The paper proposes a translation model for contracts in which different stances, i.e. Snell
Hornby’s integrated approach (1995), the functionalist views with the 'skopos' theory
(Reiß & Vermeer 1984) and the concept of 'cultureme' (Oksaar 1988: 26-27; Vermeer 1983:
8; Nord 1997: 34), as well as Chesterman’s theory of 'memes' (1997) are upgraded with
the findings of comparative law regarding differences between legal systems and their
impacts on the corresponding legal languages. The model consists of ten phases, each
addressing one of the specific linguistic and extra-linguistic aspects of the contract as a
text type. When translating contracts, a very specific situation may arise with respect to
the cultural embeddedness of the target text, since memes of different legal cultures
may co-exist on its various levels in order to meet the 'skopos' of the translation. This is
especially the case when the contracting parties decide to use a third language as a
'lingua franca', which may lack any direct correlation with the legal culture(s)
underlying the contract.
