Lexical Features Of English Business Contracts And Their Translation

With China's increasing volume of trade with the rest of the world,legal translation,is becoming of great importance.The translation of business contracts in particular,is in climbing need as they are essential for international trade and commerce.This study,based on the translation of a typical business contract,attempts to explore the lexical features of English business contracts and relate appropriate strategies to their translation.The source text is a series of legal contracts for a time share product of a South African real estate company.This text includes purchase agreement,use agreement,list of expenditures and other statements,and is a typical well-structured and functional business contract.Its language itself is precise and professional,with clear logic.This thesis starts by introducing the translation project,including the background information and overall textual features,followed by a review of the translation process,including pre-translation preparation and the implementation of the set schedule.Then it explores the five lexical features of business contract with case study,and introduces translation tactics or strategies respectively.Towards the end,this thesis reviews the achievements and what could have been improved in this translation practice,and again summarizes the five lexical features of this text type:1).Less common meaning of common words;2).Old English or Middle English;3).Legal terms;4).Formal words and expressions;5).Business English terms.Words are the basis of sentences and paragraphs.So to concisely understand the meaning and function of words is the basis of legal translations.This thesis explores the lexical features of business contracts and provides practical strategies and techniques,hoping to provide reference for similar translation projects.