Applicability Of German Functionalist Theory To English-Chinese Translation Of Business Contracts

The present endeavor tends to observe on the macro (theoretical) and micro (doctrinal) levels the applicability of the German functionalist theory to translation of business contracts from English to Chinese. From the perspective of German functionalism, the function, typology and skopos of translation of business contracts, and the translational action, the three rules and the loyalty of translator are all examined. Based on the analysis, it is determined that English business contracts have informative function as well as prescriptive function, of which the former refers to the purpose to convey information while the latter means the special duty to prescribe the rights and obligations of the parties of the contract. The skopos of the English-Chinese translation of business contracts indicates the purpose to translate a business contract from English into Chinese while ensuring that the translation should have the same effect on the target readers as that of the original text upon the original text readers. Translational action of translation of business contracts virtually means intercultural activities during the process of translation. In terms of the three rules, skopos rule is intended to provide a direction for translator, while coherence rule and fidelity rule attribute to setting the guiding line for translator, and loyalty is mainly concerned with the professional ethical precepts and denominators of the translator. From the perspective of micro translation study, this author endeavors to examine the applicability of German functionalist theory to English-Chinese translation of business contracts at lexical, syntactical and textual level with respective linguistic features.Ultimately, a conclusion is reached through the present study that where keeping in mind the purpose and function described on the macro theoretical level and paying heed to the linguistic features prescribed on the micro theoretical level, the translator will surely accomplish the communicative aim in translating English business contracts.