Multi-Language Translation of EU Asylum Seeker Documentation
English → Multiple African and rare Asian languages · Client: Confidential (EU Project)
A multi-language assignment of approximately 40,000 words related to asylum seekers in the European Union. This assignment involved various African languages and some of the rare Asian languages. The assignment in itself was not complicated - but the most important aspect was the exhaustive instructions that accompanied it.
Customisable / Editable Content
Certain aspects of the documents vary across EU Member States. Documents contained fields and sections for national authorities to enter country-specific information. There were three main categories of customisable content that translators had to handle:
- ›Alternative content: national authorities choose between two alternative words or phrases. The alternative content is separated by slashes and highlighted in yellow.
- ›Optional content: highlighted in grey, meaning that Member States can decide to keep it or not.
- ›Combination of optional content and editable field: some optional content also contains editable fields. Translators were required to phrase the translation in a way that allows for correct grammatical customisation in the target language.
Terminology Framework
In view of the legal requirement to use clear and plain language understandable by the reader, the materials use certain terms in English instead of the standard legislative equivalents. Translators were required to follow this framework strictly:
| Term used in materials | More “official” term | Explanatory notes |
|---|---|---|
| Asylum seeker | Applicant for international protection | "Applicant for international protection" is the preferred term for an adult audience. Translate accordingly if applicable in your language. |
| Asylum application | Application for international protection | "Application for international protection" is the preferred term for an adult audience. Translate accordingly if applicable in your language. |
| Run away / leave without permission / leave without the permission of the authorities | Abscond | Absconding means to leave a country and travel to another without permission of the authorities. Do not use the direct translation of "disappear" or "abscond". Use term(s) that convey the idea of doing something "forbidden" but without suggesting escaping a dangerous situation. |
| Cancel services | Withdraw | "Cancel" is the preferred term as "withdraw" is used in the reception conditions directive but is not considered clear language. |
| Lawyer | Legal representative / legal adviser / legal counsellor | Lawyer is sometimes used as a more generic term. However, when the source text explicitly mentions legal representative, counsellor or adviser, these are specific roles and must not all be translated with the same term. For EU languages, check the corresponding terms in the relevant legal instrument. |
| Admissibility procedure | (Various) | The page on admissibility examination is difficult to understand. Make sure that an appropriate word is used for the translation of "admissibility procedure". |
| Detention | (Various) | The section on detention is the same across all materials for adults and should be translated in the same way. Detention does not mean to be arrested or placed in jail or prison. |
| Special needs | (Various) | This list is repeated (sometimes in shorter or simplified versions) in several brochures. Translators must ensure consistency across all occurrences. |
| 'Stay' vs 'live' | (Various) | 'Stay' has been chosen over 'live' because of the more temporary nature it implies. Exception: in Arabic this should be translated as 'live' as indicated in the testing. This nuance must be considered for each target language. |
| 'Travel' vs 'move' | (Various) | 'Travel' is used in the sense of short-term movement. 'Move' implies a longer-term relocation to another country. |
Translators were also directed to the EUAA Asylum Terminology database and a larger EUAA-related terminology collection for reference - noting that some target languages may not be available in these databases.
Other Important Translation Notes
- ›Translate the Alt Text of all images.
- ›All comments should be translated.
- ›All text should be translated, including text highlighted in yellow. On the first page of each file, replace "English" in the bottom right with the name of the target language in English (e.g. for the French version, write French - not Français and not Anglais).
- ›Use a neutral tone: do not write from a hierarchical viewpoint, use gender-neutral terms where possible, and use language that puts the reader at ease. Avoid abstract or vague words.
- ›Avoid synonyms when translating the same term in English. If several words are possible for the same term, choose the most neutral and understandable one and repeat it consistently.
- ›Arrange any lists of countries (EU and non-EU) in alphabetical order in the target language.
- ›Formal or informal "You": if the target language has both forms, use the informal form for all materials directed at a child audience. For adult audience, follow language-specific rules bearing in mind the target audience.
- ›Singular or plural "You" [for RCD brochures for accompanied children]: where "you" should be translated as the plural form (meaning it includes the child and the parents/family members), this has been indicated by inserting "[plural]" in the text. This instruction should be deleted when the translation is finalised.
- ›Use gender-inclusive language or language that mirrors the graphic of the professional for job profiles: e.g. social worker, legal adviser, psychologist, lawyer, judge, interpreter, doctor, nurse. For some languages, both male and female forms will need to be added.
Instructions
- 1There are 2 types of files - "Children" and "Adult". Use simpler language for the "Children" materials, to the practical extent.
- 2The language should be overall simple and easy to understand.
- 3Wherever ellipsis "[...]" appears in the source text - complete the sentence by inserting text/word in the editable field in its translated form (not in English).
- 4Any text appearing in a foreign language stays in English.
- 5Use your discretion for any terms which should be phonetically transliterated.
- 6All of the following stay in English: EUAA, numbers, acronyms, alphanumeric codes, brand names, names of companies, registered/trade-marked names, names of educational institutions, addresses, all bibliographic references.
- 7Names of organisations (such as UNHCR) should be translated with the English in brackets at first occurrence. Subsequently the expanded translation or just the English acronym as per the source English may be used.
- 8Names of departments (typically government departments), teams, councils/service organisations, helplines, policies/schemes, designations, Acts etc. should be translated followed by English within brackets.
Key Challenge
Due to the level of detailing involved, this project required multiple exchanges of messages with translators across all language pairs. Crucially, every clarification raised by any one translator had to be communicated to all translators simultaneously - to maintain a uniform understanding of the instructions across the entire assignment.
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