Local recontextualization in Chinese-English court decisions translation

A corpus-based study of the recontextualization of nominal groups with de

Authors

  • Wu Qijing Shanghai Jiao Tong University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.36995

Keywords:

court decisions translation, (re)contextualization, nominal group, corpus, Systemic Functional Linguistics

Abstract

Local recontextualization refers to the change in the contextualization of grammatical units at the rank of the word group. It provides a description of the local environment for meaning reconfiguration, and thus plays a key role in the translation of court decisions. Through a purpose-built parallel corpus of Chinese court decisions and their English translations, this study explores the recontextualization of Chinese nominal groups with de based on the analysis of their multivariate structures and the meaning of functional elements providing their (re)contextualization. By comparing the differences in contextualization and recontextualization of nominal groups, this study reveals that nominal groups tend to be contextualized by the Qualifier and the Deictic in Chinese court decisions, and re-contextualized by the Deictic and the Thing in their English translations. In most of the nominal groups, the functional elements with contextualizing roles focus on both experiential meaning and interpersonal meaning while those with recontextualizing roles contribute more to the experiential meaning. The reasons that account for these differences between contextualization and recontextualization of nominal groups from linguistic and legal cultural perspectives are provided.

Author Biography

  • Wu Qijing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    Wu Qijing is now a PhD student in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Her research interests include Systemic Functional Linguistics, Forensic Linguistics and discourse analysis.

References

Auer, P. (1992). Introduction: John Gumperz’ approach to contextualization. In P. Auer and A. Di Luzio (Eds) The Contextualization of Language, 4–37. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.22.03aue

Baker, M. (1996). Corpus-based translation studies: The challenges that lie ahead. In H. L. Somers (Ed.) Terminology, LSP and Translation. Studies in Language Engineering in Honour of Juan C. Sager, 175–186. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.18.17bak

Biel, ?. (2009). Corpus-based studies of legal language for translation purposes: Methodological and practical potential. In C. Heine and J. Engberg (Eds) Reconceptualizing LSP. Online Proceedings of the XVII European LSP Symposium, 1–15. Aarhus University.

Cao, D. (2007). Translating Law. Clevedon/Buffalo/Toronto: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853599552

Chen, A. D. (1998). Comparison and Translation Between English and Chinese. Beijing: China Translation Corporation.

De Groot, G. R. (1987). Problems of legal translation from the point of view of a comparative lawyer (seven theses for the XIth World Conference of Federation Internationale des Traducteurs). Van taal tot taal, 31(4): 189.

Fang, Y. Q. (2008). A Practical Chinese Grammar (2nd revised edition). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.

Friedman, L. M. (1969). Legal culture and social development. Law & Society Review, 4 (1), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.2307/3052760

Gao, H. J. (2007). The meaning and context of legal culture concept, and its application in China. China Legal Science, 4: 23–38.

Garzone, G. (2000). Legal translation and functionalist approaches: a contradiction in terms?. Esc English Studies in Canada, 38 (12): 179–197.

Gotti, F., Farzindar, A., Lapalme, G., and Macklovitch, E. (2008). Automatic translation of court decisions. http://rali.iro.umontreal.ca/rali/sites/default/files/publis/0ASLI-AMTA.pdf

Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Edward Arnold.

Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). An Introduction to Functional Grammar (1st edition). London: Arnold.

Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An Introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd edition). London: Arnold.

Halliday, M. A. K. and Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2004). An Introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd edition). London: Arnold.

Lin, W. (2006). Comparative studies of legal culture and legal translation. Chinese Translators Journal, 27 (3): 58–63.

Martin, J. R., Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., and Painter, C. (2010). Deploying Functional Grammar. Beijing: The Commercial Press.

Šar?evi?, S. (2000a). Legal translation and translation theory: A receiver-oriented approach. Retrived from http://tradulex.org/Actes2000/sarcevic.pdf

Šar?evi?, S. (2000b). New Approach to Legal Translation. The Hague: Kluwer Law International.

Thompson, G. (1996). Introducing Functional Grammar (1st edition). London: Arnold.

Thompson, G. (2004). Introducing Functional Grammar (2nd edition). London: Arnold.

Thompson, G. (2013). Introducing Functional Grammar (3rd edition). London: Arnold.

Vesterager, A. K. (2011). The Translation of Decisions: An Examination of Potential Translation Challenges in Translating Decisions from Spanish into Danish. Aarhus University.

Vesterager, A. K. (2017). Explicitation in legal translation – a study of Spanish-into-Danish translation of decisions. Retrieved from http://www.jostrans.org/issue27/art_krogsgaard.php

Wunderlich, D. (1979). Meaning and context-dependence. R. In Bäuerle et al. (Eds) Semantics From Different Points of View, 161–171. Berlin: de Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67458-7_11

Yin, Y. A. (2007). Contrast of cultural characters and Chinese-English legal languages. Journal of Anhui Agricultural University (social science edition), 16 (5): 90–93+139.

Zhang, F. L. and Zhang, L. P. (2014). The translation of criminal decision from the perspective of pragmatic enrichment. Chinese Translations Journal 35 (3): 93–97.

Published

2019-04-24

How to Cite

Qijing, W. (2019). Local recontextualization in Chinese-English court decisions translation: A corpus-based study of the recontextualization of nominal groups with de. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 12(2-3), 262-276. https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.36995

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>