I was recently asked to translate a parere pro-veritate by a Roman client. The subject itself was fascinating; the use of property and the specific conditions under which a business license could be granted for a property that had been used by a religious order. The document required not only the requisite linguistic skills and […]
Proofreading: Pitfalls and Solutions
Co-authored by Alexandra Singer of TransLex Italian, specialist Italian>English translation, and Lauren Shadi of Give Me Your Word, (French>English Interpeter&Translator :https://www.givemeyourword.co.uk/blog As professional translators, with our respective specialisms in legal translation, police, court work and education, we are acutely aware of the vital importance of accuracy in translation. The wrong phrase or term has the […]
Covid-19: It is the absence of freedom that makes us notice it
The conflict between liberty and security I note my concern with the importance of following the regulations, social distancing, and controlling the spread of this infectious virus because what I am about to say is somewhat defiant of the way in which the UK and other national governments have handled this pandemic, in terms of […]
Consumer Protection Legislation, diritti dei consumatori, in the United Kingdom and Italy
Consumer Protection Legislation, diritti dei consumatori, in the United Kingdom and Italy Having recently been required to enforce my consumer rights shortly after purchasing a rather expensive item, a fridge/freezer, from a well-known online store here in the UK, I realised, not for the first time, how appreciative I am for the clarity of the […]
Clothing with Profanity: Italian and English Law
This week in London, a woman was threatened with arrest at the Black Lives Matter protest in London for wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Fuck Boris”, in reference to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Given the conflict here between freedom of expression and statutory law, I’m especially interested in a comparison between English […]
“You won’t need to talk. We could still do it for sentimental reasons.” Elon Musk and the Elimination of Language
Last month, the latest project of the entrepreneurial futurist Elon Musk, “Neuralink”, gained international attention, with extremely brief newspaper articles which suggested that his technology could “render human language obsolete” in as short a time as five years. The articles were long on shock value and short on verifiable detail, and stated merely that Musk […]
Untranslatability and Fidelity in Legal Translation
Untranslatability and Fidelity in Legal Translation Fidelity in translation refers, basically, to the extent to which the translation of a document conforms to the source text. How faithful is it, not only to the actual words, but to the actual message? This is the meaning of being faithful to the author. Of course, meanings change, […]
The Italian Law Journal: Now Classified as a “Class A” Journal by ANVUR
I’m delighted to learn today that the Italian Law Journal, of which I’m an associate editor, has now been classified as a “Class A” Journal by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes. (ANVUR). In this extraordinarily difficult and worrying time for everyone across the world, it is so pleasant to […]
A visit to Milan- Coronavirus, Force Majeure and Tourism
This is a personal (and legal) article focusing on the effects of COVID-19 or “Coronavirus”; specifically, the issue of Force Majeure in contracts. Like many, my travel plans have been disrupted this week; this is minor, numerous people are ill, many have died, and the uncertainty over the true reach and the ability of governments to stem this epidemic grows by the day. It’s an unfortunate situation, to make an understatement, and that’s not to mention the economic effects of the current lockdown in Northern Italy, which are becoming increasingly apparent.