February 17, 2006

Legal Language, On the Fly

By PETER MONAGHAN

Tune in from the master console to this room's dozen simultaneous-interpreting booths, and a torrent of Spanish pours forth.

A class of seven students in the College of Charleston's master's program in bilingual legal interpretation is battling a particularly difficult exercise in interpreting courtroom English.

Fluent speakers of Spanish: Try translating, on the fly, terms like "vicarious admission," "mens rea," "attractive nuisance," and "failure to Shephardize."

A tape

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