Application Of Register Theory In Legal Translation

Linguistics is indispensable in translation studies.Its insight into language always turns out to be of great help to translation studies.Register theory aims to uncover the general principles which govern the language variation in different situation types.It studies concrete language varieties under the concrete context of situation and context of culture,and integrates ideational meaning, interpersonal meaning and textual meaning organically to explain the nature and use of language.In essence,it takes both intralinguistic and extralinguistic meaning into consideration,which is the guarantee in achieving successful meaning transfer.Based on the register theory,Halliday insists that the register features of the source text should be reproduced,showing the corresponding field,mode and tenor in the target text.The paper aims at how to reproduce the register character of the source text in the target text in terms of filed,tenor and mode to realize register equivalence.In this paper,register theory is introduced into English-Chinese legal translation. Register is a variety of language distinguished according to use.It is defined as the configuration of semantic resources that the member of a culture typically associates with a situation type.It forms the interface between the social system and the linguistic system;its elements realize social meanings and are realized in linguistic forms.It is determined by parameters of context of situation,namely,field,tenor and mode.These three parameters have different linguistic embodiment in vocabulary, grammar and syntax,through which register can be identified.Being aware of the three parameters and identifying them in source text will help us establish register equivalence in the target text and produce a text equivalent to the source text.As a special register,legal language is distinguished for purpose of function from plain language.It is equipped with its unique way of expression,its rigid legal style and a specialized system of vocabulary.So it is highly necessary to conduct a linguistic analysis of the original text with the aim of identifying its register.This objective is achievable because legal language is a code possessing features.In any stretch of legal language,linguistic features on this or that level can be spotted,which indicates the use to which the legal language is being put,or in other words,the register.With Nida's dynamic equivalence theory adopted as criterion of translation, together with the translation practice,the author undertakes a step-by-step analysis on three variables with the deductive research method to study the equivalence,arriving at a conclusion that,the theory of register is a useful tool in the analysis of source text; in translation,the equivalence of register should be taken into account.Bearing the register of the source text in mind,translators are able to make appropriate selections in the linguistic resources of the legal language,and establish register equivalence. The paper analyzes how to replicate the register features in the target text as those in the source text,properly showing the corresponding field,mode and tenor,thus achieving register equivalence.Constructing register equivalence in target language text is a major factor in the process of legal translation.