A Study On The Translation Of Modal Verbs From English To Chinese-Based On A Parallel Corpus

The development of corpus linguistics offers the translation study with a kind of brand-new research method; the researchers were able to describe the differences between the target language and the source language scientifically and objectively. The study focuses on the modal verb translation in "the Corpus of United Nations Assembly Resolution" with the Palmer's theory as the framework. The study bases on the research method of the parallel corpus, units the qualitative and quantitative analysis to focus on the different translation characteristics of the modal verbs in the corpus, and will study the comparison of existing dictionary definition and the corpus ones. Its result is shown in the following respects:1. In the modal verbs of this study, can and may are with the most translation methods. Can is usually translated into "可以","可", "才能". These Chinese words mean the ability or allowance. May is usually translated into the means of ability or the condition, just like the "可能", "得以". Shall, should and will are frequently used in the corpus, but their translations are simple, like "应", "应", "将"2. In the parallel corpus, most modal verbs are translated following the traditional ways. The English modal verbs were translated into Chinese modal verbs. But almost 10% of these modal verbs have the special translation method—omission.3. According to Palmer's theory, modal verbs in dictionary materials are realized by the use of epistemic deductive, the dynamic ability and the deontic obligative. That's decided by the features of the political English.