Yutong Li, Xu Zhang

Xu Zhang

August 31, 2025

Legal terminology non-equivalence, Functional equivalence theory, Legal translation, Chinese Criminal Law, Cultural divergence, Translation strategy optimization.

This study employs a dual theoretical framework integrating Nida’s functional equivalence and Šarčević’s legal equivalence theories to analyze terminological non-equivalence in the English translation of China’s Criminal Law. Three categories of non-equivalence are identified: partial non-equivalence and complete non-equivalence, primarily stemming from divergent legal systems (civil law vs. common law), cultural-contextual barriers, and functional mismatches. Findings indicate that terminology asymmetry induces conceptual deviations and rights misinterpretations in international legal practice while undermining China’s legal discourse power. To address this, a hybrid strategy of "dynamic equivalence + annotative supplementation" is proposed, utilizing layered annotations to harmonize terminological precision and readability. Coupled with blockchain-facilitated dynamic terminology databases, this approach offers an academically rigorous and practically viable solution for cross-jurisdictional legal translation.

© 2025, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license