedure to end an employment contract within the ArVG in contrast to the extraordinary procedure Entlassung in the case of good reason (e.g. misconduct of the worker) which ends the employment contract immediately • risoluzione del contratto di lavoro per recesso unilaterale del datore di lavoro. Nell'ambito della disciplina limitativa dei licenziamenti é ammesso solo per giusta causa o per giustificato motivo, altrimenti si parla di licenziamento ad nutum.

10. Auflösung des Arbeitsverhältnisses Kündigung Entlassung Kündigung durch den Arbeitgeber Kündigung durch den Arbeitnehmer

11. Risoluzione del contratto di lavoro licenziamento dimissioni Licenziamento per giustificato motivo Licenziamento per giusta causa

12. End of employment dismissal resignation ordinary dismissal extraordinary dismissal

13. DE Kündigung durch den Arbeitgeber • IT licenziamento • EN dismissal • DE Kündigung durch den Arbeitnehmer • IT dimissioni • EN resignation • DE Entlassung • IT licenziamento per giusta causa • EN extraordinary dismissal • DE Kündigung • IT licenziamento per giustificato motivo • EN ordinary dismissal } HR ?

14. Steps • Starting from subject field content (concepts) = onomasiological viewpoint • Define the subject field and the legal branch in one legal system • Analyze function and position of the concepts that form the legal solution in this legal system • Define the social problem that lies at the bottom of this legal solution • Identify the legal setting for this in the other legal system • Analyze function and position of the concepts that form the legal solution in the other system • Compare single concepts

15. Steps • Compare single concepts • Position in the structure of the legal setting (concept system)‏ • Legal content, definition • terms

16. Comparing legal concepts • Directive (94/45/EC) establishes the European Works Council (EWC) for the purpose of informing and consulting employees in companies which operate at European Union level. • Example: institution of workers representation in different legal systems • DE Betriebsrat • IT consiglio di fabbrica • EN works council • HR ?

17. Worker representation in Italy • commissione interna (1943-1972) • comitato di base • consiglio di fabbrica (1968-1993)‏ • rappresentanza sindacale aziendale (1972)‏ • rappresentanza sindacale unitaria (1993- )‏ • sezioni sindacali • importance of trade unions, high labor conflict potential

18. Worker representation in Austria/Germany • In the framework of the Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz in every company with more than 5 employees • rights of participation, i.e. the information, consultation and co-determination (Mitbestimmung)‏ • In public companies AG it is represented in the board of directors • institutional backing, extensive rights, cooperation

19. De Groot's Proposals • Translation: What to do in cases of missing equivalence?3 subsidiary solutions: • No translation, use of source term + footnote • Paraphrase or description (descriptive equivalent)‏ • Neologism, use of a term which is not part of the target language legal system + footnote

20. Terminology for the EU • one legal framework EU-Law • coherent legal content, influenced however by national legal systems • searching terms for the different languages • avoiding conflict with national terminology • EN European Works Council (EWC)DE Europäischer Betriebsrat (EBR)the term Betriebsrat evokes participation co-determination in German readersIT comitato aziendale europeo (CAE)new term, no associations

21. Inadequacy of traditional bilingual legal lexicography Kündigung (F.) licenziamento (M.), dimissioni (F.Pl.), risoluzione (F.), recesso (M.), disdetta (F.) Köbler, G (1996): Rechtsitalienisch Kündigung denuncia; dimissione(i); disdetta; licenziamento; preaviso; preaviso di licenziamento; preaviso di recesso; revoca; risoluzione.Troike Strambaci/Helffrich Mariani(1987): Wörterbuch des italienisch-deutschen Privat- und Wirtschaftsrechts

22. Inadequacy of traditional legal lexicography Betriebsrat (M.) staff committee (N.), factory committee (N.), shop committee (N.) Köbler, G (1998): Rechtsenglish Betriebs|obmannm delegato d'impresa; -ordnungf regolamento aziendale, regolamento d'azienda; ...; -ratm commissione interna (Institution); membro della commissione interna (Mitglied); -raumm locale d'esercizio; ... Conte / Boss (2003): Wörterbuch der Rechts- und Wirtschaftssprache Betriebsrat commissione interna; consiglio di fabbrica; consiglio di gestione.Troike Strambaci/Helffrich Mariani(1997): Wörterbuch des italienisch-deutschen Privat- und Wirtschaftsrechts

23. Inadequacy of traditional legal lexicography • no information regarding the legal system • many equivalents without differentiating them • no equivalence information • no definition or concept description

24. Concept and term Different concepts in different records Synonyms in the same record Nouns, adjectives, verbs Systematic order Defined LSP vocabulary Lexicographical and terminological record • Word and its meaning • Homonyms in the same record • Synonyms in different records • All word classes • Alphabetical order • LGP vocabulary

25. What do we (legal translators) need? • What kind of information do e need regarding lexical items / terms? • Information on • the legal background = definition of concepts • the legal effects of the text and the concepts • the use of the term • Hence the aim of terminology: to document and to explain concepts and terms

26. Alternative Approaches to Legal Dictionaries Handbuch der Internationalen Rechts- und Verwaltungssprache: Niederlassungsrecht (1989) Deutsch/Englisch. Berlin: Heymanns.

27. New Approaches to Legal Dictionaries Terminologisches Wörterbuch zum Vertragsrecht italienisch/deutsch, Europäische Akademie Bozen. München: C.H. Beck

28. Desiderata for legal dictionaries • Restricted to a specified area of law and specified legal systems • Introduction to the area of law and the legal systems involved • Conceptual information in definitions, contexts • Information on equivalence degree and equivalence problems

29. Terminology Management • Any deliberate manipulation of terminological information • practical terminology management • systematic recording • ad hoc retrieval

30. Terminology Management • Entry or recordstructured collection of terminological data relevant to one concept. (ISO 1087)‏ • Terminological Database or termbase: structured sets of terminological records in an information processing system. (ISO 1087)‏ • Terminology Management Systemsoftware application used to create, edit store and retrieve terminological records.

31. Entry Model concept-oriented terminology: we describe legal concepts and the terms used for them • Terms, Synonyms = linguistic information • Definition and context = conceptual information • Equivalence degree = result of comparison • legal system • legal area • language } documentary information

32. Terminology Management Tools • predetermined, fixed entry structure • Termbase ... • flexible, customizable entry structure • Multiterm • Example FD-Termbase (on USB)‏

33. Term Banks for Legal Translators • IATE http://iate.europa.eu • Bistro www.eurac.edu/bistro • Lexalp http://www.eurac.edu/lexalp • EuroTerm http://db.eurotermbank.com/Search.aspx • UNTerm http://157.150.197.21/dgaacs/unterm.nsf • Collection of terminology databaseshttp://www.uibk.ac.at/translation/termlogy/database.html

34. IATE

35. IATE

36. Bistro Bistro: http://www.eurac.edu/lexalp

37. LexAlp TermBank

38. EuroTermBank • http://db.eurotermbank.com/Search.aspxGeneral collection of terms in more than 20 languages, with terms on EU Law

39. Croatian TermBank • http://www.mvpei.hr/euroterm/Default.aspx

40. UNTerm UNTerm: http://157.150.197.21/dgaacs/unterm.nsf

41. European Law Terminology • Eur Lex (treaties, legislation, case-law and legislative proposals) http://eur-lex.europa.eu