Abstract
With China’s greater endeavor in reform and opening-up, an urgent need has been created for the building and improvement of its legal system. Hence, a large number of laws and regulations have been drawn up and put into operation for the purpose of facilitating the ever-growing economic exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries. In order to ensure a full knowledge and understanding of such laws and regulations by the outside world, they have to be rendered into English in a correct and sound manner, therefore, more and more attention has been aroused toward Chinese-English translation of legal documents. In addition, China’s new membership in the WTO has also added a strong impetus to the need for this kind of translation. As we know, there exist two kinds of translation in legal documents, namely Chinese-English translation or vice versa. However, only Chinese-English translation of legal documents will be discussed here. This article is especially designed to make a comparatively comprehensive analysis on the features of English for legal profession, on the basis of which a range of approaches and a set of principles in this drive are suggested accordingly in the hope of making due contribution to the cause of such translation.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abstract
- Foreword………………………………………………………………………………………1
- General Introduction of ELP…………………………………………………………….2
2.1 Concept of ELP………………………………………………………………………………2
2.2 Etymology of ELP…………………………………………………………………………..2
2.2.1 Archaic words…………………………………………………………………………..3
2.2.2 Loan words………………………………………………………………………………4
2.2.2.1 Latin words in ELP……………………………………………………………….4
2.2.2.2 French words in ELP………………………………………………………………5
2.2.3 Legal terms……………………………………………………………………………..6
2.2.3.1 Legalized common words……………………………………………………….7
2.2.3.2 Technical terms for legal profession……………………………………………8
2.2.4 Jargons from other fields…………………………………………………….10
III. Features of ELP…………………………………………………………………11
3.1 Features in lexicon………………………………………………………………..11
3.1.1 Solemnity and formality in verbiage with little use of subjective adjectives and adverbs………………………………………………………………….11
3.1.2 Repetition of synonyms………………………………………………………11
3.1.3 Vagueness under the principle of exactness…………………………………12
3.1.4 Semantic unitarity and rigidity………………………………………………16
3.1.5 Frequent use of compound prepositional phrases……………………………17
3.2 Features in application of parts of speech………………………………………..17
3.2.1 Feature in usage of pronouns…………………………………………………17
3.2.2 Feature in usage of nouns……………………………………………………..18
3.2.3 Feature in usage of verbs………………………………………………………19
3.2.4 Feature in usage of adjectives and verbs……………………………………..19
3.3 Features in grammar……………………………………………………………..20
3.3.1 Usage of imperative words and modal verbs on a large scale………………..20
3.3.2 Tense and voice………………………………………………………………20
3.3.3 Usage of non-predicate verbs………………………………………………..21
3.3.4 Omission of articles…………………………………………………………..21
3.3.5 Special usages of “shall” and “may” ………………………………………..22
3.3.6 Special usage of “where” ……………………………………………………23
3.4 Features in sentence pattern and structure………………………………………..23
3.4.1 Usage of assertive sentences…………………………………………………23
3.4.2 Usage of long and complicated sentences……………………………………24
3.4.2.1 Application of adverbial clauses…………………………………………25
3.4.2.2 Application of relative clauses……………………………………………26
3.4.2.3 Combined application of complex sentences……………………………26
3.4.3 Usage of passive-voice sentences……………………………………………27
3.4.4 Usage of complete sentences…………………………………………………27
3.4.5 Usage of attributive clauses………………………………………………….28
- Specific approaches in Chinese-English translation of Legal Documents…..29
4.1 Choice of words…………………………………………………………………..29
4.1.1 Proper use of archaic words…………………………………………………29
4.1.2 Proper use of loan words……………………………………………………..30
4.1.3 Proper use of repetition of synonyms…………………………………………30
4.2 Choice of sentence patterns…………………………………………………………….31
4.2.1 Proper use of nominalization structures……………………………………………31
4.2.2 Proper use of passive-voice sentences………………………………………………32
4.2.3 Proper use of conditional sentences…………………………………………………32
4.3 Logical analysis and correct conveying of true meaning…………………………………34
4.3.1 Effective use of English function words…………………………………………………34
4.3.2 Proper use of singular and plural forms of nouns…………………………………….35
4.4 Literacy in legal knowledge………………………………………………………………………..36
- Principles in Chinese-English Translation of Legal Documents…………………..37
5.1 Principle of using formal words and expressions…………………………………………..37
5.2 Principle of preciseness………………………………………………………………………………38
5.3 Principle of conciseness……………………………………………………………………………..39
5.4 Principle of term consistency……………………………………………………………………….40
5.5 Principle of using legal terms………………………………………………………………………42
- Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………43
VII. Prospect…………………………………………………………………………………………………44
Notes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….45
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………….47
