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Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

um prazo inferior a 12 (doze) horas

English translation:

a time limit of less than twelve (12) hours

Added to glossary by Adrian MM. (X)
Aug 2, 2015 11:49
8 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Portuguese term

um prazo inferior a 12 (doze) horas

Portuguese to English Law/Patents Law (general) Writing out numbers - style question
Most Brazilian legal documents tend to write numbers in digits and then in full, in brackets, as the example above (at least when the author remembers to do it!).

How should this be rendered in American legal texts? I am unable to find any reliabe reference source that addresses the question. Perhaps American texts do not write numbers in the two formats? After all, it is a hangover from the days of handwritten legal documents, when poor handwriting could cause doubts. With documents printed from digital files, there is no doubt about what number is meant.

I have heard a suggestion that, in English, the order would be inverted: ex. "a deadline of less than twelve (12) hours". Is this the case? Can anyone point out a reliable reference source that deals with this subject?

Have a wonderful Sunday!
Proposed translations (English)
4 (AmE/BrE/IrE) a time limit of less than twelve (12) hours
4 +3 within less than twelve (12) hours / within twelve (12) hours, at the most
4 a time lower than 12 hours
Change log

Aug 7, 2015 07:36: Adrian MM. (X) Created KOG entry

Discussion

Mario Freitas Aug 2, 2015:
This beats it https://www.google.com.br/search?q="within lees than * hours...
T o b i a s Aug 2, 2015:
As to the translation, I'd word it something like
https://goo.gl/HWevDi
Mario Freitas Aug 2, 2015:
Apoiados João e Tobias, O padrão em PT é NNN (extenso), mas em inglês é Extenso (###). Eu sempre troco a ordem quando traduzo. Só não vou dar meu "agree" na sugestão do Adrian, porque o restante do trecho não está natural em EN. Deveria ser "Within less than twelve (12) hours", sem complicar. Como a questão é Pro e pode ir para o glossário, temos de considerar o trecho inteiro.
T o b i a s Aug 2, 2015:
Marcilio recommends writing out the value in words and following with (localized) Roman numerals in parenthesis.
Joao Marcelo Trovao Aug 2, 2015:
Martin Sem medo! Digamos que isto seja até um "padrão", em português 12 (doze), em inglês twelve (12). Está na maioria dos guias de estilo, todos os tradutores "peso-pesado" que conheço usam este padrão e sempre encontro isto em documentos redigidos originalmente em inglês. Cheers!
Martin Riordan (asker) Aug 2, 2015:
I am vvery grateful for these useful contributions. Tobias, I do not have this dictionary, but will look into it. Does Marcilio recommend inverting the order in Portuguese, or when translating into English?
Charles R. Castleberry Aug 2, 2015:
I maintained the Brazilian style for a very long time until attending a lecture at the ATA annual conference last year (which instructed otherwise) and, to boot, every contract or formal document I have seen here in the States spells out the number first and places the digit in parentheses afterwards
T o b i a s Aug 2, 2015:
Hi Martin,
Do you have a copy of Dicionário de Direito, Econômica e Contabilidade? In the 4th edition, on page 783, Marcílio recommends inverting the order.
Danik 2014 Aug 2, 2015:
https://www.google.com.br/search?q=less than 12 months emplo...
But I would keep it both ways as in the original.

Proposed translations

4 hrs
Selected

(AmE/BrE/IrE) a time limit of less than twelve (12) hours

Though the quote is Kenneth A. Adams, an Am. Attorney who in his turn quotes fellow Am. lawyer Bryan Garner, the British/Irish legal drafting technique is predictably the same, namely using letters first and then digits in brackets.

However, punctuation may be different and care should be taken to see that articles and lectures on 'universal' English legal drafting by US and Can. exponents always carry Trans-Atlantically, esp. in litigation vs. contract.

Example sentence:

Drafters are prone to this loose use of anniversary—”month anniversary” occurs in ... on the one (1) month anniversary following [read one month after] the First Closing Date. ... 2013) and from the AdamsDrafting blog (from May 2006 to December 2010

Reference:

http://www.adamsdrafting.com/anniversary/

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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to all for your contributions."
5 hrs

a time lower than 12 hours

My source is the dictionary of Marcílio Moreira de Castro.

If the sentence is according to Brazilian Law, prazo = time, and you don`t need to write out the number.
Something went wrong...
+3
5 hrs

within less than twelve (12) hours / within twelve (12) hours, at the most

Sugestão, somente para fins de glossário, já que a pergunta era sobre o parênteses e o Adrian já respondeu corretamente.
Peer comment(s):
agree Charles R. Castleberry : OR within no more than .... https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&...
3 hrs
Thanks, Charles!
agree connie leite
1 day 4 hrs
Obrigado, Connie!
agree Loreta Saddi
2 days 7 hrs
Obrigado, Loreta!
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