A Comparative Study Of Two Chinese Versions Of EU’s Regulation No.852/2004 From The Perspective Of Text Typology

The text typology translation theory opened up a new perspective for translation studies. It helps shift the traditional study from vocabulary and sentence level to the study of macro aspect of text. According to this theory, each kind of text type expresses specific functions and intentions. Text type is a decisive factor to determine the overall purpose or function of the text, thus the correct understanding of the characteristics of the particular text type can help the translator correctly understand the overall purpose and function of the original text. Besides, the understanding of text type also helps the proper choice of translation criteria and translation strategies. Of all text types, legal text is one that has become an important part of the statute law culture, which plays a vital role in the choice of translation strategies and translation standard of legal translation. According to Snell-Hornby, legal text is classified as one with special purpose and Peter Newmark regards it as a vocative type. At the same time he also realizes that the main function of the laws and regulations is not to provide information, but to command and appeal. He further briefly describes it as "directive" and "imperative". According to Sarcevic (1997), in legal theory, the tripartite classification of language in linguistics has generally been replaced by a bipartite system in which language has two primary functions:regulatory and informative. Therefore, we can classify legal texts into the following three groups according to their function:1) primarily prescriptive,2) primarily descriptive but also prescriptive, and 3) purely descriptive. Legal texts with the primarily prescriptive function generally contain laws and regulations, codes, contracts, treaties and conventions. Texts with this kind of function are regulatory instruments containing rules of conduct. The second type of text includes appealing, petition, etc; the third type of text mainly includes legal scholars’ books, articles, etc. In this paper, it is the first kind of text, namely the laws and regulations, that is studied, because such text has the strongest force in laying down rules of conduct to modify social behaviors. As its influential scope is generally the whole society, the study of this type of texts can be of more instructive significance.To begin with, this thesis addresses the characteristics of language of legal texts in English and Chinese, and points out that in English legal texts it uses a large number of medieval English and old English, words coming from Latin and French, legal terms. In Chinese legal texts, it uses compound words and multisyllable words, quasi-legal words, formal words and neutral words. In terms of syntactical features, legal English is characterized by the frequent use of passive structure, nominalization, and long and complex sentences, whereas in Chinese legal texts, functioning words, head words with multiple restricted attributives, and "De" (的)structures are often used. As far as textual features are concerned, both English and Chinese legal texts use fixed macrostructure and uniform microforms. Finally, the thesis analyzes the linguistic characteristics of Regulation No.852/2004 so that before translation the translator has a good knowledge of it.The thesis is focused on the comparison of two Chinese translations with special reference to such aspects as lexicon, syntax, text, pragmatic meaning and translation method. It finds that Version 1 tends to use the method of literal translation, so in the aspect of vocabulary and sentence it shows the feature of word-for-word translation. And Version 2 uses free translation, whose translation is more flexible in word order and change of parts of speech. Although these two versions have differences in the expression, both have realized the purpose and the function of legal translation.It is argued in this paper that good translation requires translators to understand the linguistic characteristics of legal language and legal texts (especially the normative legal texts) and their overall function and communicative purpose, which helps translators to choose proper translation methods and translation strategies.