A decade ago, China had recently joined the WTO, and I had just graduated with a dual degree in English and law. Convinced that WTO-driven opportunities would create a growing demand for legal translation, I saw it as the perfect way to combine my passion for language with my legal background, finally allowing me to put my years of study to practical use. Full of excitement, I jumped into the field without hesitation but had no idea what real legal translation required.
The first few years were tough. I struggled with the gap between academic knowledge and practical demands. Legal language was far more specialized than what I had learned in school, and the theoretical knowledge I had gained didn’t always align with the documents I was translating. I quickly realized I had to go further. At the time, legal translation resources were much harder to find than they are now. I turned to books by Chen Zhongcheng, a highly respected legal translator and critic known for his meticulous approach, and Sun Wanbiao’s A Course in Translation of Legal Documents, where I memorized sentence structures and clause patterns. Later, I spent hours dissecting Hong Kong’s bilingual legal texts, which maintained high translation standards in both legal and financial disclosures. I also explored SEC filings, analyzing how leading law firms drafted their M&A transactions, fund disclosures, and compliance reports.
As my translation skills improved, so did the complexity of the work. I moved from straightforward legal documents to handling complex transactional and arbitration materials. I am especially grateful to the legal professionals at international law firms, particularly discerning bilingual lawyers like Lawyer K, whose trust allowed me to handle core legal documents that most external translators rarely had access to. Their detailed feedback on key clauses, legal reasoning, and the finer points of legal logic was invaluable, helping me refine my translations and understand what professional clients really needed. Through ongoing collaboration, I learned to go beyond surface-level accuracy and focus on the legal logic, clause intent, and reasoning behind each document.
On the technical side, I became proficient in CAT tools like Trados and Across, integrated Black’s Law Dictionary into my Trados TM, and built my own knowledge management system, incorporating valuable client feedback on my translations to enhance accuracy. A special thanks to my good friend Lawrence, who turned many of my wild ideas into reality. He developed customized tools tailored to my workflow, significantly improving both efficiency and accuracy.
Looking back, the journey has been full of challenges, but also opportunities. I faced setbacks and uncertainties, yet with persistence and the support of those who trusted me, I kept moving forward. As I step into the next decade, I remain committed to refining my skills and embracing whatever comes next.