论中文成文法的英译缺陷与应对技巧

论文摘要

随着中国在世界政治、经济发展中扮演越来越重要的角色,世界需要更多地了解中国的成文法,同时,中国在加入世界贸易组织工作组报告书中向世界承诺翻译与世界贸易相关的中国法律,两者共同促使中文成文法的英译居于重要位置。因此,本论文作者选择中文成文法的英译作为讨论的对象。因为中、英文成文法在篇章层次上基本相同,所以本论文集中在词汇层面和句法层面对中文成文法的英译展开讨论。尽中文成文法的翻译而言,译者有必要掌握法律英语的特点以确保其译本听起来像法律文本而非小说或私人信件。所以本论文首先在词汇层面和句法层面详细讨论了法律英语的特点。李克兴先生认为：单一的国内外翻译理论如严复的“信达雅”或奈达的“动态对等”都不能理想地指导成文法翻译。因此,本论文作者在第三章采纳了四条译者应遵循的翻译原则,即：精确原则、同一原则、简练原则和目标读者原则。尽作者所知,目标读者原则作为法律翻译原则是首次由本论文作者提出。为了真正了解中文成文法英译的现状,本论文作者仔细研究了收录在法律出版社2007年出版的一个系列共七本书中的一百多部中文成文法的英译文本。依据上文所述翻译原则,这些成文法的英译文本中存在这样那样的缺陷,尽管这些缺陷和大量英译本相比只占一小部分但它们着实存在。本论文第四章详细讨论了这些翻译缺陷。最后,本论文作者在词汇层面和句法层面提出一些翻译技巧以期能帮助译者在以后的翻译中避免类似缺陷。只要译者牢记法律英语的特点和翻译原则,这些翻译技巧一定能帮助他们避免类似翻译缺陷从而译出令人满意的译本。

论文目录

• Abstract
• 摘要
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Significance of This Thesis
• 1.2 Literature Review
• 1.3 Types of Legal Texts
• 1.4 Scope and Innovation of This Thesis
• 1.5 Structure of This Thesis
• Chapter 2 Features of Legal English
• 2.1 Features of Lexicon
• 2.1.1 Common Words with Specific Legal Meaning
• 2.1.2 Terminology
• 2.1.3 Formal Words
• 2.1.4 Archaic Words
• 2.1.5 Modal Verbs
• 2.2 Features of Syntax
• 2.2.1 Declarative Sentences
• 2.2.2 Complete Sentences
• 2.2.3 Passive Sentences
• 2.2.4 Parallel Structures
• Chapter 3 Translation Principles
• 3.1 Principles Put Forward by Others
• 3.2 Principles Adopted in This Thesis
• 3.2.1 The Principle of Preciseness
• 3.2.2 The Principle of Consistency
• 3.2.3 The Principle of Conciseness
• 3.2.4 The Principle of Reader Orientation
• Chapter 4 Defects of English Translation of Chinese Statutory Laws
• 4.1 Violation of the Principle of Preciseness
• 4.1.1 Mistranslations of Modal Verbs
• 4.1.2 Mistranslations Caused by Words Which Have Similar Meanings
• 4.1.3 Mistranslations Caused by Misinterpreting the Original Texts
• 4.1.4 Other Mistranslations
• 4.2 Violation of the Principle of Consistency
• 4.2.1 Term Inconsistency in the Same Law
• 4.2.2 Term Inconsistency in Different Laws
• 4.2.3 Syntax Inconsistency
• 4.3 Violation of the Principle of Conciseness
• 4.3.1 Tautology
• 4.3.2 Other Translations Which are not Concise
• 4.4 Violation of the Principle of Reader Orientation
• 4.4.1 At the Lexical Level
• 4.4.2 At the Syntactic Level
• Chapter 5 Translation Techniques
• 5.1 Techniques at the Lexical Level
• 5.1.1 Choice of Words
• 5.1.2 Addition or Omission of Words
• 5.1.3 Conversion of Part of Speech
• 5.1.4 Use of Archaic Words
• 5.1.5 Translation of Modal Verbs
• 5.2 Techniques at the Syntactic Level
• 5.2.1 Translation of Zero Subject Sentences
• 5.2.2 Translation of the"... 的" Structure
• 5.2.3 Translation of Predicates
• 5.2.4 Translation of Attributives
• 5.2.5 Translation of Adverbials
• 5.2.6 Translation of Passive Sentences
• Chapter 6 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements