How EULAs are being (poorly) translated and why?

What is it about?

After close observation of the general practices of translating End-User License Agreements (EULAs) from English into Spanish, it was found that there were inconsistencies in the way in which translation companies dealt with the problem of the legal terms and principles found in this type of document. Some companies accounted for the difference between the legal requirements of the source text and the target text whilst others did not. This finding flagged up the need to analyse how EULAs were being translated, and to determine how research into the translation process could contribute to improving the way in which professional translators approached the translation of these documents. The aim of the LAW10n project was first to analyze all relevant aspects of the translation of software license agreements from English into Spanish and, secondly, to improve the quality of these translations by ensuring that the differences in the legal requirements of source and target texts are taken into account during the translation process, thereby best satisfying the communicative goal. The methodology used in the project was based on direct observation and interviews with translators and companies involved in translating EULAs using a validated questionnaire. Analysis of the data obtained provided a general description of the process of translation used and evidenced its shortcomings. As a result, proposals have been made for the improvement of the process of translating EULAs, including the creation of a web-based tool with translation resources. Future research contemplates expanding the datagathering process and proposals for improvements in the translation of these documents in other languages and cultures.

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