Aspects of Modal Verbs and Terminologies in the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China and their English Translation: A Sociosemiotic Perspective

This study is corpus-based and is focusing on analyzing two aspects of the Criminal Law (hereafter CCL) and the Criminal Procedure Law (hereafter CCPL) of the People's Republic of China (hereafter P. R. C.): modal verbs and terminologies. The study starts from clarifying what legal register is and its distinct features. Then, the study analyzes the issues of modal verbs and legal terms and terminologies in the two laws and their English translations. Third, the discussion turns to a perspective of sociosemiotics to explore these two linguistic phenomena. The goal is not to end the discussion on a solution that can apply to C-E legal translation because in this vast domain it is impossible to press all legal texts into a mold given legal forces of different laws and regulations are in disparity. Instead, the study is managing to provide a strategy to deal with the C-E legal translation.