Diplomatic translation as type of translation of official documents

Official document is a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right. Official documents are written in a formal, “cold” or matter-of-fact style of speech. The style of official documents, or “officialese” as it is sometimes called, is not homogeneous and is represented by the following substyles, or varieties: 1) the language of business documents; 2) the language of legal documents; 3) the language of diplomacy; 4) the language of military documents.

Each of sub-styles of official documents makes use of special terms. The documents use set expressions inherited from early Victorian period. This vocabulary is conservative. Legal documents contain a large proportion of formal and archaic words used in their dictionary meaning. In diplomatic and legal documents many words have Latin and French origin. There are a lot of abbreviations and conventional symbols. The most noticeable feature of grammar is the compositional pattern. Every document has its own stereotyped form [].

The given type of translation in any language is directly connected with political system of the state, with its cultural originality. Confident knowledge of a subject is a necessary condition that the translator could perform competent and authentic translation of documents. Then terms will be correctly reproduced, all features of style of the document are observed, any detail that for official papers essentially will not be missed.

Understanding of a context is crucially important: only so and no other way it is possible to make adequately sense of translated phrases that translation of documents has turned out the most authentic. Along with as much as possible exact equivalent translation other objective is important also: translation should be simple and easy-to-read. As a rule, texts of official style difficult in itself, therefore in addition to complicate them, translating documents, the expert simply has no right. There is universal rule of perception here: the easier the text, the easier to read and listen to it, so that more effectively he achieves the object. Only then it is possible to speak about a full exchange of juridical data [].

Sometimes experts while translating documents, nevertheless face the phenomena of full untranslatability when with the best will in the world to find an equivalent for the concept is impossible. In this case we face such phenomenon as a conceptual blank, or a lacuna. However the competent translator performing translation of documents, is obliged to find a way out in this case.

“Mysterious” term is deciphered or speaks directly in the text. There is also other variant: to transcribe a word or a word-combination and thereby to introduce the new term. Sometimes such transcription introduced in translation, is performed not by Ukrainian letters, but a Latin. Certainly, it breaks symmetry of appearance of the document and makes the text rough. However such cases nevertheless are an exception of the general rule.

As a result the ready translation should be correct actually: not to have mistakes in the content. Besides, translation of documents should correspond to requirements of system of “accepting” language completely. Thus style of the original, undoubtedly, should remain without changes. Translating documents and business texts, especially of judicial and insurance subjects, to observe these requirements is especially important.

Translation of documents is an objective of the extremely responsibility: the slightest mistake can appear fatal and entail serious consequences, up to proceeding. Document should not have inaccuracies and double meanings. That this translation demands limiting accuracy and scrupulousness, experts consider in as a version of technical translation.

Translation of documents pursues the different aims. The most widespread are a procedure of legalization of documents or notorial certification of a paper, probably, already notarized earlier, but in other language [].

There are a lot of kinds of translation. But apart from all of them there are others, perhaps just as important and unfortunately equally unknown, like translation in international bodies or agencies; translation of advertising, community translation (nothing to do with the European Union, but rather with services offered to the community; this type of translation is very little known throughout Europe, but in countries such as Australia or Canada it fulfils a very important social function). Audiovisual translation is sure to become the most booming one in the next few years, but it is also the one where the most atrocious mistakes are found. And diplomatic translation, something very few have ever heard about.

Diplomatic translation is carried out within diplomatic missions, embassies or consulates. In certain aspects, we could relate this type of translation to that carried out within international bodies, in terms of the type of texts translated and the conventions established. However, diplomatic translation has its own rules and peculiarities.

Within the scope of diplomatic translation, there are two main groups of documents (although they are not the only ones):

· Chancery documents

· Consular documents

The first group consists of texts or documents aimed to serve as vehicle for diplomatic communication between the given diplomatic mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and viceversa. The most common one is the Third Person Note, which is used to inform or advise about a particular issue, to obtain the support of the government for an international body or agency (for example, in cases of candidacies), to communicate the termination or commencement of a person’s functions as a diplomat, etc. The Third Person Note is handed over by a diplomat or through other official channels. It is written in the third person (hence its name), and always follows the same structure, with regards to the introduction and the salutation.

The Letter is another type of document. As opposed to the Third Person Note, the Letter is written in the first person and is normally signed by the Head of the Mission. This is a much more direct and personal means of diplomatic communication, usually addressed to the Minister. With regards to Letters we find the term Exchange of letters, to refer to a particular exchange of information concerning a particular issue.

Perhaps one of the least known document type is non-Paper, which is a document that, having originated from an official body (Embassy, Ministry, Directorate General, etc.) has, intentionally, no official nature, and therefore it does not commits the body issuing such document. Its nature is marked by the use of plain paper, that is no crest or official letterhead, which is used both in Third Person Notes and Letters. The idea of unofficiality is often reinforced with the words “Non-Paper” at the top of the document.

The Memorandum is undoubtedly one of the many documents that translators in a diplomatic mission have to deal with most, especially in matters concerning issues such as international economy and commerce, farming and agriculture, and issues such as international relevance (human rights, worker’s rights, environment, etc.). The translation of these documents must be accurate and careful, given the intricacies of the issues in question. The same care applies to the Letters and the third Person Notes, which demand the highest degree of thoroughness, as a mistake or a misinterpretation of the original meaning could compromise diplomacy and even lead to a diplomatic incident.

Consular issues-related documents constitute a great deal of the bulk of translation work in an embassy. This is an extremely varied field, although highly related to the fields of legal and sworn translation. Thus, translators find themselves confronted by birth, marriage and death certificates, certificates of no impediment, divorce sentences, deeds, etc., together with other documents, mainly related to visas, passports, forensic death reports, assistance to arrested nationals, etc. [].

Security and confidentiality are always crucial in professional translation, and in particular with regards to the client. Diplomatic translation is no exception to this. Furthermore, confidentiality is probably much more important and compromising in this field than in any other field of translation, as it involves the security of one or several countries.

Literature

1. Adrin Fuentes Luque. An approach to Diplomatic Translation / Adrin Fuentes Luque // Translation journal. – 1999. - № 4. – P. 35-46.

2. Galina Goumovskaya. The Style of Official documents / Galina Goumovskaya // English. – 2007. – January. – P. 54-67.

3. Translation and Diplomacy [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим достyпу: http://blog.onehourtranslation.com/diplomatic-translation/translation-and-diplomacy/