The language features and translationof L/C

in international trade

Abstract: L/C (Letter of Credit) is an important payment

method in international trade, which is usually seen as a

type of English for Specific Purposes and thus often

demonstrates its special linguistic and stylistic

characteristics. With it, a lot of risks can be avoided in

the trading process, so the interests of buyer and seller

can be guaranteed. In this article, while analyzing and

discussing the letter of credit by enumerating a lot of

examples relating to the structure, style, linguistic

characteristics and translation methodology of L/C, and

giving some principles in its translation. The thesis is

composed of an introduction, four parts, and a conclusion.

The introduction presents the research background and

purpose of this thesis. Then the author provides a rough

sketch of the basic ideas of letter of credit, including

the definition and development of L/C. Next the author

analyzes the lexical features of L/C, mainly focused on the

very professional language styles, the usage of archaism

and formal style and other special expressions which are

very common in international trade. There are also many

features on the sentence structures and grammar features,

such as the usage of incomplete sentences and the usage of

the passive voice. The last is lay great emphasis on the

principles and techniques of L/C translation. The

Conclusion summarizes the whole thesis and restates the

language features and translation of L/C in international

trade, and make the reader have a fully understanding of

L/C.

Key words: L/C features translation principles

translation techniques

【摘摘】信信信(Letter of Credit)信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信一，(ESP)信信信 信信信信信信信 信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信 信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，体。，。，、、，。信信信信信信信信,

信信信信 信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信、。、 。， . 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信；，、体；；；；，。

【摘摘摘】信信信 信信信信信 信信信信信 信信信信，，，

Contents

Introduction 1

1.Relevance Knowledge of Letter of Credit 1

1.1 The Definition of L/C 2

1.2 Development of L/C 2

1.2.1 Original of the term 3

1.2.2 Types and related terms 3

2. The lexical features of L/C 4

2.1 The very professional language styles 4

2.1.1 The vocabulary with professional meaning 4

2.1.2 Widely using abbreviation in L/C 5

2.1.3 Widely using polysemic words in L/C 5

2.2 The usage of archaism and formal style 6

2.2.1 To express time 6

2.2.2 To express space 7

2.2.3 To express reason for 7

3. The sentence structure and grammar features of L/C 8

3.1 The usage of incomplete sentences 8

3.1.1 The copula usually be omitted in L/C English 83.1.2 The usage of long sentence 9

3.2 The grammar features of L/C English 9

3.2.1 The usage of the passive voice 9

3.2.2 Participial phrase as the Attribute Predicative 10

4. The principles and techniques of L/C translation 10

4.1 The principles of L/C translation 10

4.1.1 The principle of using legal language 11

4.1.2 The principle of accuracy and precision 11

4.1.3 The principle of smoothness 11

4.2 The translation techniques of L/C translation 12

4.2.1 From lexical level 12

4.2.1.1 Transliteration 12

4.2.1.2 Conversion of parts of speech 12

4.2.2 From syntactic level 12

4.2.2.1 Amplification 13

4.2.2.2 Omission 13

4.2.2.3 Voice transformation 13

Conclusion 14

Bibliography 15

Acknowledgment 16

Introduction

Trade is an key point in economic development. A

successful use of trade can boost a country's development.

The current facts is that trade, development, and poverty

reductions are intimately linked. Sustained strong growth

over longer development is deeply associated with poverty

reduction, while trade and growth are strongly linked.

Countries that develop invariably increase their

integration with the global economy, while export-led

growth has been a key part of many countries’ successful

development strategies. Business L/C English is a practical

Eng1ish course incorporating foreign trade business with

written English.

Letter of credit is the most important means of payment

in international trade， now nearly 70 percent of Chinese

imports and exports are done by the credit settlement. When

doing foreign trade business and checking the letter of

credit established by the applicant．it is not only a matter

of professional skill in foreign business，but also a matter

of good command of linguistic competence. Familiar with the

wording style of the L/C, it will help to avoid risks in

checking, comprehending, translating and drawing up the

documents and hence show approaches to this matter .

For this reason, L/C as a main payment method in

international trade has became more and more important. The

Letters of Credit give importers the most extensively used

and conventional international trade payment means and

finance instrument. By making Letter of Credit terms to

permit Deferred Payment or Trade Acceptance, a Letter of

Credit facilitates financing to the importer. It promises

payment, provided the seller complies with the terms and

conditions inside the Letter of Credit. The irrevocable

letter of credit can’t be canceled or varied without the

approval of all parties. The use of the letters of credit

as a tool to reduce risk has grown substantially over the

past decade. Letters of credit accomplish their purpose by

substituting the credit of the bank for that of the

customer, for the purpose of facilitating trade. Upon

receipt of the letter of credit, the credit professional

should review all items carefully to insure that what is

expected of the seller is fully understood and that he can

comply with all the terms and conditions. When compliance

is in question, the buyer should be requested to amend the

credit. The purpose of this thesis is to research the

language features and translation of L/C in international

trade from the perspective of lexical features, sentence

features and grammar features in order to make the

audiences use the least effort to get the greatest

contextual effect and the most information.

1. Relevance Knowledge of Letter of Credit

A letter of credit guarantees payment of a specified

sum in a specified currency, provided the seller meets

precisely-defined conditions and submits the prescribed

documents within a fixed time frame. These documents almost

always include a clean bill of lading or air way

bill,commercial invoice, and certificate of origin. To

establish a letter of credit in favor of the seller or

exporter (called the beneficiary) the buyer (called the

applicant or account party) either pays the specified sum

(plus service charges) up front to the issuing bank, or

negotiates credit. Letter of Credit is a formal trade tool s

and are used usually where the seller is unwilling to

extend credit to the buyer. In effect, a letter of credit

substitutes the credit worthiness of a bank for the credit

worthiness of the buyer. Thus, the international banking

system acts as an inter mediary between far flung exporters

and importers. However, the banking system does not take on

any responsibility for the quality of goods, genuineness of

documents, or any other provision in the contract of sale.

Since the unambiguity of the terminology used in writing a

letter of credit is of vital importance, the International

Chamber Of Commerce (ICC)has suggested specific

terms(called Incoterms) that are now almost universally

accepted and used. Unlike a bill of exchange, a letter of

credit is a nonnegotiable instrument but may be

transferable with the consent of the applicant. Although

letters of credit come in numerous types, the two most

basic ones are(1) Revocable-credit letter of credit,

(2)Irrevocable-credit letter of credit, which comes in

(a)Confirmed irrevocable letter of credit and, (b) Not-

confirmed irrevocable letter of credit.

1.1 The definition of L/C

Translation of L/C definition has been developing with

the development of the practice of L/C．By comparing old and

new translation of L/C terms，we have come to see that，when

learning such terms，English or Chinese，we should learn

them as new concepts rather than as new words or new

phrases only．

①A commitment，usually by a bank on behalf of a

client，to pay a beneficiary a stated amount of money under

specified conditions．(The International Trade Data System)

②A letter addressed by a banker to a person to whom

credit is given authorizing drafts on the issuing bank or

on a bank in the person’s country up to a certain sum and

guaranteeing to accept the drafts if duly made (Webster)

To sum up , the whole meaning of L/C is :

A standard, commercial letter of credit is a document

issued mostly by a financial institution, used primarily in

trade finance, which usually provides an irrevocable

payment undertaking. The letter of credit can also be

payment for a transaction, meaning that redeeming the

letter of credit pays an exporter. Letters of credit are

used primarily in international trade transactions of

significant value, for deals between a supplier in one

country and a customer in another. In such cases, the

International Chamber of Commerce Uniform Customs and

Practice for Documentary Credits applies (UCP 600 being the

latest version).They are also used in the land development

process to ensure that approved public facilities (streets,

sidewalks, storm water ponds, etc.) will be built. The

parties to a letter of credit are usually a beneficiary who

is to receive the money, the issuing bank of whom the

applicant is a client, and the advising bank of whom the

beneficiary is a client. Almost all letters of credit are

irrevocable, i.e., cannot be amended or canceled without

prior agreement of the beneficiary, the issuing bank and

the confirming bank, if any. In executing a transaction,

letters of credit incorporate functions common to giros and

traveler's cheques. Typically, the documents a beneficiary

has to present in order to receive payment include a

commercial invoice, bill of lading, and documents proving

the shipment was insured against loss or damage in transit.

(Wikipedia)

1.2 Development of L/C

The use of the letters of credit as a tool to reduce

risk has grown substantially over the past decade. Letters

of credit accomplish their purpose by substituting the

credit of the bank for that of the customer, for the

purpose of facilitating trade. The credit professional

should be familiar with two types of letters of credit:

commercial and standby. Commercial letters of credit are

used primarily to facilitate foreign trade. The commercial

letter of credit is the primary payment mechanism for a

transaction. The standby letter of credit serves a

different function. The standby letter of credit serves as

a secondary payment mechanism. The bank will issue the

credit on behalf of a customer to provide assurances of his

ability to perform under the terms of a contract. Upon

receipt of the letter of credit, the credit professional

should review all items carefully to insure that what is

expected of the seller is fully understood and that he can

comply with all the terms and conditions. When compliance

is in question, the buyer should be requested to amend the

credit.

1.2.1 Original of the term

Origin of the term The English name “letter of credit”

derives from the French word “accreditation”, a power to do

something, which in turn derives from the Latin

“accreditivus”, means trust. This applies to any defense

relating to the underlying contract of sale. This is as

long as the seller performs their duties to an extent that

meets the requirements contained in the letter of credit.

1.2.2 Types and related terms

Letters of credit (L/C) deal in documents, not goods. An

L/C can be ''irrevocable'' or ''revocable''. An irrevocable

L/C cannot be changed unless both buyer and seller agree.

With a revocable L/C, changes can be made without the

consent of the beneficiary.

①Revocable Letter of Credit

A revocable letter of credit may be revoked or modified

for any reason, at any time by the issuing bank without

notification. It is rarely used in international trade and

not considered satisfactory for the exporters but has an

advantage over that of the importers and the issuing bank.

There is no provision for confirming revocable credits as

per terms of UCPDC, Hence they cannot be confirmed. It

should be indicated in L/C that the credit is revocable. If

there is no such indication the credit will be deemed as

irrevocable.

②Irrevocable Letter of Credit

In this case it is not possible to revoked or amended a

credit without the agreement of the issuing bank, the

confirming bank, and the beneficiary. Form an exporter’s

point of view it is believed to be more beneficial. An

irrevocable letter of credit from the issuing bank insures

the beneficiary that if the required documents are

presented and the terms and conditions are complied with,

payment will be made.

③Confirmed Letter of Credit

Confirmed Letter of Credit is a special type of L/C in

which another bank apart from the issuing bank has added

its guarantee. Although, the cost of confirming by two

banks makes it costlier, this type of L/C is more

beneficial for the beneficiary as it doubles the guarantee.

2.The lexical features of L/C

New documents operators have great difficulty in

interpreting and operating L/C. Mo Zaishu pointed out that:

Generally, there are two obstacles in understanding the

L/C English:

①They find it hard to understand some key words and high

frequency words, because the meanings of these words are

not their common meanings. Some words even cannot be found

in common dictionary;

②They are not familiar with terms or styles of L/C.

Distinct stylistic coloring has taken shape in the

vocabulary of business English in its long development

(2002.110).

L/C English not only owns the linguistic feature of

legal documents, but also owns its own features. In

practice, especially when opening a credit, some documents

operators do not know how to choose the right words to open

a Letter of Credit to protect their legal rights. After

receiving the Letter of Credit, meanwhile, they do not

analyse the exact meaning of it, therefore, they may hand

in faulty documents that may fail to withdraw the money.

For this reason, we can see the understanding of the terms

of L/C English is of great significance in its applied

analysis.

2.1 The very professional language styles

The usage of terminology is very common in L/C English,

including a lot of abbreviations which is used in business

English correspondence. This kind of special language will

be very difficult to understand if one is not familiar with

documentation in international trade.

2.1.1 The vocabulary with professional meaning

People create a great number of technical terms or

terminology with the development of Letter of Credit. The

meanings of those words are different from their common

meanings. For example, there are special words to divide

different kinds of people or banks in the process of

trading, for example: Transferor, Transferee, Opening Bank,

Negotiating Bank, Paying Bank, Confirming Bank, etc. In L/C

English, the meanings of those words are quite specific

rather than common.

The terminology has the following features such as

international generality, precise meaning, impassive

expression and distinctive literary style. There are a

large number of professional language been used in Letter

of Credit English in order to describe all links and other

relevant documents in the process of import and export

trade. Examples:

①Bona fide holder, (信信信信信)means a holder of a negotiable

instrument who acquired title to the instrument in the

ordinary course of business for value before it became due

and without knowledge of any defect in title.

②Party, 信信信信（） means one (as a person, group, or entity)

constituting alone or with others one of the sides of a

proceeding, transaction, or agreement.

③Beneficiary, 信信信信（） means the person or entity named or

otherwise entitled to receive the principal or income or

both from a trust compare settlor trustee.

④Clean L/C, 信信信信信信（） means L/C that does not require any

document other than a written demand for payment by its

beneficiary.

2.1.2 Widely using abbreviation in L/C

Abbreviation is a short form of a word or expression

(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English). It is an

important means of word formation in English. Usually,

terminologies in L/C English are relatively longer than

general words. Many of them are long words or formed of

several nouns. Therefore, abbreviation is a popular way to

shorten or simplify the words that appear frequently in

L/C.

Here are some examples of abbreviation which is used in

L/C document (Shen Xiuling, 2009,89)

SWIFT：Society for worldwide Inter —bank Financial

telecommunication(信信信信信信信信信信信)；

UCP：Uniform Custom and Practice for Documentary Credit(信信信信

信信信 信信统一)；

ICC：International Chamber of Commerce(信信信信)；

CIQ：China Entry—Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau(信信信信信

信信信信信)

CCIC：China Certification & Inspection Corporation (信信信信信信信

信)

SGS：Societe Generale de Surveillance S．A．(信信信信书)；

CISS：Comprehensive Import super-vision Scheme(信信信信信信信信信)：

CIC：China insurance clause(信信信信信信)；

ICC：Institute Cargo Clause(信信信信信信信信信信信信)；

TPND：Theft , Pilferageand Non-delivery (信信信信信信信信)

FCS；(Free of capsize and Seizure)信信信信，信信信信；

B/L：Bill of lading(信信)；

Art：Article(信信)；

Doc．：document(信信)；

Send. to Rec. Info .: Sender to Receiver Information(信信)；

Pos. Neg. Tol. ：positive/negative total(信 信信信信信信信Ⅲ )；

Additional cond．：Additional conditions(信信信信)信

2.1.3 Widely using polysemic words in L/C

While different words may have the same or similar

meaning the same one word may have more than one meaning.

This is what we call polysemy, and such a word is called a

polysemic word. Polysemy is a common phenomenon in English,

so is in Letter of Credit. Some polysemic words frequently

appear in L/C English with different meanings, for

instance, “honor”, “cover”. The exact meanings of those

words depend on the language setting. Look at following two

sentences with confirmation/confirm below:

①We have added our confirmation on the credit and engage

that documents presented to us in full compliance with the

terms and conditions of the credit will be duly honored. 信信信信信信信信信信信信（ ，

信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信，一。）

“Conformation” means a definite undertaking of the

confirming bank, in addition to that of the issuing bank,

to honor or negotiate a complying presentation (UCP600).

②Through bill of lading to be used. please confirm such

B/L is available at load port. 信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信（，。）

“Conform” means to show or state that something is

certainly true or will definitely happen.

Other words like “cover” have several meanings in L/C

English.

①Documents must be sent to us by courier service in one

cover. 信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信 信（一。）

“Cover”: an envelope or parcel for mail

②Insurance covered by buyer under cover note: 01529. 信信信信信信信（ ，

信信信信信信：01529信信

The first “cover”: to provide for loss, risk, etc. by

insurance

The second “cover”: a certificate issued by an insurance

company stating that a policy is operative: used as a

temporary measure between the commencement of cover and the

issue of the policy

③All issuing bank charges are for the account of the

beneficiary, accordingly, we shall deduce USD 80.00 from

proceeds to cover cost of issuance. 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信 信信信信信信信信信（，， 80 信信信信信信信信信信。）

“Cover”: to be sufficient to defray, meet, or offset the

cost or charge of

④Shipment from Chinese port to Kobe covering paulowania

boxes as per contract NO. 83MLCT521. 信信信信信（ 83MLCT521 信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信 信，，。）

“Cover”: spread; to extend over or lie thickly on the

surface of

From the examples above, we can see many simple words

have different meanings in Letter of Credit. We need to

know every meaning clearly and use these words accurately

to avoid mistakes in operating the L/C.

2.2 The usage of archaism and formal style

Most of words in English without stylistic coloring,

But archaism is a lexical component with distinctive

literary style, which is seldom used in spoken language and

written communication. However, archaisms are present in

large numbers in L/C English in order to show solemnity of

literary style. William Morris, the England poet in the 19th

century, called the archaism “Wardour Street English”, The

most commonly used archaism is complex adverb consist of

here, there and where add to after, at, by, from, in, of,

to, under, upon, with, etc. such as hereunder 信信信信（）, therein 信信（

信）, hereby 信信信（）, hereof 信信信（）, hereto 信信信（）, whereas 信信信（）, herewith 信信（，

信信信, etc. Example：

①Drafts drawn hereunder must bear documentary credit

weight and date.

②Accompanied against to documents hereinafter.

③We confirmed the credit and thereby undertake that all

draft drawn and presented as above specified will be dully

honored by us at our counter on or before.

④We (issuing bank) hereby engage with the drawers,

endorsers and bona fide holders of drafts drawn under and

in compliance with the terms of credit that such drafts

shall be dully honored on due presentation and delivery of

documents as specified.

According to the survey these kinds of derived archaism

which is made of here and there, we can have such following

classification. (Fan Xinmin,2010,190)

2.2.1 To express time

Here and there, as adverb root, to express time has

following parts: Hereafter, hereinbefore, hereinafter,

heretofore, hereunder, hereinunder, hereinabove and

thereafter, thereunder, thereinbefore. In the process of

use, comparatively speaking, the derivation with compound

preposition ending is more formal than the derivation with

simple preposition ending. But the use frequency is less

than the derivation with simple preposition ending.

hereafter/hereinafter; thereafter/thereinafter

These two group words have same meaning and usually go

with following verbs: refer to, discuss, explain, mention,

follow, see, name, etc. These words express action which

linked the preceding with the following. Its meaning is “in

the following documents/copies/events”. However,

hereinafter/thereinafter is more simple and

unsophisticated.

hereinabove/hereinbefore/heretofore, thereinbefore

All these words mean “above which is mentioned”. The

meaning of them is contrary with hereafter/hereinafter;

thereafter/thereinafter. Example: The products hereinbefore

are sold well in European market.

hereunder/hereinunder and thereunder

They all mean “the part of below or following in this

clause”. And they can used interchangeably when they

express the relation of context. By contrast, hereinunder

is more legitimate.

2.2.2 To express space

Here and there, as root, express space has following

words: herein, hereto, hereon/upon and therein, thereto,

thereon/upon. Commonly, space conception expresses a point

or surface and the frequently-used preposition is on/in, to

express a kind of directive extend of space.

hereon/hereupon, thereon/thereupon

These two group words have similar meaning, they all

means “therefrom or right now”. They usually can be used

with show, write, etc.

herein/therein

Herein means “in this place or thing or document”,

therein means “in that place or thing or document”.

Therefore, they should be connected with some verbs such as

mention, relate, state, etc. Example: The Credit can be

transferred only on the terms and conditions specified in

the original Credit, with the exception of any unit price

stated therein.

hereto/thereto

Both of them express a directive action of space, means

to this writing, document, matter, or proposition. In

addition, they also means to what place, purpose, or end.

Example: Instructions for the issuance of a Credit, the

Credit itself, instructions for an amendment thereto, and

the amendment itself must be complete and precise.

As a preposition, “to” usually go with some verbs.

Example: add thereto/belong, thereto/hereto attached.

2.2.3 To express reason for

Cause and effect means “reason and result”, which is

expressed by prepositional phrase with for. In business

documents, however, archaic adverbs which express reason

mainly include therefore herefrom/therefrom.

therefore

Therefore means from that fact or reason or as a

result/consequence. Example: The Credit, therefore, should

clearly indicate weather it is revocable or irrevocable.

herefrom/therefrom

Both of them here means “from that circumstance or

source”. Example: In consideration of your issuing a set of

clean bill of lading against the mate's receipt we

guarantee to take all of the consequence arising therefrom.

3. The sentence structure and grammar features of L/C

Zhai Buxi pointed out in his Applied Analysis of Business L/C

English that L/C English has the linguistic features of legal

English, and both of them belong to formal English

(2008.35). Normally, the sentence structures of formal

English are complicated and the length of the sentences

gets longer than that of normal English. Long sentences are

suitable to arrange the complicated meaning levels

logically, and they can express the interrelated

relationships in the sentences (2008.35). The basic

linguistic features of L/C English are formatted and

normative, so are the features of sentence structures

(2008.34). Here is an exploration of the features of the

sentence structures of Letter of Credit by studying the

passive sentences, imcomplete sentences and long sentences.

3.1 The usage of incomplete sentences and long sentences

American translator Eugene A. Nida said in his book

Translating Meanings, the main difference between Chinese and

English sentence structure. English is a grammatical

language, while Chinese is a semantically based language.

Entire sentence primary and secondary distinct, well-

structured, constituted the characteristic of English

sentence. The sentence meaning is closely related to the

change of sentence structure. Instead, Chinese tend to

express a flow of idea without engagement. Its meaning is

showed by inner logical relationship rather exterior formal

structure. English sentence, as usual, should have a

complete subject-predicate structure. L/C English, however,

have a unique feature which other science and technology

writing without. The copula usually be omitted in L/C

English in order to make sentence incomplete intentionally.

The purpose of incomplete sentence is to highlight head

word position of nouns in the whole sentence.

3.1.1 The copula usually be omitted in L/C English

When prepositional phrase or adjective sever as link-

verb and predicative structure, the copula usually be

omitted in L/C English. Therefore, the sentence structure

turns into incomplete. Example:

Shipment (is) from Shanghai to Tokyo port later than

March 14, 2012,documents (are) to be presented within 10

days after the date of issuance of the shipping document

but within credit validity in case shipment is not effected

within the time stipulated above an automatic extension of

10 days is allowed both for the time of shipment and that

of expiration of the credit.

Analysis: This sentence is incomplete and the head words

are shipment and documents which are the clause tend to

show us. The postpositive conditional clause in case is

assistant. In a grammatical view, there are a long

subjunctive part which is modified by attributive behind

shipment and documents. In fact, this sentence include a

subject-predicate structure, that is add a is behind

shipment and add a are behind documents. Similarly:

①Packing list in triplicate showing number of card

cartons, gross weight, net weight and specified per

container. There is an ellipsis of “are” in this sentence.

②Available with any bank by negotiation. There is an

ellipsis of “It is” in this sentence.

③Latest shipment Nov. 25, 2010. There is an ellipsis of

“is” in this sentence.

3.1.2 The usage of the long sentence

Long sentences has been used in abundant in letter of

credit English, The writing style of L/C has many

characteristics such as caution of thought and rigorous

writing because it belongs to the style of English for law.

As the subject of L/C, issuing bank is tend to express its

meaning at one go from beginning to end in a clear and

complete way. Therefore, we should keep abreast of the

expression of ideas about L/C when we translate it. The

expression of L/C is so interlock that we cannot take apart

the ideas of sentence in translation. Examples:

①Full set of 4/4 clean on board B/L or multimodal

transport document and two nonnegotiable copies made out to

order of China Bank Company Limited , China marked freight

paid and notify applicant..

信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信， China Bank Company Limited , China 信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，。

In order to show all information in L/C, we can also

make a list one by one in translation. Example:

②Insurance policy or certificate or declaration in two

negotiable forms indicating “Original” and “Duplicate” plus

one non-negotiable copy endorsed in blank for full invoice

value plus 10 percent with claim payable in Tokyo in the

same currency as the draft, covering institute war clauses

(cargo).

信信信信信信信信信“ORIGINAL”信“DUPLICATE”信信 信信信 信信信信 信信信信信一，； 书110%信信信信 信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信， ， ； ： 一 。

3.2 The grammar features of L/C English

The wide use of passive voice is considered to be one of

the outstanding features of the English language,

especially in letter of credit English. The passive voice

in Chinese is less commonly used in comparison with the

English on account of the flexible syntax of the Chinese

language. Therefore, in dealing with L/C translation, we

should avoid sticking to the original pattern and try to

convert the passive voice into various Chinese sentence

patterns.

3.2.1 The usage of the passive voice

The suitability principle in literature requires us to

choose appropriate language in certain situation to get the

best effect in communication. (Zhai Buxi, 102-104). As a

formal and practical language, L/C English has its own

features in voice. From the features of voices, the active

voice is direct and subjective while passive voice is

indirect and objective. Therefore, passive sentences are

more suitable in formal and serious documents. In the view

of semantics, if the order of words is changed in a

sentence, the emphasis of the meaning in this sentence is

also changed. In many situations, L/C English is required

to strengthen the target of the action and neglects the

compliant agent (Liu Ji 28-31). Thereby, passive sentences

are adopted in L/C English. Passive sentences are widely

used in L/C English, because in a passive sentence, the

target to be discussed is in the prominent position that

belongs to the subject, (Yu Jin & Yang Fuqing 156-158).

In many terms, L/C requires stand out the object of

behavior rather than completer. That is to say, the style

factors and language environment of L/C call for stress the

objective facts. That is the reason why the passive voice

has a high frequency in L/C English. Besides, there is

enough space for regulation in sentence structure with

passive voice, it is beneficial to choose appropriate

rhetorical and increase information content of sentence.

Furthermore, because the subjectivity of passive voice is

less than active voice, it is meet requirement of the

writing style of L/C. Examples:

①Drafts and documents are to be couriered in one lot to

bank of china, guangzhou branch.

信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信一。

②Packing list in one original and 3 copies, all of which

must be manually signed .

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信一，。

③The advising bank is requested to notify the

beneficiary without adding their confirmation.

信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信（）。

In this sentence, the key point is to stress that it is

the advising bank not any other bank that is requested to

notify the beneficiary.（Wang Haiyan&Liu Yingchun,2008,158信

3.2.2 Participial phrase as the Attribute Predicative

①Signed commercial invoices in triplicate showing FOB

value of the mentioned goods and stating “we hereby certify

that the goods herein invoice confirm with I/O No.325, MSN

order No.1356, and Art No.1450.

②Charges incurred in respect of any telegraphic

transfer / charts payment / payment advice by SWIFT/TELEX

are for account of beneficiary.

③Copy of beneficiaries’ telex to buyer quoting L/C

number , mentioning details of shipment.

All the expression of above sentences are incomplete

sentence. They do not have a Subject-Predicate Structure,

but all of then are independent sentence. Surely this

represents the central point of nouns in the text of L/C.

It also stands out the characteristic of L/C English.

4. The principles and techniques of L/C translation

Along with globalization and people’s increasing demand

for free mobility of goods and capital, more and more legal

texts need to be translated. Legal translation, which

indeed affects people’s lives in one way or another, plays

an extremely important role in international affairs. For

example, international trade cannot function properly

without legal translation. Obviously, research on

translation of legal texts, such as economic laws and

contracts, is a very important topic for translators.

4.1 The principles of L/C translation

While doing translation, the translator is often guided

by the principles for translation. As far as principles for

translation are concerned, people at home and abroad have

raised various opinions. One of the most notable

achievements is Yan Fu’s triple principle, namely,

faithfulness(信), expressiveness(信)and elegance(信). Then, on

the basis of the previous scholars’ studies, the thesis

presents the three principles for translation of L/C,

namely, proper use of legal language, accuracy and

precision in diction, and smoothness.

4.1.1 The principle of using legal language

In the translation of L/C English, many legal terms and

expressions boast their specific meaning respectively,

which is totally different from their use in common

English. The following table displays some legal words and

expressions both in English and Chinese to show the

importance of following the principle of using legal

language.

Table 1

Words Legal meaning in English Legal meaning in

Chinese

Action A lawsuit (either civil

or criminal

信信

Color Apparent legal right 信信 信信信 信信（）

Damages The compensation sought

for a loss

信信信

Prejudice A detriment to legal

rights

信信 信信信信信（）

Virtue Authority or reason 信信 信信，

Waive To relinquish 信信 信信信信信信（、）

4.1.2 The principle of accuracy and precision

Accuracy is a principle universally applicable to almost

all kinds of translations. Yet it is of more significance

in the case of L/C English translation. Accuracy is the top

priority in the translation of L/C texts. Any

misunderstanding of the part of the translator will

inevitably result in mistranslation, which may result in

serious legal consequences and lose legal effect of the

original text. Cite a few examples as follows:

①Contractor shall assume full responsibility for the

entire project work until its acceptance.

Original version 信信信：信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，。

Revised version 信信信：信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，。

②The balance shall be settled upon the arrival of the

goods at the port of destination．

Original version 信信信信信：信信信信信。

Revised version 信信信信信：信信信信信信信。

4.1.3 The principle of smoothness

To achieve the purpose of efficient communication of the

letter of credit, it is of great importance to use the

legal language and standardize terms of trade art. What’s

more, to make the translated versions as smooth as

possible, it is essential to keep it parallel to the source

language L/C texts at the lexical, syntactical and textual

levels. That means one of the most vital respects of

translation is the concern to maintain the generic identity

of the target text. Example:

①Third party shipper/documents are permitted provided

that such third party is not any person with whom us

persons are prohibited from doing business under us foreign

assets control regulations or other applicable us laws and

regulations. (信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信，

信信)

②We hereby declare that this invoice amounting to

USD4500 is in all respects correct and contains full and

true statement of the particulars of the goods and of the

price actually paid or to be paid for the said goods and

the actual quantity thereof and that no other invoice has

been or will be furnished to anyone else, and that the

goods are of Chinese origin, and that no discount or rebate

has been or will be allowed other than that shown on this

invoice.

信信信信信 信信信信信，4500信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信；；；；，。

4.2 The translation techniques of L/C

A translation strategy is an attitude to deal with the

two basic problems in translation: linguistic

incompatibility and culture difference. This part focuses

on a discussion of some translation techniques employed in

translating L/C into Chinese, then put forward some typical

translation techniques of L/C translation at the level of

lexicon and syntax.

4.2.1 From lexical level

In the translation of L/C, lexical level is the most

fundamental translation level. As for translation of ELT

into Chinese on this level, many specific translation

techniques are adopted such as transliteration and

conversion of parts of speech.

4.2.1.1 Transliteration

Transliteration is the act or process of representing or

transcribing the words, letters or characters of one

language into an alphabetic item of another language. It is

also a common method of translation, which is a good way to

express new things. Example:

①Title: English meaning is the headline of invoice, but

in Chinese is “信信”.

②Marks: English meaning is the sign of package, but in

Chinese is “信信”.

4.2.1.2 Conversion of parts of speech

There are almost the same parts‘ of speech in both

English and Chinese, and there is little difference between

their grammatical functions. However, there are not

corresponding one by one when translating. In order to be

faithful and smooth, conversion of parts of speech is

necessary. Example:

Neither party hereto shall be responsible for the

failure of the performance . hereunder if caused by war,

fire, flood, embargo, explosion, shortage of materials,

prohibition of import and export, judicial or governmental

restrictions, strike or other labor troubles, or any other

causes beyond the control of the party.

信信信信 信信信 信信信 信信信 信信信 信信信信信、、、、、、信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信、、，信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信，。

4.2.2 From syntactic level

Since English and Chinese belong to two kinds of

different language families and present a lot of

differences in syntax, it is necessary for translators to

pay much attention to translation at the syntactic level,

and to learn and acquire specific technique for translating

L/C texts. There are some techniques such as amplification,

omission and voice transformation should be taken into

consideration.

4.2.2.1 Amplification

Amplification of words refers to adding words which do

not appear in the L/C texts but can be showed in the

context. In translating L/C into Chinese, the use of

amplification should be in line with the principle of

accuracy and precision. For example:

① Y ou are requested to advise the credit to the

beneficiary without adding your confirmation.

信信信 信信信信（） 信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信，。

②Notwithstanding the foregoing, should you present the

documents to us for negotiation, kindly provide additional

invoice and photocopy of signed transport documents for

record.

信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，，。

4.2.2.2 Omission

In order to interpret the L/C text correctly, the reader

may be forced to reread the sentence, so it is advised to

try to use short sentences for complicated thoughts in

drafting the L/C documents. Hence, at the level of syntax,

the technique of omission is very useful and necessary in

the translation of L/C into Chinese. Example:

3/3 original clean on board bills of lading plus non

negotiable copies made out or endorsed to the order of

Israel discount bank freight prepaid.

信信信信信信3信3信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信， 。书

In above example, when the expressions “non negotiable

copies” translated into Chinese, they are only rendered

into Chinese “信信” instead of “信信信信信”.

4.2.2.3 Voice transformation

In addition to the above-mentioned translation

techniques, voice transformation is also an important one

to the translation of L/C into Chinese. The passive voice

is predominantly found in L/C English for it is used for

purposes of clarity and can not be used indiscriminately.

Example:

①The number and the date of the credit and the name of

our bank must be quoted on all drafts required.

信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信、。

②All documents must be forwarded to us in one lot by

special service courier.

信信信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信一。

Conclusion

In the practice of foreign trade, it is quite important

to make a fine L/C. To some degree, the quality of the L/C

may decide the efficiency of the trade. To the documents

operators, they should not only be good at English, but

also be able to translate the L/C language correctly.

Knowing the language features of L/C English helps to

direct the opening of L/C and reduce the risks that are

caused by the misunderstanding of the items. Therefore, it

is of realistic meanings to analyze the language features

of L/C English and its translation.

In order to know the common international trade system

better, it is essential to know the main features of L/C

English. From the discussion in this thesis, it can be seen

clearly that the language features of L/C are mainly shown

on three levels：lexicon，syntax and grammar. On the level

of lexicon, the author illustrates two main characteristics

of L/C, namely, the very professional language styles and

the usage of archaism and formal style. The main syntactic

features of L/C include the usage of incomplete sentences

and the usage of long sentence. The main grammar features

of L/C include the usage of the passive voice and

participial phrase as the Attribute Predicative.

Apart from the analysis of language features of L/C in

terms of lexicon, sentence and grammar, the author states

his own viewpoints on principles for translation of L/C

English based on some general translation principles and

previous studies in this field. That is the principle of

using legal language, of accuracy and precision and of

smoothness. Last, the thesis elaborates on some specific

translation techniques in terms of both lexicon and syntax.

It is sincerely hoped that this research will help

enlighten translators of L/C texts and promote the

development of international trade translation studies

Bibliography

Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP600), the

International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Commission on

Banking Technique and Practice, Article 2: Definitions,

2007.

信信信 信信信信信信， here 信 there 信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信体体 [A] 信信信信信，，2010(6):190-192.

信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信， [J]，信信信信信信,2005(2):28-31.

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信，体 [A] 信信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信，（）2002(4):110-111.

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信，（L/C信信信信信信[A] 信信信信信信信信信信，，2009(32):89-91.

信信信 信信信信信信信信， [M] 信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信，：，，2002.

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，， [A] 信信信信，，2008,158-160.

信信 信信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信、，[J] 信信信信信信， 2007(11):156-158.

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信， [A]，信信信信信信信信 信信信信信信（） 2008,8(3):182-184.

信信信 信信信信信信信信信信信信信信信，[A] 信信信信信信信信信信信 信信信信，（）2006(4):102-104.