Translators’ Adaptation And Selection:a Study Of Contract Translation Process

The theory of Adaptation and Selection, a central theory of ecotranslatology,holds that translation is the translator’s selective on the basis of adapting to thetranslational eco-environment and that the process of translating is a process ofoptimizing selections in order to adapt to the translational eco-environment, whichmeans a circular interactivity between adaptation and selection moving on-ward tillthe end of translating activities, mainly taking the form of (1) translator’s adaptationto the translational eco-environment with the SL text as the typical major componentand (2) the selection of TL version by the translational eco-environment with thetranslator as the typical major component. This thesis attempts to study and describethe process of contracts translation from the perspective of the theory of Adaptationand Selection so that people will have a better understanding of the translating ofcontracts.First, the thesis describes the features of contract translation by describing thetexts of contracts with other categories of texts. Contract translation belongs tonon-literary translation, but is different from technical translation in that the scientificand technological texts involve universal contents while contracts concern twodistinct legal systems with quite different legal cultures: the Anglo-Saxon legalsystem and China’s legal system, which is close to the continental legal system. Andcontracts are different from other legal documents in that the main function ofcontracts is normative with a supplementary function of informativeness.Second, based upon the model of translation process put forward by the theory ofAdaptation and Selection, the thesis recognizes five sub-processes:(1) the two-wayselection between the translational eco-environment and the translator;(2) thedefinition by the translator of the translational eco-environment with the SL text as the major component;(3) the translator’s selective adaptation;(4)the translator’sdefinition of the translational eco-environment with himself as the major component;(5) the translator’s adaptive selection. The first subprocess, being a pre-translatingstage, is only briefly described. The selective adaptation is roughly corresponding tothe stage of comprehending, and adaptive selection corresponding to the stage of TLversion production; and to make the two subprocesses effectively run, the translatorhas to make an effective definition and selection of the corresponding translationaleco-translational environment.Third, the thesis gives a specific description of the process of contract translationon the basis of the features of contracts. This description covers two chapters, withChapter Three on the translator’s selective adaptation and Chapter Four on thetranslator’s adaptive selection, both inclusive of sub-processes (2) to (5). Thesub-process of selective adaptation is a process of translator selection of keyenvironmental elements to achieve a proper understanding. And the translator’sadaptive selection is a process of selecting. Translation strategy and methods guidedby eco-translatology’s Balance Principle and relying on the selected key factors of theeco-environment. The factors of the translational eco-environment include SL culture,language habits, discourse topic, relationship between clients, readers and translatorsand so on, and the elements of the translator’s inner environment. The cultural factorsconcerning us include legal culture, business culture, the culture of specific trade andindustry where a certain contract is entered, general social culture and customs.Linguistic factors show in the formulaic text structures and certain expressionspeculiar to contracts. Discourse topic defines the scope of certain selections and theclients and readers may be the source of certain instructions as to how to translate.The inner environmental factors of the translator include his or her ability, preferences,personality, and cultivation etc.At last, the thesis concludes by restating the main points and pointing out thelimits of this study and what might possibly be done in the future.