交际论视角下的法律文本英译的研究
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摘要
随着改革开放的深化与经济的发展,尤其是中国加入世界贸易组织以来,中国法律文本的英译在我国对外贸易、国际交流以及对外法律交流等活动中发挥了越来越重要的作用。
传统上,翻译被人们视为一个语言的转换代码的过程,因此保留原文的意义历来是翻译的主要目标,法律翻译者也一直受限于忠实于原文这一传统原则,在此原则下,译者失去了决策的权力,其中心任务即是复制原文的意义。而根据Susan (?)ar(?)evi(?)的观点,法律翻译研究的侧重点发生了一系列变化,翻译从单纯的文本转换到法律机制中的交际行为((?)ar(?)evi(?), 1997, p. 55),译者被赋予了决策的权力,在有多种因素交织的交际过程中扮演了积极重要的角色;这一观点解放了译者,使他们也成为文本创作者,能够根据不同的交际情景、采取各种翻译策略创作新的文本((?)ar(?)evi(?) 1997,p. 18)。根据这种观点,即使译者无法复制出原文的意义,却可以创造一个功能大体近似的文本,即创造出具有同样司法效果的法律文本。
本文根据(?)ar(?)evi(?)的交际功能论,探讨在中国与世界的法律交流日益频繁的背景下,中国法律文本英译的目标、读者对象、地位等交际环境的改变及其重新定位,并指出法律法规翻译存在的困难和问题,据此提出在新的交际情景下法律翻译的总体原则:以达到一致的法律效力为目标,关照目标法律系统的现状,重视目标语接受者,尽量遵从法律英语的表达规范以及翻译策略创新。本文尝试以中国合同法的英文译本作为个案研究对象,指出其翻译的功能、读者对象(即译本接受者)、地位等交际环境的改变及其对翻译原则、策略的影响,并具体分析现有译文在传统的英译原则指导下,在概念、术语、尤其是在篇章结构及风格等语言方面存在的问题,并参照法律法规翻译的总体原则提出一些具体的翻译策略,同时考察在交际论基础上提出的以接受者为中心的翻译原则及策略在改善合同法译文方面的适用性及有效性。本文主要以法律规范性文本(或称立法性文本)为研究对象,因此选取中华人民共和国合同法的英译作为样本进行个案研究,并将运用语篇分析和语言对比研究等手段进行文本分析。所选译文大部分出自由中国法制出版社、外文出版社出版的合同法英文版以及孙万彪所编《汉英法律翻译教程》。为探讨目标语所在法系的特点及与国际条约、惯例的一致的要求,本文将《国际货物销售公约》作为参照文本用于与合同法的对比研究。
With the deepening of reform and opening up and economic development, in particular with China’s accession to WTO, C-E translation of legal texts has played an increasingly important role in the promotion of foreign trade, foreign exchange as well as international legal communication.
Traditionally, translation is largely regarded as a process of transcoding a message from one language to another, whereby the primary goal is to preserve the meaning of the SL. Accordingly legal translators have been bound by the principle of fidelity to the original text. Under the guideline, translator is denied the power of decision-making and his or her central task is to duplicate the meaning of the original. According to Susan (?)ar(?)evi(?), however, the main emphasis in legal translation theory has shifted from interlingual transference to an act of communication in the mechanism of the law (1997, p. 55). Legal translators, being given power of decision-making, play an active role in communication including various aspects. This idea has liberated the translator, transforming him/her into a text producer whose task is to create a new text by selecting a translation strategy based on an analysis of the particular communicative situation ((?)ar(?)evi(?), 1997, p. 18). While translators cannot produce parallel texts①which are equal in meaning, they can produce a text that will lead to the same legal effects in practice.
With the increasing communication between China and the world, this thesis, based on (?)ar(?)evi(?)’s communicative approach, aims at exploring the re-identification of function, receivers and status of the translation of Chinese legal texts in terms of the changing communicative situation. Based on the analysis of the status quo of the translation of Chinese legal texts, the author attempts to point out the existing difficulties and problems in the new communicative situation and put forward the general principles for the C-E legal translation to overcome the difficulties and tackle the problems. These principles consist of targeting equal legal effects, considering the status quo of target legal system, focusing on the reception of target receivers, obeying the expressive rules of legal English and being creative in translation strategies
This thesis takes the translation of normative legal text (or legislative text) as the object of the study. Therefore, the translation of Contract Law of the PRC is used as a subject of a case study and it will be examined by the means of textual analyis as well as contrastive study. A close examination to the current translations of Contract Law of the PRC will be conducted to show some typical conceptual, lexical, textual and stylistic problems under the guidance of the traditional principle for C-E translation which cannot adapt to the new communicative situation. Finally, based on the analyses of the suggested principles for C-E translation, some specific translation strategies are proposed. The efficiency of these principles and strategies are examined through the improvement of translation of Contract Law of the PRC.
In this thesis, some of translations in this thesis are selected from the translation version by Foreign Language Press (1999, hereafter called FLP), by China Legal System Publishing House (1999, hereafter called CLSPH), by Fu Weiliang (2002), or by Sun Wanbiao (2004) respectively. Some are dealt with by the author of the thesis. Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on Contract for the International Sale of Goods in 1980 (hereafter called CISG) is frequently compared with the Contract Law of the PRC for their close and inherent ties.
传统上,翻译被人们视为一个语言的转换代码的过程,因此保留原文的意义历来是翻译的主要目标,法律翻译者也一直受限于忠实于原文这一传统原则,在此原则下,译者失去了决策的权力,其中心任务即是复制原文的意义。而根据Susan (?)ar(?)evi(?)的观点,法律翻译研究的侧重点发生了一系列变化,翻译从单纯的文本转换到法律机制中的交际行为((?)ar(?)evi(?), 1997, p. 55),译者被赋予了决策的权力,在有多种因素交织的交际过程中扮演了积极重要的角色;这一观点解放了译者,使他们也成为文本创作者,能够根据不同的交际情景、采取各种翻译策略创作新的文本((?)ar(?)evi(?) 1997,p. 18)。根据这种观点,即使译者无法复制出原文的意义,却可以创造一个功能大体近似的文本,即创造出具有同样司法效果的法律文本。
本文根据(?)ar(?)evi(?)的交际功能论,探讨在中国与世界的法律交流日益频繁的背景下,中国法律文本英译的目标、读者对象、地位等交际环境的改变及其重新定位,并指出法律法规翻译存在的困难和问题,据此提出在新的交际情景下法律翻译的总体原则:以达到一致的法律效力为目标,关照目标法律系统的现状,重视目标语接受者,尽量遵从法律英语的表达规范以及翻译策略创新。本文尝试以中国合同法的英文译本作为个案研究对象,指出其翻译的功能、读者对象(即译本接受者)、地位等交际环境的改变及其对翻译原则、策略的影响,并具体分析现有译文在传统的英译原则指导下,在概念、术语、尤其是在篇章结构及风格等语言方面存在的问题,并参照法律法规翻译的总体原则提出一些具体的翻译策略,同时考察在交际论基础上提出的以接受者为中心的翻译原则及策略在改善合同法译文方面的适用性及有效性。本文主要以法律规范性文本(或称立法性文本)为研究对象,因此选取中华人民共和国合同法的英译作为样本进行个案研究,并将运用语篇分析和语言对比研究等手段进行文本分析。所选译文大部分出自由中国法制出版社、外文出版社出版的合同法英文版以及孙万彪所编《汉英法律翻译教程》。为探讨目标语所在法系的特点及与国际条约、惯例的一致的要求,本文将《国际货物销售公约》作为参照文本用于与合同法的对比研究。
With the deepening of reform and opening up and economic development, in particular with China’s accession to WTO, C-E translation of legal texts has played an increasingly important role in the promotion of foreign trade, foreign exchange as well as international legal communication.
Traditionally, translation is largely regarded as a process of transcoding a message from one language to another, whereby the primary goal is to preserve the meaning of the SL. Accordingly legal translators have been bound by the principle of fidelity to the original text. Under the guideline, translator is denied the power of decision-making and his or her central task is to duplicate the meaning of the original. According to Susan (?)ar(?)evi(?), however, the main emphasis in legal translation theory has shifted from interlingual transference to an act of communication in the mechanism of the law (1997, p. 55). Legal translators, being given power of decision-making, play an active role in communication including various aspects. This idea has liberated the translator, transforming him/her into a text producer whose task is to create a new text by selecting a translation strategy based on an analysis of the particular communicative situation ((?)ar(?)evi(?), 1997, p. 18). While translators cannot produce parallel texts①which are equal in meaning, they can produce a text that will lead to the same legal effects in practice.
With the increasing communication between China and the world, this thesis, based on (?)ar(?)evi(?)’s communicative approach, aims at exploring the re-identification of function, receivers and status of the translation of Chinese legal texts in terms of the changing communicative situation. Based on the analysis of the status quo of the translation of Chinese legal texts, the author attempts to point out the existing difficulties and problems in the new communicative situation and put forward the general principles for the C-E legal translation to overcome the difficulties and tackle the problems. These principles consist of targeting equal legal effects, considering the status quo of target legal system, focusing on the reception of target receivers, obeying the expressive rules of legal English and being creative in translation strategies
This thesis takes the translation of normative legal text (or legislative text) as the object of the study. Therefore, the translation of Contract Law of the PRC is used as a subject of a case study and it will be examined by the means of textual analyis as well as contrastive study. A close examination to the current translations of Contract Law of the PRC will be conducted to show some typical conceptual, lexical, textual and stylistic problems under the guidance of the traditional principle for C-E translation which cannot adapt to the new communicative situation. Finally, based on the analyses of the suggested principles for C-E translation, some specific translation strategies are proposed. The efficiency of these principles and strategies are examined through the improvement of translation of Contract Law of the PRC.
In this thesis, some of translations in this thesis are selected from the translation version by Foreign Language Press (1999, hereafter called FLP), by China Legal System Publishing House (1999, hereafter called CLSPH), by Fu Weiliang (2002), or by Sun Wanbiao (2004) respectively. Some are dealt with by the author of the thesis. Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on Contract for the International Sale of Goods in 1980 (hereafter called CISG) is frequently compared with the Contract Law of the PRC for their close and inherent ties.
引文
Baker, Moner. (1998). (Ed). Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies[Z]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Bhatia, V. K. (1984). "Syntactic discontinuity in legislative writing and simplifications for academic legal purposes"[A]. In A. K. Pugh and J. M. Uli in, (eds), Reading for Professional Purposes - Studies and Practices in Native and Foreign Languages[C]. London: Heinemann Educational Books, 90-96.
Bhatia, V. K. (1995).“Translating legal genre”[A]. In Mary Snell-Hornby, Z. Jettmarova & K. Kaindl (eds.) Translation as Intercultural Communication[C]. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company: 203-213.
Brown, G. & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse Analysis[M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cao, Deborah. (2002).“Finding the elusive equivalents in Chinese/English legal translation”[A]. Babel, 48: 4 330-341.
Cao, Deborah. (1997).“Consideration in translating English /Chinese contracts”[A]. Meta, XLII, 4.
Cao, Deborah. (1998).“The illocutionary act in translation Chinese legislation”[A]. Babel, 44(3): 244-253.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1967).“Notes on transitivity and theme in English”[A]. Journal of linguistics(3): 199-244.
Hart, H. L. A. (1954).“Definition and theory in jurisprudence in translation studies: much ado about something”[A]. Target, 9(2): 207-233.
Garzone, Giuliana. (2000).“Legal translation and functionalist approaches:a contradictionin terms(?)”[A]. http://www. tradulex.org. /Actes2000/Garzone.pdf
Gibbons, John. (2003). Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System [M]. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Kiraly, Donald. (1995). Pathways to Translation[M]. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.
Madsen, Dorte. (1997).“Towards a description of communication in the legal universe”[A]. Fachsprache, 19(1-2): 17-27.
Newmark, Peter. (1988). A Textbook of Translation[M]. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Newmark, Peter. (1991). About Translation[M]. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Obenaus. Gerhard. (1995).“The Legal Translation As Information Broker”[A]. Marshall Morris, (ed). Translation and the Law[M]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 247-259.
(?)ar(?)evi(?), Susan. (1997). New Approach to Legal Translation[M]. The Hague: Kluwer LawInternational.
(?)ar(?)evi(?), Susan (2000).“Legal translation and translation theory: a receiver-orientedapproach”[A]. www.gitrad.uji.es/common/articles/sarcevic2000.pdf.
Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (1998).“Skopos theory”[A]. Mona Baker, ed. Routledge encyclopedia of Translation Studies[Z]. London and New York: Routledge, 235-238.
Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (1998).“From‘good’to‘functionally appropriate’: Assessing translation quality”[A]. Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (ed). Translation and Quality[Z]. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters,1-5.
Snell-Hornby, Mary. (1988). Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach[M]. Amsterdam. The Contract Law of the People Republic of China. (1999). Beijing:Foreign Language Press.
Vermeer, Hans J. (1996). A Skopos Theory of Translation[M]. Heidelberg: Textcontext.
Wai-yee, Emily Poon. (2002).“The pitfalls of linguistic equivalence: The challenge for legal translation”[A]. Target 14(1): 75-106.
Wang, Xuanjun. (1999).“Features of the new Contract Law of the People's Republic of China”[A]. http: //www. eaglelink.com/ law-review/w99/wang2.htm.
United Nations Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods ( CISG ). (1980). http: //www. bjac. org. cn.
伯哈﹒皮埃尔, (2002),张愉译,对中国新合同法的总体思考[A], http://www, hicourt, gov, cn.
陈小君,易军, (2007),论中国合同法的演进[A], http://www,chinalawedu,com/news, 2007-4-20.
陈忠诚, (1992),法窗译话[M],北京:中国对外翻译出版公司.
程乐,庞继贤, (2008),中国入世之后的地方法律翻译[A], http: // www, lawspirit, com/ cn, -01-20.
戴拥军, (2005),法律翻译:法律机制下的交际行为——《中华人民共和国合同法两个译文的对比研究》[D].
戴拥军, (2007),“功能目的论”在法律翻译运用中的几个理论误区[J] ,《当代经济》第1期.
杜金榜,张福,袁亮, (2004),中国法律法规英译的问题和解决[J],《中国翻译》第3期.
杜金榜, (2005),法律交流原则与法律翻译[J],《广东外语外贸大学学报》第10期.
傅伟良, (2002),合同法律文件翻译谈——谈《中华人民共和国合同法》的部分译文[J],《中国翻译》第5期.
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李振宇, (2006),法律语言学新说[M],北京:中国检察出版社.
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张新红, (2000),汉语立法语篇的言语行为分析[J],《现代外语》第3期.
张新红, (2001),文本类型与法律文本[J],《现代外语》第2期.
张长明,仲伟合, (2005),论功能翻译理论在法律翻译中的适用性[J],《语言与翻译》第3期.
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周志培, (2003),汉英对比与翻译中的转换[M],上海:华东理工大学出版社.
祝亚雄,王运祥, (2002),联合国国际货物销售合同的条件成分分析[J],《国际经贸探索》第5期.
Bhatia, V. K. (1984). "Syntactic discontinuity in legislative writing and simplifications for academic legal purposes"[A]. In A. K. Pugh and J. M. Uli in, (eds), Reading for Professional Purposes - Studies and Practices in Native and Foreign Languages[C]. London: Heinemann Educational Books, 90-96.
Bhatia, V. K. (1995).“Translating legal genre”[A]. In Mary Snell-Hornby, Z. Jettmarova & K. Kaindl (eds.) Translation as Intercultural Communication[C]. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company: 203-213.
Brown, G. & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse Analysis[M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cao, Deborah. (2002).“Finding the elusive equivalents in Chinese/English legal translation”[A]. Babel, 48: 4 330-341.
Cao, Deborah. (1997).“Consideration in translating English /Chinese contracts”[A]. Meta, XLII, 4.
Cao, Deborah. (1998).“The illocutionary act in translation Chinese legislation”[A]. Babel, 44(3): 244-253.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1967).“Notes on transitivity and theme in English”[A]. Journal of linguistics(3): 199-244.
Hart, H. L. A. (1954).“Definition and theory in jurisprudence in translation studies: much ado about something”[A]. Target, 9(2): 207-233.
Garzone, Giuliana. (2000).“Legal translation and functionalist approaches:a contradictionin terms(?)”[A]. http://www. tradulex.org. /Actes2000/Garzone.pdf
Gibbons, John. (2003). Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System [M]. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Kiraly, Donald. (1995). Pathways to Translation[M]. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.
Madsen, Dorte. (1997).“Towards a description of communication in the legal universe”[A]. Fachsprache, 19(1-2): 17-27.
Newmark, Peter. (1988). A Textbook of Translation[M]. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Newmark, Peter. (1991). About Translation[M]. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Obenaus. Gerhard. (1995).“The Legal Translation As Information Broker”[A]. Marshall Morris, (ed). Translation and the Law[M]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 247-259.
(?)ar(?)evi(?), Susan. (1997). New Approach to Legal Translation[M]. The Hague: Kluwer LawInternational.
(?)ar(?)evi(?), Susan (2000).“Legal translation and translation theory: a receiver-orientedapproach”[A]. www.gitrad.uji.es/common/articles/sarcevic2000.pdf.
Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (1998).“Skopos theory”[A]. Mona Baker, ed. Routledge encyclopedia of Translation Studies[Z]. London and New York: Routledge, 235-238.
Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (1998).“From‘good’to‘functionally appropriate’: Assessing translation quality”[A]. Sch(?)ffner, Christina. (ed). Translation and Quality[Z]. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters,1-5.
Snell-Hornby, Mary. (1988). Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach[M]. Amsterdam. The Contract Law of the People Republic of China. (1999). Beijing:Foreign Language Press.
Vermeer, Hans J. (1996). A Skopos Theory of Translation[M]. Heidelberg: Textcontext.
Wai-yee, Emily Poon. (2002).“The pitfalls of linguistic equivalence: The challenge for legal translation”[A]. Target 14(1): 75-106.
Wang, Xuanjun. (1999).“Features of the new Contract Law of the People's Republic of China”[A]. http: //www. eaglelink.com/ law-review/w99/wang2.htm.
United Nations Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods ( CISG ). (1980). http: //www. bjac. org. cn.
伯哈﹒皮埃尔, (2002),张愉译,对中国新合同法的总体思考[A], http://www, hicourt, gov, cn.
陈小君,易军, (2007),论中国合同法的演进[A], http://www,chinalawedu,com/news, 2007-4-20.
陈忠诚, (1992),法窗译话[M],北京:中国对外翻译出版公司.
程乐,庞继贤, (2008),中国入世之后的地方法律翻译[A], http: // www, lawspirit, com/ cn, -01-20.
戴拥军, (2005),法律翻译:法律机制下的交际行为——《中华人民共和国合同法两个译文的对比研究》[D].
戴拥军, (2007),“功能目的论”在法律翻译运用中的几个理论误区[J] ,《当代经济》第1期.
杜金榜,张福,袁亮, (2004),中国法律法规英译的问题和解决[J],《中国翻译》第3期.
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