A Study On English-Chinese Translation Of Letter Of Credit From The Perspective Of Register Theory

Nowadays, with the constant development of China’s foreign trade, the total volume of the foreign trade is rising ceaselessly. However, at the same time, numerous issues and disputes arise between two countries in the process of trade. Therefore, it is urgent for us to attach close attention to such phenomenon. Most of the controversies are caused by the misunderstandings of trade terms and policies.It is well known that the key to a successful trade transaction is the payment. Nowadays,70%percent payment of the foreign trade is accomplished by Letter of Credit (L/C) which is a significant tool of payment. However, the L/C include a large amount of technical terms and long and complex sentences that may confuse most of translators.This thesis will analyze the stylistic features and translation of L/C from three perspectives of the Register Theory:field, tenor and mode, which is an important theory of Systemic-Functional Grammar proposed by Halliday. The study results show that the translation would be better accomplished if translators conform to the equivalence of field, tenor and mode. Field equivalence of L/C is realized through word choices, the transitivity system and logical semantics. The tenor equivalence of L/C is demonstrated through archaism and loan words, polarity and modality. The mode of L/C is realized through thematic and information structures together with the grammatical and lexical cohesion. After analyzing these stylistic features of L/C, we come to the conclusion that the register theory is applicable to the L/C translation and under the guidance of register theory, the text of L/C can be better understood and the translation can be better achieved for translators.