Contextualization Of The English Language Of The Law

Context and Semantics are related to each other closely. The researchers of language and semantics have been interested in them for a long time. As early as the 300 BC, Aristotle pointed out that the meaning of a phrase depends on the context. Since then, many scholars have been involved in the study of the context. Since the middle of last century, the research of context has increasingly been a hot issue of language research. Translation Studies have also concerned with the understanding and effect of context.At present, the context has been an independent and interdisciplinary research, and plays an important role in the research of meaning. It can almost be said that in all areas of communication, we have to consider the issue of context. Translation is essentially the cross-cultural and cross-language verbal communication activities in a certain context, which is also constrained by the context. Because of its dualism and nature of delay, translation must be a constantly contextualized process of cross-cultural and cross-language communication. Without context, the exact understanding of meaning of the expression and the text will be sometimes difficult. Discussion of the issue must link to the problem of context. English-Chinese Legal translation as a very important part of English translation is also related to the issue of context.This article attempts to connect the legal translation and legal translation studies with the realities, establishing a "legal translation context" as an appropriate position in the legal translation and legal translation studies. Legal translation context is the combination of two related languages and cultural interactions. The system of legal translation context, as same as the general context system, is characterized by linguistic context, speech context, situational context and cultural context. The time-space model of legal translation context could be set for each act of translation and a translator. Both the legal translation and general language, which from the different perspectives of the context system, are aimed to have eternal dialogues at the specific language form. The temporal and spatial differences are the causes for dynamic changes of legal translation. Legal translation is the contextualized process of original legal text in the cultural context.As a kind of specific speech communication activities, we should have a further discussion about English-Chinese legal translation context. We recall the research of context in both Chinese and Western translation community. Then we mention the concept of "English-Chinese legal translation context" and discuss the factors of legal translation context. Finally we talk about interrelations of all factors of context, the characteristics of context system and the characteristics of legal translation context.English-Chinese legal translation has many areas which need to be studied, so we should have a further research and study about it. For instance, the factors of English-Chinese legal translation context are very complicated; the translation context is reasonable or unreasonable? Which kind of English-Chinese legal translation context is reasonable? How could the translator choose the reasonable translation context? In the practice and teaching of English-Chinese legal translation, how could learner improve their capability of legal translation? From the relation of context system and factors of context, how could we hold the practice and research of legal translation? What's the inspiration we can get from the context system for the practice and research of human language? Due to the limitation of time and effort, such kinds of issues only could be left to be investigated in the future.