从功能对等理论看法律英语术语的跨文化翻译

Cross-cultural Translation of Legal English Terminology:Based on the Theory of Functional Equivalence

法律翻译在很大程度上就是法律术语的翻译,因为法律术语的翻译决定了整个法律文本的翻译质量。翻译法律术语并非易事,一方面要求语言功能对等和法律功能对等,但另一方面又经常遇到没有确切对等词的情况,这主要是由源语和目的语中的文化差异尤其是法律文化差异造成的。奈达的功能对等理论对法律英语术语的跨文化翻译具有深刻的理论和实践意义,该理论不仅能指导我们更好地理解源语中的法律术语并在目的语中找到对等词,有利于全球法律文化的交流与融合。在功能对等理论指导下,针对源语术语与其目的语对应词语在语言功能和法律功能上的对等程度,我们可以采用以下三种翻译方法进行法律英语术语翻译:在接近对等的情况下使用意义相对应的词;在部分对等的情况下扩大词汇的意义;在完全不对等的情况下使用释义、中性词、借词或新词。

Legal translation can be called the translation of legal terminology in some sense,for the latter determines the quality of the translation of legal texts.It is no easy a task to translate legal terminology.For one thing,it requires equivalence both in linguistic function and in legal function;for another,the lack of exact equivalent words is not uncommon in translating process,which results from the differences between the source and target language cultures,especially from those of the legal cultures between the two languages.We hold that Nida's theory of Functional Equivalence has a deep implication on the translation of legal terminology both in theory and practice.It can help us to understand better the legal terminology in its source language to find an appropriate word in the target language and to enhance the communication and fusion of the global legal cultures.Under the theory of Functional Equivalence,we can adopt the following three ways to carry out the translation of legal terminologies:firstly,to choose the exact or functionally equivalent words in the case of near equivalence;secondly,to expand the lexical meaning in the case of partial equivalence;and finally,to use such techniques as adopting paraphrase,neutral term,borrowing or neologism to deal with the translation of legal terminology in the case of non-equivalence.