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Case Studies

Farsi Translation Center interpreted for TV news channels like MSNBC, HBO, the Asia Society, and Federal and New York State court systems. We have translated books, articles, and publishing materials for individuals, museums, and universities.

We help individuals, law firms, and companies overcome challenges, save time and improve the quality of their Farsi translations. Here are a few of their stories.

Case Study:

Documented Success
Case Study for Documentary Translation

Overview

My client, a production company developing a documentary, needed an expert translator for their project. Their production team lacked critical linguistic expertise, and had a strict timetable in which to complete the work.

This case study reviews the challenges inherent in the project, and how I leveraged my professionalism and cultural insight — not just my translation skills — to deliver on project goals.

Essential to our shared success was my confidence as a translator and cultural advisor, and the natural trust this gained from the client.

Project Plan

Translation is not formulaic work. It requires interpretation and insight into an author or speaker’s intent. The sensitive nature of this work is further compounded when dealing with emotional subjects and live speakers.

Since this project involved translation for a documentary, we had to do justice to the facts and the intent of our speakers. An additional concern was the artistic standards of our client, since presentation and connotation can have an impact on the viewer.

The project consisted of four hour-long videos, and included interviews, real footage, and official scenes of historic events. These segments were already edited for TV, and required translation that fit within the existing format.

Although one of the directors was an Iranian, none of the production staff spoke Farsi, which resulted in further complications with subtitles that were already translated. Open availability and communication was a must.

Execution

In order to facilitate the client’s production schedule, I maintained open communication and kept ahead of deadlines. Working with the production team and understanding the roles of those involved proved essential for incorporating my suggestions into the final content. I met with the team at their offline editing suite, and familiarized myself with their workflow so that I could adapt my input to their process.

This level of translation required precision work. Editing by seconds or even a frame too many could result in missing words and other issues. Once the production team understood my input, they even weighed their editing decisions on background I provided regarding culture, timeframe of events, and subtleties of the language.

The editing process was demanding, and I made myself available at all times so that we could continue the work as needed during weekends or after business hours. When traveling, I held remote meetings with the client via conference call.

Conclusion

The result of our efforts was that the documentary finished on-schedule, and to good reviews. Rotten Tomatoes called the finished piece “Thorough, balanced and provocative” and it received the 2023 winner of news and documentary Emmys Award for outstanding historical documentary.

The team expressed their personal gratitude, stating, “We couldn’t have done it without you!” and that my work gave them “peace of mind” in ensuring the integrity of the project.

Essential to our shared success was my confidence as a translator and cultural advisor, and the natural trust this gained from the client. As always, expertise and professionalism go hand-in-hand.

Case Study:

Correctly Translating a Complicated Article of Law

Overview

The City of New York needed an overview of a formal government release discussing recent changes in federal law concerning the immigration status of immigrants already in the country translated into Farsi.

Challenge

The English text, written for the layman, was a simplified version of a more complicated article of law known as the “public charge rule.” Their original translator had done a literal translation – “charging the public by the government” – that did not convey the author’s intended meaning. Without defining what “public charge” means from a legal standpoint, Farsi-speaking New Yorkers would be misinformed instead of being provided the necessary legal guidance.

Solution

Farsi Translation Center researched the original article of the law, read several pages of comprehensive explanation, and re-translated the information so it accurately conveyed the intent of the law.
Result
An accurate translation for the City of New York. Our client was grateful that they did not publish the original translation as mistakes such as this could result in a lawsuit against the entity that publishes the information.

Case Study:

From Illegible to Clearly Translated

Overview

Translating a Farsi Binding Conveyance Deed that was illegible.

Challenge

The original typewritten document – a poorly taken photograph of the original deed – could not be read as the resolution of the image was too low. In order for it to be a legally binding document, as the original was, the entire document needed to be translated. The client also had a very tight and very strict deadline.

Solution

Farsi Translation Center worked with the client to come up with a way to scan the original documents to produce a legible text. The entire Binding Conveyance Deed was translated and can be used for any future legal matters the client needs.
Result

A job well done. As the client stated, “I highly recommend Sepideh Moussavi and her translation and interpretation services, Farsi Translation Center. Sepideh and her associate provided exceptional customer and translation services. They worked diligently to meet my time requirements and precisely to extract information from a document that had subpar resolution. The result was the delivery of a high-quality translation with expedited delivery.”

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Our Clients

Farsi Translation Center’s clients include:

Courts

Civil Court
Criminal Court
Family Court
State Supreme Court

Civil lawyers

Criminal attorneys
Employment law firms
Family lawyers
Immigration attorneys
Diplomats

New York State Courts

Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
Bronx
Long Island (Nassau County, Suffolk County)
Albany

New Jersey Courts

Bergen county
Elizabethtown
Hackensack
Morristown
Newark

Federal Courts

Southern District of New York

Resources we use

Online Resources

For Learning

Persian of Iran Today فارسی ايران امروز

- by Anousha Shahsavari and Blake Atwood.

A Frequency Dictionary of Persian: Core vocabulary for learners (Routledge Frequency Dictionaries)

- by Corey Miller and Karineh Aghajanian-Stewart.

Legal

Black’s Law Dictionary, 10th. edition

- by Bryan A. Garner

English-Persian Dictionary of Legal and Commercial Terms

- by K. Fahim, J. Habibion, and F. Vittor

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