EU Translation Legal Translation in Multilingual Lawmaking (original) (raw)

This paper aims at highlighting some of the challenges involved in translating legal texts as part of the multilingual lawmaking process of the European Union. The author posits that it is the function of the target texts that makes the difference between legal translation as part of multilingual lawmaking and other types of legal translation. In multilingual lawmaking, the resulting language versions are the law, not just information about law applicable elsewhere. Since the different authentic language versions are the law, they must comply with the basic quality requirements for legislation, such as accessibility, predictability, and non-discrimination. This, in turn, has consequences for relating to the source text, both as regards terminology and drafting conventions. The joy and sorrow of the EU translator is found in working to strike the balance between fidelity to the source text, on the one hand, and the observance of these basic quality requirements for legislation, on the other. Drafting guidelines and the EN 15038 standard provide useful guidance in this delicate endeavour.