English Chinese
Sworn Translation

Sworn Translation by
High Court Chinese Sworn Translators

A sworn translation of a document is the legal equivalent of the original document for evidentiary purposes in the court of law. A sworn translator has sworn an oath in the high court of South Africa to “translate faithfully and correctly to the best of his knowledge and ability”. To ensure that a translation is recognized as a sworn translation, sworn translators stamp and sign every page of their translation and add a statement certifying that “it is a true translation of the original”. Sworn translators carry a heavy responsibility, because their work can have life-changing consequences for the people involved.

Affidavits
Birth certificates
Business permits
Constitutions

Contracts
Educational certificates
Forensic reports
Marriage certificates

Medical reports
Orders of divorce
Patents
Testimonies

Sworn Translation
vs.
Ordinary Translation

Since a sworn translation is done for legal purposes, the translation should be clearly recognisable as the same document, with all the information as in the original, even if some of it seems unnecessary or repetitious. Sworn translators assume that every word and every nuance has a purpose, and reproduce the content, every signature, every stamp in the way they appear on the original.

Here is a summary of the differences between sworn translator and general translator:

A sworn translator will ask to see the original documents or certified copies of the original documents. An ordinary translator will accept faxed or e-mailed versions of the original documents.
A sworn translator will provide the translation in hard copy. An ordinary translator might e-mail or fax the translation, or might provide only an electronic copy.
A sworn translator will stam pevery page of the translation with an official-looking stamp. An ordinary translator will probably not stamp the translation at all.
A sworn translator will certify on every page of the translation that it is a “true translation of the original” and will date and sign each page. An ordinary translator might provide a declaration and signature on a separate page only, if at all.