Translating Contract Law Terminology in the Civil Code of the P.R.C.: A Corpus-Based Analysis

Terminology has long been a central concern in both theoretical and practical studies of legal translation. This study conducts a comparative and mixed-method analysis of the translation of contract law terminology, based on two pairs of self-compiled corpora: 1) the English monolingual translation of the Book of Contract of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and the official text of UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2016, and 2) the parallel bilingual corpora of these texts. Focusing on three representative pairs of legal terms (formation/conclusion of contracts, terms/clauses of contracts, and obligor/obligee and creditor/debtor), the study identifies key inconsistencies in the translated version of the Book of Contract. Notably, the terms formation and conclusion are used inconsistently, and no clear distinction is made between terms and clauses, in contrast to the usage found in the reference corpus. The study also compares the use of obligor/obligee and creditor/debtor, offering suggestions for more accurate and contextually appropriate translation choices. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the standardization of legal terminology in Chinese legislative translation, enhance legal translation quality, promote mutual understanding among different legal systems, and foster international legal and commercial cooperation, while providing the global community with clearer access to Chinese legal culture as well.