从文化转向的视角论法律英语中的冗言及其翻译

论文摘要

本文从法律文化入手,通过对思维方式、历史、政治、社会学等文化因素来分析法律英语中冗言的产生,并基于文化转向对法律英语翻译的影响,提出具体到冗言翻译中可施行的归化、异化等翻译策略。本文结合翻译实例的实际演练,认识到提高冗言翻译中对英汉法律文化差异的认识,有助于提高译文的质量和效果,方便读者理解和接受,从而促进跨文化的交流。本文首先回顾了法律英语及其冗言在国内外的研究情况,指出传统的研究历来比较重视从语言学论述法律英语的词汇和句子特征,而对冗言的产生及翻译中的文化因素还研究不够。接着,文章围绕文化这一主题,分析了文化、翻译和法律文化的内涵及之间的关系、英汉法律体系的差异等,并引入了文化转向这一新颖的概念,包括它的由来及在翻译界的深入发展,为本论文做了坚实的理论铺垫。然后,文章从词汇、句子及语篇的层面,具体阐述了法律英语中冗言的种类,并从法律文化的因素探讨了冗言产生及长期存在的原因。最后,基于文化转向对法律英语翻译的影响,运用两种主要翻译策略——归化和异化,同时讨论了这两种翻译策略在法律英语文本汉译中的应用,并通过前述的中西法律文化的比较,论证了适合冗言翻译的具体技巧。本文得出的结论是:透彻了解法律英语中冗言的文化特征和英汉法律文化,掌握好相关的翻译技巧与策略,对于确保法律英语文本翻译的优异质量大有裨益。

论文目录

• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• 摘要
• CHAPTER ONE INTRODCTION
• 1.1 Rationale
• 1.2 Statement of problems
• 1.3 Purpose of the study
• 1.4 Significance of the study
• 1.5 Overall structure of the thesis
• CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
• 2.1 Legal English
• 2.1.1 Definition of legal English
• 2.1.2 Relevant studies
• 2.2 Pleonasm in legal English
• 2.2.1 Definition of pleonasm
• 2.2.2 Relevant studies
• CHAPTER THREE CULTURAL TURN
• 3.1 Culture and translation
• 3.1.1 Definition of culture
• 3.1.2 Definition of translation
• 3.1.3 Relationship between language and culture
• 3.1.4 Relationship between culture and translation
• 3.2 Legal culture
• 3.2.1 Definition of legal culture
• 3.2.2 Culture discrepancies between Chinese and Anglo-American legal systems
• 3.2.3 Relationship between legal culture and legal terminology
• 3.3 Cultural turn
• 3.3.1 Definition of cultural turn
• 3.3.2 Application of cultural turn to translation
• 3.3.3 Application of cultural turn to legal English translation
• CHAPTER FOUR PLEONASM
• 4.1 Types of pleonasm
• 4.1.1 Lexical pleonasm
• 4.1.2 Syntactic pleonasm
• 4.1.2.1 Using "of" to express possession
• 4.1.2.2 Prepositional phrases
• 4.1.2.3 Passive voice
• 4.1.3 Textual pleonasm
• 4.1.3.1 Elaborating on the obvious
• 4.1.3.2 Over-specificity
• 4.2 Cultural reasons for pleonasm
• 4.2.1 Thinking mode factors
• 4.2.1.1 Analytic thinking and holistic thinking
• 4.2.1.2 Object consciousness and subject consciousness
• 4.2.2 Historical factors
• 4.2.3 Jurisprudential factors
• 4.2.3.1 Influence of the case-law system
• 4.2.3.2 Law of contract
• 4.2.4 Political factors
• 4.2.5 Sociological factors
• 4.2.5.1 Familiarity and habit
• 4.2.5.2 Fear of negligence claims
• 4.2.5.3 Payment by length
• 4.3 Functions of pleonasm
• CHAPTER FIVE CULTURAL APPROACHES TO TRANSLATION OF PLEONASM IN LEGAL ENGLISH
• 5.1 Domestication and foreignization
• 5.1.1 Definition of domestication and foreignization
• 5.1.2 Relationship between domestication and foreignization
• 5.1.3 Application of domestication and foreignization to legal translation
• 5.1.4 Application of domestication to translation of pleonasm
• 5.1.4.1 Lexical level
• 5.1.4.2 Syntactic level
• 5.1.4.3 Textual level
• 5.1.5 Application of foreignization to translation of pleonasm
• 5.2 Specific strategies for translation of pleonasm
• 5.2.1 Translation of pleonastic doublets, triplets, and other word strings
• 5.2.2 Translation of prepositions and prepositional phrases
• 5.2.3 Translation of passive voice
• 5.3 Requirements for translators in view of cultural translation
• CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION
• 6.1 Main findings
• 6.2 Limitations
• 6.3 Recommendations for further research
• Bibliography