Some of our contracts are drafted in two languages. This is to cater to countries whose local folks are not proficient with the English language.
Translations are usually done by our external lawyers, and translation fees are usually very expensive. Sometimes, it is charged per word.
I got a request today from Indonesia to translate some English revisions into Bahasa Indonesia in one of their contracts. I took a look at the revisions and realised only 1 clause needs to be translated. I gave it some thought and, in a bid to help the company conserve its limited funds, I decided that.... Frou, in all her Malaysian glory, will undertake the translation...by herself. (It's just one clause, right? I know a little Malay. How bad can I screw it up?)
So, I spent 20 minutes on research, 10 minutes to find the right words and another 10 minutes to construct the sentences. If you do the maths, that is already 40 mins billable time i.e. approximately US$133 for a paralegal/junior attorney work (who, by the way, wouldn't need 40 minutes to translate 2 sentences but that's besides the point..)
After that, I spent another 2 minutes panicking about the accuracy of my translation.
In the end, I decided that it is best that I just insert a new clause (I already have a sample translation for this) that says:
Translations are usually done by our external lawyers, and translation fees are usually very expensive. Sometimes, it is charged per word.
I got a request today from Indonesia to translate some English revisions into Bahasa Indonesia in one of their contracts. I took a look at the revisions and realised only 1 clause needs to be translated. I gave it some thought and, in a bid to help the company conserve its limited funds, I decided that.... Frou, in all her Malaysian glory, will undertake the translation...by herself. (It's just one clause, right? I know a little Malay. How bad can I screw it up?)
So, I spent 20 minutes on research, 10 minutes to find the right words and another 10 minutes to construct the sentences. If you do the maths, that is already 40 mins billable time i.e. approximately US$133 for a paralegal/junior attorney work (who, by the way, wouldn't need 40 minutes to translate 2 sentences but that's besides the point..)
After that, I spent another 2 minutes panicking about the accuracy of my translation.
In the end, I decided that it is best that I just insert a new clause (I already have a sample translation for this) that says:
"This Agreement is executed in both English and Bahasa Indonesia. In the event of any inconsistency or contradiction between the English and Bahasa Indonesia texts, the English text shall govern."
Sorted! Ass covered! Money saved!
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