Mini Research:

Student’s Perception of Quality Legal Translation in the Legal

Document Translation Course

Lecturer: Muhammad Aminuddin, Ph.D

Arranged by:
Salma Farida Sundari 1192040105

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHING TRAINING

UIN SUNAN GUNUNG DJATI BANDUG
2022/2023
Abstract
This study aims to determine the student's perception of quality legal translation in the legal
document translation course. The descriptive-qualitative approach was used in this research. A
questionnaire instrument was utilized to collect data in this research. This study on translating
legal documents used seven students as a sample. The participants were given a questionnaire
through the Google Forms platform to grade and submit their opinions. The results of this study
show that the participating students needed to evaluate using the proper standards. The widely
diverse grading scale that was used reveals that there is still anomalous data. The reasons given
are varied and vague.

Introduction
Legal translation is a specialist area of professional translation that necessitates relevant
legal expertise and, in many cases, specific industry experience. Legal document translators are
intended to produce a translation that contains the same information as the original text. Larson
(1984) defines translation quality as having three levels: excellent, moderate, and poor.
Meanwhile, the other hand divides translation quality into accuracy, clarity/readability, and
naturalness/acceptability. Lionbridge also claims to have created a translation quality index
focusing on seven areas: accuracy, terminology, language quality, style guide, country norms,
formatting, and client-specific. Minor, major, and critical errors are permitted, with a maximum of
10 error points permitted (Zearo, 2005).
Furthermore, this research focuses on students' perceptions of Venuti translations in legal
document materials. The legitimacy of the translation assessment by TLD students is one of the
difficulties in this TLD class. Many students evaluate the translation findings only based on their
feelings or senses in this assessment. This research is essential to determine the validity of the
translation assessment performed by TLD class students.

Methodology
This study uses a qualitative approach (Cresswell, 2009) with a descriptive design.
However, the researcher used an interview instrument and library research to collect the data.
According to Zeid (2004), "library research is research that uses library sources to get the data."
This research uses random sampling to select participants from the Translation of Legal
Documents Course. The researchers select seven students for the Translation of Legal Documents
Course to conduct research. The source data for this research is the legal text document given by
the lecturer as a practice in the TLD class.
Moreover, the researcher focuses on the student's perception of translation assessment in
the TLD course. Some factors affect the quality of the translation. Therefore, the students have
conducted an assessment practice of translation in the class. In this practice, students ask three
people to serve as assessors. Each assessor assesses the translation in terms of accuracy, clarity,
and naturalness. The text used is legal document text consisting of three sentences.

Findings
The abstract explained the data, and the concept of legal translation was discussed in the
introduction. According to Larson (1984), there are three categories of translation quality:
excellent, moderate, and poor. The other way, translation quality is divided into three categories:
accuracy, clarity/readability, and naturalness/acceptability.
Based on the analysis, seven translators were identified as participants in this study. Three
translation qualities are considered in order to determine which translations are appropriate. Three
texts are provided in the questionnaire, where the participants assess the quality of the translations.
The table below shows the results of the participants' legal translations.
1. First text
Indonesian: Menimbang, bahwa tindakan termohon memasukkan rokok ke mulut pemohon
pada saat sedang tidur adalah tindakan yang tidak terpuji.
English Translation: Considering that the respondent's act of putting cigarettes into the
applicant's mouth while sleeping is an act that is not commendable.

Categories
Participant Accuracy Clarity Naturalness
No. 1 3 3 3
No. 2 2 3 2
No. 3 1 2 2
No. 4 2 3 2
No. 5 2 3 2
No. 6 2 2 2
 No. 7 2 3 3

The table above shows that the accuracy scores given for the results of the first translation
text are different. Some gave scores of 1 (14.3%), 2 (71,4%), and 3 (14,3%) due to the reasons for
selecting inappropriate dictionaries, and the others stated that the translation was accurate enough.
The table then shows that the scores given for clarity are 2 (28.6%) and 3 (71%) because the
translation is easy to understand, but some participants require clarification. Furthermore, the last
two scores for naturalness are 2 (28.6%) and 3 (71.4%), both of which are quite natural. However,
based on the participant's responses, it would be better if the diction was based on the register of
law in order to be more natural.
2. Second text
Indonesian: Menghukum kepada kedua belah pihak untuk membayar biaya yang timbul dalam
perkara ini sebesar Rp. 36.000.
English Translation: Both parties in this case were obligated to pay costs amount of Rp.
36,000 (thirty six thousand rupiah).

Categories
Participant Accuracy Clarity Naturalness

No. 1 3 3 3

No. 2 3 3 3

No. 3 1 2 2

No. 4 2 2 3
 No. 5 2 3 3

No. 6 2 2 2

No. 7 3 2 3

The table above shows that the accuracy scores given for the results of the second
translation text are different. Some gave scores of 1 (14.3%), 2 (42.9%), and 3 (42.9%) due to the
reasons for selecting inappropriate diction and because the aim of the translation was almost
accurate. Nevertheless, some said that the choice of accurate words was more than six and that
words were omitted and added for the translation. The table then shows that the scores given for
clarity are 2 (57.1%) and 3 (42.9%) because participants can read the translation results clearly.
However, at the end of the sentence, the translation does not use a complete stop, and the writing
of the amount of money needs to be corrected in the translation results. Furthermore, the last two
scores for naturalness are 2 (28.6%) and 3 (71.4%) because they are quite natural even though they
use the passive form. Easy to read, clearly conveyed. However, the arrangement and use of words
could be better.
3. Third text
Indonesia: Pengadilan tinggi agama telah mempelajari berkas perkara dan semua surat-surat
yang berhubungan dengan perkara ini.
English Translation: The high court of religion has studied the case file and all documents related
to this case.
Categories
Participant Accuracy Clarity Naturalness

No. 1 3 3 3

No. 2 3 3 3

No. 3 2 3 2
 No. 4 2 3 3

No. 5 2 3 3

No. 6 2 2 2

No. 7 3 3 3

The table above shows that the accuracy scores given for the results of the second
translation text are different. Some gave scores of 2 (57.1%) and 3 (42.9%) due to the reasons for
selecting inappropriate dictionaries, and others stated that many word choices should be corrected,
for example, the word "the respondent's": better use "the appellant." The table then shows that the
participants' clarity scores are 2 (14.3%) and 3 (85.7%), indicating that it is clarity or lucidity as to
perception or understanding; freedom from ambiguity. However, the reason for selecting 2 is that
while the translation is understandable, there are some ambiguous words, such as "sleeping," which
does not specify to whom it refers. Furthermore, the last two scores for naturalness are 2 (28.6%)
and 3 (71.4%) because the translated sentences already look natural and fit the purpose of the
language. Naturalness in the translation itself means that a text looks familiar to readers in the
target language.

Discussion
The three translations received different scores based on the data already stated. Each
translation text received various responses from the seven participants in succession. Furthermore,
Larson (1984) stated that a translation could be classified into three levels in terms of assessment.
The first was excellent, with only one or two mistakes. Second, with a three to five accuracy, called
with moderates. The latter is poor, with over six errors in the translation text.
Larson (1984: 485–487) states three crucial requirements of good translation: accuracy,
clarity, and naturalness. From the findings of the three translations, the seven participants from the
TLD class assessed that the translations are moderate to excellent and just a little bit poor in
accuracy, clarity, and naturalness. As a result, there are abnormal results. Some participants gave
one value, and others gave 2 and 3. This could imply that the students still experienced cognitive
dissonance when evaluating a legal text translation.

The participants assess the translations based on their feelings because the assessment
results can differ from one translation text to another. This can be seen from the scale on which
numbers 1–3 have been provided and the reasons they wrote that indicate that even though they
give identical scores, there are different reasons for the score given. It should also be noted that
many participants did not provide clear reasons for the mistakes they identified in the text. Thus,
it can be said that the participants provided a general explanation.

Conclusion
It can be concluded that assessing a legal text translation requires high accuracy. The
assessment is adjusted to existing criteria. Based on the translated legal text's accuracy, clarity, and
naturalness, this study obtained imbalanced data, some respondents rated it one. In contrast, others
gave it two or three. This results in inaccurate data.
Thus, some of the respondents sampled in this study needed to judge correctly. Some
participants wrote down their reasons in general. The rest of the participants wrote the reasons by
using inappropriate words. In other words, some respondents still judge solely based on their
feelings. It means they do not see errors in the text of the legal document's translations.
References

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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110259889.1
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California: SAGA.
 APPENDIX

No 1 Accuracy

Clarity
 Naturalness

No 2 Accuracy
Clarity
 Naturalness

No 3 Accuracy
Clarity

Naturalness