When a Poor Translator Can Cost You Money… And a Court Battle
When it comes to legal documents or - in this case - a court case, it is vital to utilize translators that you can trust. As a famous athlete would find out the hard way…
There are thousands of reasons why the best translation services are needed in business, so when it comes to the legal side of things - turn “thousands” into millions…
In a heavily press-covered case, we see why…
It is to nobody’s surprise that the court hearing of a famous athlete made the headlines, but what is surprising - is to learn that it was their translator that caused this - due to poor translation…
An Olympic Champion On Trial…
In one of the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) biggest trials, a poor-quality translator took the spotlight away from an Olympic champion…
Sun Yang, a famous Chinese Swimmer, has been facing court battles with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for some time now due to doping allegations. The prospect of China’s champion being banned for up to eight years is a big story, and not just in China. With the trials being conducted in Switzerland, in English, all was set for a landmark hearing in the case.
The hearing has now been delayed due to the severity of the translator’s poor quality…
Embarrassment occurred when the translator failed to translate opening remarks and then continued to face issues. At one point, Sun’s alleged doping was referred to as “200 times” rather than “200ml (of blood)”.
The poor quality of the translation services even prompted the judge to apologize.
If it can happen to an Olympic Champion, then it can happen to you…
What About You?
If only translators of the required quality had lead the key hearing on Sun Yang’s case. The credibility of an international body (CAS) would not come under question, and Sun Yang’s reputation would not be brought to the global spotlight.
Think about crucial times when you cannot afford to experience poor translation services. What could this cost you? Perhaps you will not be in court for the same reasons Sun Yang currently is, but from document translation for legal to whatever legal battles you may face in business… it is best to feel trusting about the translation services you use.
Professional Translators
Professional translators should, unlike the translator hired for the CAS hearing - understand legal terms and jargon. They should be experienced in matters similar to Sun Yang’s hearing, but also have the quality to not be drawn to the spotlight or headlines… we thought this was obvious!
A team of translators should understand different cultures as well as languages. This is an important aspect that can go overlooked - leading to the use of subpar translators or relying on AI translation which does not offer this key aspect!
Like those involved in the Sun Yang case found out - using an inexperienced translator can have costly effects on your business. The translation of your legal documents and meetings/hearings is important - but what is more important to find the right professionals to help…
IN THE END...
The message that we are leaving with is to only use trusted translation companies for your translation services. Inexperienced or unequipped translators can strain relations and important legal processes - and even reach global headlines… we all now understand the importance of having a good translator, right?
Waterstone Translations is a leading provider of translation services that has helped some of the biggest law firms. Their dedicated team of professions are combined experts in over 50 languages. Their experts understand cultural aspects and are fluent in the legal jargon of each of their mastered languages…