Robert M Maier Germany Local time: 13:28 English to German + ...
Nov 25, 2004
Are there any *certified* translators from latin out there, I wonder?
The story behind this question is already some years old, but I still wonder:
For the entry in a German register of births, both parents were requested to bring documents concerning their academic titles. He, being German, had little troubles... she however, was not only an American citizen, but also had a PhD from... (I forget, somewhere New England; Cambridge, Mass.?) To the major concern of German authorities, her PhD certificate was a really representative piece - carved in wood (!), and in... Latin. They could be made to accept the unusual material, but this far-out language, as well... no. They required a legally valid translation, leaving it to the parents to find someone who could do that. In the end, they gave up and had only the father registered with his academic title... but I still wonder: who could have done that job? Could anyone? And which authorities give out these credentials?
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Adam Bartley United Kingdom Latin to English + ...
Usually a case of citing credentials
Nov 25, 2004
I am familiar with this issue. I have provided 'certified' translations of degrees for the Singapore authorities. In that case, when I signed off, I cited my PhD qualification and current institution so that my identity could be verified. Hopefully a similarsolution could be fund in this case? Hope so.
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Robert M Maier Germany Local time: 13:28 English to German + ...
TOPIC STARTER
Nope.
Nov 25, 2004
ANB0368 wrote:
Hopefully a similar solution could be fund in this case? Hope so.
Don't think so... as far as I remember, they went totally narrow in that case (probably already miffed by the fact that they had been handed a piece of wood) and really insisted on someone who could legitimately make the official stamp on it...
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Luisa Ramos, CT United States Local time: 07:28 Member (2004) English to Spanish + ...
There are other options
Nov 25, 2004
I am not sure I understood very well what happened. That said, here is my two cents. She could have obtained a certification from the university, in plain English, and have it translated, rather than presenting her diploma (in wood and in Latin in this case). An unorthodox alternative could be to take the diploma to a Catholic priest and have him translate it.
[Edited at 2004-11-25 22:18]
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Robert M Maier Germany Local time: 13:28 English to German + ...
TOPIC STARTER
been there, done that
Nov 25, 2004
She could have obtained a certification from the university, in plain English, and have it translated, rather than presenting her diploma (in wood and in Latin in this case).
Actually, they had considered requesting a paper copy... but the university apparently would have handed out an additional paper copy (possibly even translated) only upon submission of the original... which would have cost lots of either time (what, and leave your child unregistered in the meantime?) or money (for flying there - which both my friends were not up to, so briefly after childbirth...).
As for the catholic priest... certainly one of these, or any of a number of other people, would have been *able* to translate the diploma... but none of these would have been a sworn court translator/interpreter for Latin, thus not entitled to place the oh-so-important stamp of authenticity under a translation from Latin, thus it is still not legally valid, and thus... no help!
(Maybe I was too brief and/or too cryptic first time around... can you now see the fix they were in?)
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Adam Bartley United Kingdom Latin to English + ...
Latin first in Ivy league
Nov 26, 2004
And in any case, at these universities a latin degree is provided in the first instance - it's not the case that one asks especially for it. A proper university stamp on the translation is usually enough for official purposes in most countries. Although I've spent my time involved with German officialdom, I think they'd probably accept something prepared by the local university seminar für klassische philologie.
Robert M Maier wrote:
She could have obtained a certification from the university, in plain English, and have it translated, rather than presenting her diploma (in wood and in Latin in this case).
Actually, they had considered requesting a paper copy... but the university apparently would have handed out an additional paper copy (possibly even translated) only upon submission of the original... which would have cost lots of either time (what, and leave your child unregistered in the meantime?) or money (for flying there - which both my friends were not up to, so briefly after childbirth...).
As for the catholic priest... certainly one of these, or any of a number of other people, would have been *able* to translate the diploma... but none of these would have been a sworn court translator/interpreter for Latin, thus not entitled to place the oh-so-important stamp of authenticity under a translation from Latin, thus it is still not legally valid, and thus... no help!
(Maybe I was too brief and/or too cryptic first time around... can you now see the fix they were in?)
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Joseph J. Brazauskas United States Local time: 07:28 Member (2006) Latin to English + ...
'Certification' in Latin
Nov 3, 2007
Occasionally I have been asked to supply proof of certification in Latin, a request which I should deem humourous if it were not a matter of business. But so far as I have been able to ascertain, Spain is the only nation which issues official certifications in this language. Hence, my response is invariably that one's Latin certification consists in one's command of and experience with the language. As a Latin tutor to whom, for nearly two decades now, hundreds of students have reverted because of the misguided preference of many instructors and professors to teach Latin as if it were a modern spoken language, I have continually experienced something between frustration and disgust. For the bulk of my tutorial work involves disabusing my students of the incorrect or unclassical morphology, syntax, and vocabulary which they have imbibed as the guinea pigs of various novel experiments on the part of such instructors. It is bad enough that the traditional Latin course has been watered down over the past generation to the point where college students majoring in Latin--and this goes doubly for those majoring in Greek--are nowadays set to labour over authors whom I had finished studying before I had even graduated from high school. Since those who are supposed to impart a sound and thorough knowledge of Latin and Greek are either insufficiently trained in these languages themselves or too pre-occupied with inflicting paedagogical experiments on their pupils to supply them with the sort of instruction that they really need in order to read and appreciate the great classical authors, I gravely doubt that there are many who are even qualified to issue such a certification. Whether one likes it or not, there is no easy road to learning Latin for most students. Consequently, I think that starting them off by spoon-feeding them faux Latin is counterproductive and merely delays their progress in the language. Once the rudiments of the language have been acquired, the student ought, in my opinion, to be presented with genuine Latin and Greek to be read, so that he or she becomes familiar with a real Latinity from the beginning. But I digress, and in any case few will heed my advice. Perhaps it is better so--at least for me, since i would be out of a job if teachers and professors did theirs properly.
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:
PerfectIt helps deliver error-free documents. It improves consistency, ensures quality and helps to enforce style guides. It’s a powerful tool for pro users, and comes with the assurance of a 30-day money back guarantee.
A fully featured online CAT tool and TMS, with no installation required, and a simple, intuitive interface. Maximize linguistic assets by sharing in real time as you collaborate with colleagues. Make use of next generation, cloud-based translation technol
The translation workplace 
