中国立法语言及其翻译规范化建设的现状与思考

Refl ections on the Status Quo of Translation Norms for Chinese Legislative Language

立法语言在法律语言中具有基础性地位。立法语言及其翻译规范与否决定着立法质量的高低,也关乎中国法治形象的国际塑造。考察中国立法语言及其翻译规范化现状可以发现:虽然中国制定了《中华人民共和国立法法》和《立法技术规范(试行)》,立法语言规范工作初见成效,但立法中仍有不少语言问题,规范的体系化、制度化建设有待完善;就翻译规范而言,目前仅有学者提出的若干总体原则,尚无包含具体规则的规范性文件。究其原因,主要是学界相对忽视立法语言相关教学和研究,立法机关也轻视语言在立法技术中的地位。中国立法语言及其翻译规范建设可以借鉴境外比较成熟的规范建设经验。在比较分析境外国家和地区立法技术规范文件的基础上,建议中国进一步完善立法技术规范体系、建设立法翻译标准化术语库,完善立法语言审查制度、健全立法翻译审校制度。

Legislative language has a core position in the language of the law.Non-normative expression and translation of legislative language imperils the quality of legislation and are detrimental to shaping international image of China regarding its rule of law.An investigation on the status quo of the normalization of legislative language and translation reveals that though China has come to noticeable fruition by enacting the Legislation Law of the People’s Republic of China and Tentative Drafting Guidelines,more eff orts are needed with regard to the systematization and institutionalization of language norms.In terms of the translation of legislative texts,there are only a few general principles put forward by scholars but no regulatory guidance containing applicable rules.The main reason for this situation is that the academic community has long neglected education and research related to legislative language,and the legislature has also belittled the position of language in the drafting of law.Norm-building experience outside Chinese Mainland are useful references for normalizing Chinese legislative language and its translation.By examining the legislative technical specifi cations in other countries or regions,this paper puts forward feasible suggestions that a more comprehensive normative system of legislative language should be established,a standardized multilingual terminology database be built,and the mechanisms for reviewing both legislative language and its translation be strengthened.