Updated 2002-04-21
Certifying Translations
by Boilerplate Translations Committee
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It is preferable to print the translator's certification on
the same page as part of the translation, so as to reduce
the possibility of mistake or substitution. It is not
necessary to address the certification to anyone. (Ray
Roman J.D., Honyaku, 5 September 1999)
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Depending on the laws of the country in which the
certification will be used, the statement of accuracy and
completeness, if not in the form of a declaration, will
probably have to be sworn to (oath/affidavit) before a
notary public or other such officially recognized witness.
U.S. law allows substitution of a statutory declaration in
place of a sworn oath under most circumstances, and it is
very easy to add the few lines necessary to transform the
statement into a statutory declaration, in which case the
statement need not be sworn to before a notary public.
(Gerry Peters, JAT-list, 26 May 2000)
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If you are not using the statutory declaration format, or
the laws of the country in which the certification will be
used do not permit substitution of a declaration for an
oath, you will probably need to have your signature
witnessed, or "notarized," by - depending on the laws of
the applicable country - a solicitor, notary public or
justice of the peace (so don't sign in advance). Have the
authorized person witnessing your signature sign/stamp/seal
your statement and preferably also emboss it with his or
her official seal (this service is free or available at a
nominal charge in most countries). This simply demonstrates
that they have seen you sign the document - it is you who
is attesting to the accuracy of the translation. Each
certified document that you deliver to your client will
generally have to be individually notarized in this way -
photocopies are generally not acceptable.
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Be sure to sign and date your statement of accuracy (but
don't sign or date in advance if you'll be getting your
statement notarized). Further identification (your company
name, address, phone number, etc.) and the venue (place
where executed = signed) are also nice touches. You can
even get one of those embossing seals made to your order
with words like "[Insert your name here], Professional
Translator," and use that to emboss one of those big old
starburst-type seals which you can stick next to your
signature for the full legal effect. (Gerry Peters,
JAT-list, 11 December 2000) (NAATI-accredited
translators can use their NAATI stamp.)
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If a legal firm sends you a prepared statutory declaration
to sign and it contains an error, cross it out and initial
the change. The person witnessing the declaration will also
have to initial the change.
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Do not confuse certification with accreditation.
Certification refers to a statement as to the accuracy of
one's translation, while accreditation refers to
recognition of one's professional competence by an external
accrediting body such as the American
Translators Association, the Institute of Linguists, or
the National Accrediting
Authority for Translators & Interpreters
(NAATI).
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Below are some sample formats for certifying the accuracy
of your translations.
(1) To the best of my knowledge and belief, said
translation is a true and correct English rendering of the
original document in Japanese.
(2)
CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION
I, ... (name) ..., residing at ........ (address) ......, do
hereby certify:
That I know both the English and Japanese languages
well;
That I translated the attached Japanese-language document into
the English language;
That the attached English-language translation is a true and
correct translation of the attached Japanese-language document
to the best of my knowledge and belief.
______[signature]__________
______ [name]_____________
(3) I hereby certify that I am able to read and write both
Japanese and English fluently, and that the foregoing is a true
and accurate translation of the Japanese document to the best
of my knowledge.
Signed: ___________________
(4) I, the undersigned, am an able translator of Japanese to
English, and I hereby certify that the above is an accurate and
complete translation of the document bearing the names and
stamps as represented.
Signed: ___________________
(5) I attest by my signature below that I have translated
the attached document [describe the document or use its
title] accurately to the best of my professional
ability.
(6) I hereby declare (say "certify" if not in
declaration format, or use the noncommittal "state" to
cover either possibility) that I am a professional
translator of the Japanese and English languages; further that,
among other qualifications, I am accredited by the American
Translators Association for Japanese-to-English translation;
further that to the best of my knowledge and belief the
foregoing is a complete and accurate English-language
translation of the accompanying Japanese-language original;
(wording from this point on is thought to be suitable for U.S.
statutory declaration format:) further that all statements
made herein of my own knowledge are true and that all
statements made on information and belief are believed to be
true; and further that these statements were made with the
knowledge that willful false statements and the like so made
are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, under Section
1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code (if submitted in
connection with a case before the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, add: "...and that such willful false statements may
jeopardize the validity of any application for patent
associated herewith or any patent issued thereon").
(Gerry Peters, JAT-list, 11 December 2000)
(7) (If required to make a statutory declaration for the Land
Titles Office in Australia, for example, add wording such as
the following, changing the name and date of the Act as
appropriate.)
Annexed hereto and marked "A", is a Japanese-language
document, being the family register of [name], the whole of
which I have translated into the English language.
Annexed hereto and marked "B", is my English-language
translation of the document marked "A" which is a true and
correct translation of that document to the best of my
knowledge and belief.
AND I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing
the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the
Oaths Act 1867 (Qld).
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