Analyzing C-E Translation Methods Of Penal Terms In Chinese Traditional Legal Culture

In the field of Sinology,legal culture has occupied a large and important part.Compared with the abundant existing studies on legal terms in modern common law and civil law systems,translation of legal terms in Chinese legal history is under-researched.Therefore,this report will select the key penal terms from the monograph Traditional Legal Culture in China and explore the C-E translation methods of these key terms that can typically represent the Chinese traditional penal culture.This report is organized with the ultimate objective to realize cultural communication of penal terms at legal cultural and linguistic level.Taking the historical background and ancient Chinese linguistic features into consideration,the author explores the culture connotation and historical background of these terms in reference to Wikipedia,CNKI and relevant authoritative translation monographs of predecessors,pins down possible reference translation versions and chooses one version that suits the context most with different translation methods applied.This report argues that translation methods such as annotation,interpretation,omission,and transliteration can be applied in different circumstances to realize the transferability of the penal terms from Chinese to English,help overcome the cultural and linguistic barriers caused by noticeable differences in legal systems and cultures and produce more accurate and acceptable translation versions.The study may contribute to the spread of Chinese traditional legal culture overseas and provide a reference for the translation practice in this aspect.