Hancock

Amigos,

has anyone had some trouble understanding the handwriting on a foreign birth, divorce or marriage certificate? We have the same problem. What did you for the sentences that you could not read or understand? Did you still translate them? let me know, thanks!

hancock

Noorah101

If I couldn't read it myself, I took it to someone else who speaks that language, or I took it to a professional translation service.

Rene

Hancock

thanks noorah, although we've already tried the translating service but they couldn't help us. It is not a matter of whether or not you can read that language but rather the poor handwriting portion at the bottom of her birth certificate... we don't know if we should just skip it or state that it could not be translated due to not being legible...?

Noorah101

If it's just not legible to anyone, you can certainly state that in your translation. I would do that, rather than skip it entirely. That means you acknowledge it says something, but it's not legible enough to read. Just translate whatever is around it, and say "illegible" where that part is.

After all, you are certifying that you have translated that document "to the best of your ability", and if no one can read it, then that's the best you can do.

Rene