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Translation - art & business » Translation Theory and Practice »
Misspelt names in BMD certificates
Thread poster: Wendy Cummings
Wendy Cummings
Wendy Cummings  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:50
Spanish to English
+ ...
Oct 28, 2015

Dear all,

I often translate BMD certificates for France and Spain, and often the names and/or addresses of the English subjects are misspelled. I know this because it is either obvious (e.g. BIRMUHGHAM) or because I have other documents confirming the correct spelling.

What do you do in cases like this? If a simple word is misspelled, then I of course correct it. But these are proper nouns, and although I know them to be misspelled, is it "going beyond" the role of the ... See more
Dear all,

I often translate BMD certificates for France and Spain, and often the names and/or addresses of the English subjects are misspelled. I know this because it is either obvious (e.g. BIRMUHGHAM) or because I have other documents confirming the correct spelling.

What do you do in cases like this? If a simple word is misspelled, then I of course correct it. But these are proper nouns, and although I know them to be misspelled, is it "going beyond" the role of the translator to correct them? Could this (in theory!) be a first stage on a slippery slope to some sort of fraud ("Dear translator, I know the name on the birth certificate says SMITH, but it should actually be JONES....")?

If it is a certified translation, then I would replicate the misspelling and include a note. But the job that has prompted this post today is a simple "for information" translation.

Any thoughts? ▲ Collapse
 
Enrico Zoffoli
Enrico Zoffoli  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:50
Member (2013)
German to Italian
+ ...
This is what I normally do Oct 28, 2015

When I notice this sort of misspelling (which, alas, happens to me quite often), I first check whether in the remainder of the document proper nouns are spelled correctly, i.e. spelled as I think they should be. If I do find the correct spelling, I simply correct the typo (but still point this out in my notes to the client). Otherwise I ask the client. Typically clients confirm my suspicions and instruct me to correct proper nouns accordingly. If for some reason the client cannot or does not pro... See more
When I notice this sort of misspelling (which, alas, happens to me quite often), I first check whether in the remainder of the document proper nouns are spelled correctly, i.e. spelled as I think they should be. If I do find the correct spelling, I simply correct the typo (but still point this out in my notes to the client). Otherwise I ask the client. Typically clients confirm my suspicions and instruct me to correct proper nouns accordingly. If for some reason the client cannot or does not provide instructions, I keep the misspelling in the target document but clearly point out in a note that I am most likely replicating an error.

[Edited at 2015-10-28 12:27 GMT]

[Edited at 2015-10-28 12:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Enrico Zoffoli
Enrico Zoffoli  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:50
Member (2013)
German to Italian
+ ...
This is what I normally do Oct 28, 2015

When I notice this sort of misspelling (which, alas, happens to me quite often), I first check whether in the remainder of the document proper nouns are spelled correctly, i.e. spelled as I think they should be. If I do find the correct spelling, I simply correct the typo (but still point this out in my notes to the client). Otherwise I ask the client. Typically clients confirm my suspicions and instruct me to correct proper nouns accordingly. If for some reason the client cannot or does not pro... See more
When I notice this sort of misspelling (which, alas, happens to me quite often), I first check whether in the remainder of the document proper nouns are spelled correctly, i.e. spelled as I think they should be. If I do find the correct spelling, I simply correct the typo (but still point this out in my notes to the client). Otherwise I ask the client. Typically clients confirm my suspicions and instruct me to correct proper nouns accordingly. If for some reason the client cannot or does not provide instructions, I keep the misspelling in the target document but clearly point out in a note that I am most likely replicating an error.

[Edited at 2015-10-28 12:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 


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Misspelt names in BMD certificates


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