交际翻译理论视角下被动句的英汉翻译方法探究——以《鹿特丹规则》为例

On E-C Translation Methods of Passive Sentences from the Perspective of Communicative Translation Theory—A Case Study of the Rotterdam Rules

摘要: 本研究以彼得·纽马克的交际翻译理论为理论框架，以《鹿特丹规则》为案例，探讨了国际海事公约中英语被动句的汉译方法。研究认为，为确保法律文本的客观性与准确性，被动句在海事公约中被广泛使用。文章通过分析《鹿特丹规则》的英汉官方文本，归纳出三种主要的翻译策略：1) 译为汉语被动句，包括使用“被”、“由”等标记的显性被动句和使用“为……所……”等形式的半隐性被动句；2) 译为汉语主动句，包括保留原主语、以施事为主语和将原主语转换为宾语等具体方法；3) 译为汉语无主句。研究指出，翻译策略的选择应以实现交际目的为核心，当形式与意义无法兼顾时，应优先保证意义的准确传达，以期为其他国际海事公约的翻译提供参考。

Abstract: Guided by Peter Newmark’s Communicative Translation Theory, this study takes the Rotterdam Rules as a case to explore the Chinese translation strategies for English passive sentences in international maritime conventions. The study finds that, in order to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of legal discourse, passive constructions are extensively employed in maritime conventions. Through a comparative analysis of the official English and Chinese texts of the Rotterdam Rules, three major translation strategies are identified: (1) rendering into Chinese passive sentences, including explicit passive constructions marked by “bei” and “you”, as well as semi-implicit passive constructions such as “wei…suo…”; (2) rendering into Chinese active sentences, including maintaining the original subject, adopting the agent as the subject, and transforming the original subject into the object; and (3) rendering into Chinese null-subject sentences. The study argues that the selection of translation strategies should be guided primarily by the communicative purpose. When formal correspondence conflicts with semantic accuracy, priority should be given to the faithful conveyance of meaning, with a view to providing reference for the translation of other international maritime conventions.