On the Translation of Legal Terms in German and Polish Petitions of Suits

Noting the difficulties of legal translation, the best functional Polish equivalents of German legal terminology used in court appearance summons are sought. Four translation strategies are described: (1) rendition through a functional equivalent, (2) the use of the original term accompanied by explanation in parentheses or footnotes, (3) a descriptive rendition of the original term, & (4) rendition through a neologism. Three scenarios of legal translation are considered: (A) different languages within the same legal system (eg, the case of Canada or Switzerland), (B) different languages & different legal systems (most cases of legal translation fall under this category), & (C) different legal systems with the same language (the German-speaking states of Europe or the English-speaking states across continents). After discussing the various possibilities of rendering German legal terms in Polish, a table suggesting the most adequate Polish equivalents is produced. 7 References. Adapted from the source document