Aspekty kulturowe w tłumaczeniu tekstów specjalistycznych

Abstract

Diff erent views on law, the existence of a variety of institutions and the fact that the legal system, similarly to language, is being constantly modifi ed bring about problems with legal vocabulary. It is therefore crucial that the translators have proper specialist knowledge in order to be well acquainted with a given fi eld. Legal and law texts are not only diffi cult to translate in technical and language terms, but they are, fi rst of all, diffi cult to interpret. A correct and accurate translation of a given text requires that a translator is knowledgeable about the legal system of the target language. No legal norms can be translated into a foreign language without taking into consideration the fact that they have been prepared by and for other people living in diff erent social and political conditions, where diff erent cultural and legal rules are observed. To sum up, a careful study of cultural aspects is essential if a good translation of a specialist text is to be made. Th us, a professional translator not only has to master the target language but s/he also has to be familiar with the substance and culture of a given fi eld. In case of legal language and the language of law the above is even more important since particular legal systems are signifi cantly diff erent and the translation has to be intelligible to a potential receiver who is not acquainted with the reality of a given country. Th e present article attempts at answering the question about the role of cultural aspects in translation of specialist texts as exemplifi ed by the French legal system. Th e notion of “cultural elements” is defi ned and several examples chosen from diff erent fi elds of law are analyzed to achieve the above aim.