Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Striking the Right Note: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Deontic Modality in Translating PRC Civil Code into English

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
New Advances in Legal Translation and Interpreting

Part of the book series: New Frontiers in Translation Studies ((NFTS))

  • 272 Accesses

Abstract

Legislative texts include mainly those legal documents such as laws, regulations, and treaties in writing, reflecting the legal intent of state power by means of linguistic expressions. The primary functions of legislation are to impose duty and to confer power and these functions are realized through deontic modality, that is, modals and related patterns which convey obligation, prohibition, and permission. Palmer’s observation that modality is one of the features varying the most across languages leaves a promising space for legal translation studies, in that large discrepancy between the source language and the target language would require translators to make appropriate choices when translating terminology and phraseology related to deontic modality. After a survey of the distribution features of deontic modality in Chinese legislation, the English translation, and non-translated English legislation respectively, this chapter conducts a case study of translators’ decision-making for the English translation of Chinese legislation in regard to deontic modality. A parallel corpus is built with the newly formulated Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and its official English translation offered by the National People’s Congress, as well as a comparable corpus of the Civil Code of Louisiana State in the USA. It is found that Chinese legislation has much more explicit modal markers than its American counterpart, and is more prudent in its tone when imposing obligation but shows more determination when imposing prohibition. Explanations are provided by referring to the drafting guidelines issued by the legislature of the respective country. As for the actual decision-making of legal translators, recurrent patterns are identified and illustrated in both a quantitative and qualitative fashion. Results show that the translators are inclined to mitigate strong deontic modality and to transform implicit modalities into explicit ones when translating from Chinese into English, for the purpose of striking the right note in the target language.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Available at http://en.npc.gov.cn.cdurl.cn/pdf/civilcodeofthepeoplesrepublicofchina.pdf.

  2. 2.

    Available at https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Laws_Toc.aspx?folder=67&level=Parent.

References

  • Abdel-Fattah, M. M. (2005). On the translation of modals from English into Arabic and vice versa: The case of deontic modality. Babel, 51(1), 31–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beller, S. (2010). Deontic reasoning reviewed: Psychological questions, empirical findings, and current theories. Cognitive Processing, 11(2), 123–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benzmüller, C., Parent, X., & Torre, L. V. D. (2018). A deontic logic reasoning infrastructure. In F. Manea, R. G. Miller, & D. Nowotka (Eds.), Sailing routes in the world of computation (pp. 60–69). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Biel, L. (2014). The textual fit of translated EU law: A corpus-based study of deontic modality. The Translator, 20(3), 332–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boginskaya, O. (2021). A contrastive study of deontic modality in parallel texts. ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 18(2), 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caffi, C. (1999). On mitigation. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(7), 881–909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, X., & Liu, J. (2011). Falv wenben zhong shall de wenti ji jiejue tujing (The problem of and solution to shall in legal texts). Chinese Translators Journal, 32(3), 63–67 [陈小全, & 刘劲松. (2011). 法律文本中shall的问题及解决途径. 中国翻译, 32(3), 63–67].

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, L., & Sin, K. (2011). A sociosemiotic interpretation of linguistic modality in legal settings. Semiotica, 185, 123–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Du, J. (2004). Falv Yuyanxue (Jurislinguistics). Shanghai Foreign Language Teaching Press [杜金榜. (2004). 法律语言学. 上海: 上海外语教育出版社].

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, B. (1980). Conversational mitigation. Journal of Pragmatics, 4(4), 341–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, R. (2018). Translating like a conduit? A sociosemiotic analysis of modality in Chinese government press conference interpreting. Semiotica, 221, 175–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garzone, G. (2013). Variation in the use of modality in legislative texts: Focus on shall. Journal of Pragmatics, 57, 68–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong, M., Cheng, W., & Cheng, L. (2020). Development of deontic modality in Chinese civil laws: A corpus study. Pragmatics and Society, 11(3), 337–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greimas, A. J., & Courtés, J. (1979). Sémiotique: Dictionnaire Raisonné de la Théorie du Langage. Hachette.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An introduction to functional grammar. Edward Arnald.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2004). An introduction to functional grammar (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, H. L. A. (1972). The concept of law. Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, J. (1984). Modifying illocutionary force. Journal of Pragmatics, 8(3), 345–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. (1997a). Falv wenjian yingyi qingtai biaoda de wenti (Modal expressions in English translation of legal documents). Social Sciences Journal of Hainan University, 4, 99–105 [黄永平. (1997a). 法律文件英译情态表达的问题. 海南大学学报(社会科学版), (4): 99–105].

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. (1997b). Jianping xianfa yignwenban de qingtaici fanyi (Comments on the translation of modals in the English version of the Constitution). Journal of Teaching and Management, 1, 52–54 [黄永平. (1997b). 简评《宪法》英文版的情态词翻译. 教学与管理, (1): 52–54].

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaskot, M. P., & Wiltos, A. (2017). An approach to the translation of deontic modality in legal texts. The case of the Polish and English versions of the “Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.” Cognitive Studies, 17, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, T., & Yang, B. (2013). Jiyu pingxing yuliaoku de zhongguo lifa yupian qingtaicaozuoyu de yingyi tanxi (On translation of modal operators in Chinese legislative texts through parallel corpora). Journal of Foreign Languages, 36(3), 86–93 [蒋婷, & 杨炳钧. (2013). 基于平行语料库的中国立法语篇情态操作语的英译探析. 外国语(上海外国语大学学报), 36(3): 86–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A., & Sergot, M. (1992). Deontic logic in the representation of law: Towards a methodology. Artificial Intelligence and Law, 1(1), 45–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, S., Condoravdi, C., & Harizanov, V. (2006). Formal approaches to modality. In W. Frawley (Ed.), The expression of modality (pp. 71–106). Mouton de Gruyter.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knežević, B., & Brdar, I. (2012). Deontic possibility and necessity: A case study based on two parallel legislative texts. Linguistics Journal, 6(1), 34–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozobolis, S. (2020). A corpus-based study on deontic modality in competition law: Insights from the English-Greek language pair. Estudios De Traducción, 10, 91–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Cheng, L., & Cheng, W. (2016). Deontic meaning making in legislative discourse. Semiotica, 209, 323–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K. (2007). Yingyu falv wenben zhong zhuyao qingtai dongci de zuoyong jiqi fanyi (Functions of modal verbs in legal documents and their translation). Chinese Translators Journal, 27(6), 54–60 [李克兴. (2007). 英语法律文本中主要情态动词的作用及其翻译. 中国翻译, 27(6): 54–60].

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, K., & Zhang, X. (2006). Falv Wenben Yu Falv Fanyi (Legal texts and legal translation). China Translation & Publishing Corporation [李克兴, & 张新红. (2006). 法律文本与法律翻译. 北京: 中国对外翻译出版公司].

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, M. (2010). Xiandai de yiwu qingtai fenxi (An analysis of deontic modality in modern Chinese). Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 1, 52–59 [李敏. (2010). 现代汉语的义务情态分析. 语言教学与研究, 1: 52–59].

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. (2012). Yinghan daoyi qingtai kuawenhua yanjiu (A contrastive study on English-Chinese deontic modality: A cross-culture perspective). Journal of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, 14(4), 124–130 [李小川. (2012). 英汉道义情态跨文化研究. 西南政法大学学报, 14(4): 124–130].

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, J. (1977). Semantics. Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Maley, Y. (2014). The language of the law. In J. Gibbons (Ed.), Language and the Law (pp. 11–50). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markovich, R. (2015). Order of norms and deontic modality. South American Journal of Logic, 1, 435–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matulewska, A. (2009). Methods of expressing deontic modality in English and Polish statutory instruments. Comparative Legilinguistics, 1, 133–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matulewska, A. (2010). Deontic modality and modals in the language of contracts. Comparative Legilinguistics, 2, 75–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazzarese, T. (1991). Deontic logic as logic of legal norms: Two main sources of problems. Ratio Juris, 4(3), 374–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, F. R. (2001). Mood and modality (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, F. R. (2003). Modality in English: Theoretical, descriptive, and typological issues. In R. Facchinnetti, M. Krug, & F. R. Palmer (Eds.), Modality in contemporary English (pp. 1–17). Mouton de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royakkers, L. (1998). Extending deontic logic for the formalisation of legal rules (Vol. 36). Springer Science & Business Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Šarčević, S. (2000). Creativity in legal translation: How much is too much? In A. Chesterman, N. G. S. Salvador, & Y. Gambier (Eds.), Translation in context: Selected papers from the EST Congress, Granada 1998 (pp. 281–292). John Benjamins Publishing Company.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Satthachai, M., & Kenny, D. (2019). Deontic modality in English-Thai legislative translation: A corpus-based study. Translation Spaces, 8(1), 39–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer, P. (1992). A syntactical approach to modality. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 21(1), 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Searle, J. R. (1983). Intentionality: An essay in the philosophy of mind. Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, H., & Yang, J. (2009). Parallel corpus of China’s legal documents. http://corpus.usx.edu.cn/ [孙鸿仁, 杨坚定. (2009). 中国法律法规语料库. http://corpus.usx.edu.cn/]

  • Tao, B. (2004). Falv Yingyu: Zhongying Shuangyu Falv Wenshu Zhizuo (Legal English: The drafting of legal documents in Chinese and English). Fudan University Press [陶博. (2004). 法律英语: 中英双语法律文书制作. 上海: 复旦大学出版社].

    Google Scholar 

  • Toury, G. (2012). Descriptive translation studies and beyond (Rev. ed.). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Wright, G. H. (1951). Deontic logic. Mind, 60(237), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Z. (2013). Falv yupian zhong shall he may de fanyi duibi yanjiu (A contrastive study on the translation of shall and may in legal discourse). Shanghai Journal of Translators, 4, 52–57 [王子颖. (2013). 法律语篇中shall和may的翻译对比研究. 上海翻译, 4: 52–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C. (2009). Legal English and the ‘Modal Revolution’. In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Modality in English (pp. 199–210). Mouton de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, T., & Wang, Y. (2008). Yinghan qingtai dongci de yufa yiyi duibi fenxi (A contrastive analysis of the grammatical meaning of English and Chinese modal verbs). Journal of Xuzhou Normal University (Social Sciences Edition), 4, 66–69 [于涛, & 汪云. (2008). 英汉情态动词的语法意义对比分析. 徐州师范大学学报(哲学社会科学版), (4), 66–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H. (2006). Fali Yaolun (Jurisprudence essentials). Peking University Press [张恒山. (2006). 法理要论. 北京: 北京大学出版社].

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, J. (2011). On the information structure and its linguistic realization in legal discourse: A Chinese-English contrastive discourse analysis. Science Press [赵军峰. (2011). 法律语篇信息结构及语言实现研究: 汉英语篇对比分析. 科学出版社].

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study is funded by the Center for Translation Studies at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies [Project No. CTSZB201902].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou, China

    Junfeng Zhao

  2. School of Interpreting and Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou, China

    Jie Xue

Authors
  1. Junfeng Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jie Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junfeng Zhao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou, China

    Junfeng Zhao

  2. Translation Studies, University of Macau, Macao, China

    Defeng Li

  3. University of Macau, Macao, China

    Victoria Lai Cheng Lei

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Zhao, J., Xue, J. (2023). Striking the Right Note: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Deontic Modality in Translating PRC Civil Code into English. In: Zhao, J., Li, D., Lei, V.L.C. (eds) New Advances in Legal Translation and Interpreting. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9422-7_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation