The translated page still needs the original beside it
My media evidence included a full-page feature in the French publication La Tribune. An English translation made the words readable to someone who did not read French.
My media evidence included a full-page feature in the French publication La Tribune.
An English translation made the words readable to someone who did not read French.
The original page still mattered.
It preserved the source as it appeared:
- publication name
- article title
- date
- byline when available
- page layout
- the visible relationship between the article and the publication
A translation and an original do different jobs.
The translation gives the reader access to the meaning.
The original helps the reader identify the document that was actually published.
Do not let the translation float in the exhibit packet like a new document with no visible source.
Keep the pair connected.
Use the same identifying details in the exhibit list, the cover letter, the original, and the translation. If the translated title is not literal, make the relationship clear instead of quietly changing the name.
Before finalizing a translated exhibit, check four lines:
- **Original:** Can the reader see what the source document is?
- **Translation:** Can the reader understand the relevant text?
- **Match:** Do the title, date, publication, and page order clearly connect?
- **Claim:** Does the petition explain what this document helps prove?
Translation solves a language problem.
It should not create a provenance problem.