| The present study draws on Sperber & Wilson's Relevance Theory and Gutt's conceptualization of a relevance-theoretic approach to translation studies and purports to investigate the process of legal terms translation. It aims to identify the main factors in the translation process to account for the inconsistency in legal terms translation.Following Relevance Theory, the present thesis treats the translation of legal terms as a double ostensive-inferential dynamic process, during which the legal translator is presumed to strive for optimal relevance. We identify several factors thereof that might influence the final translations: the indefiniteness of legal concept, the context, the translator's assessment of the target readership's cognitive environment, the language competence and the like. In applying these factors to the explanation of two English versions of legal terms in the Contract Law, it is further established that legal concept tends to be the leading factor which results in different versions in the specified legislative context.The present study may help engender an evaluation mechanism to compare the discrepancies between the different versions of the same legal instrument. It may also help to gain deep insight into the training of the legal translator. |
PDF Full Text Request