摘要

随着商务英语合同在对外经贸活动中的广泛使用，我们发现很多合同的翻译不准确，进而可能引起经济纠纷。因此，研究商务英语合同翻译就显得日益重要。本文拟以韩礼德的人际功能理论为基础，采用文献研究法和举例法，以具体的商务英语合同案例为研究对象，在分析商务英语合同语言特点的基础上，提出商务英语合同的翻译策略：主语转化、主语省略、限定成分的省略、情态动词的直译、被动句的转化、“it” 的省略。本研究对促进跨文化交际、了解商务英语合同的特点、促进贸易往来以及提高翻译人员的素养具有一定的现实意义。

关键词  商务英语合同，人际功能，翻译策略

Abstract

With the widespread use of business English contract, we find that there exist many economic disputes in foreign economic and trade activities. Some economic disputes are largely caused by the incorrect translation of contract language. Therefore, the accurate translation of business English contract becomes increasingly important. This paper, depending on the theory of interpersonal function, analyzes the features of business English contract after studying the specific contracts by the methods of literature research and exemplification, and then proposes appropriate translation strategies of business English contract: conversion of subjects, omission of subjects, omission of finite operators, literal translation of modal verbs, conversion of passive voice, and omission of “it” in objective orientations. The study is of great value in promoting inter-cultural communication, understanding the characteristics of business English contract, promoting the foreign trades, and enhancing the attainments of translators.

Keywords  business English contract, interpersonal function, translation strategies

1  Introduction
With the rapid development of China's foreign trade, English contracts are increasingly widely used in foreign economic and trade activities. But we find there exist many economic disputes in foreign economic and trade activities, sometimes caused by the incorrect translation of contract language. So the accurate translation of business English contracts becomes very important.
According to the American linguist Martin Joos (1962), contract English style belongs to the frozen style, which is the most formal style among all kinds of English stylistics. The business contract is formal and strict legal document which defines the rights and obligations of each party for a particular case. For further study, the scholar Song Yushuang (2013) adopts qualitative approach to investigate and analyze the business English contracts and their Chinese versions from the perspective of interpersonal function. By contrast, the scholar Xu Xiao (2008) researches the translation strategies of business English contract within the framework of functionalism. He points out that translators should have the freedom to make decisions when translating the contract.