English-Chinese translation of financial terminology in Mainland China and Hong Kong

The main purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the English-Chinese translated financial terms of Mainland China and Hong Kong in light of the necessary criteria for special communication terminology, and explore the feasibility of standardisation. Some distinctive linguistic properties and translation methods of the two regions’ Chinese financial terminology will be illustrated based on data from an industry glossary and major bank annual reports. The present situation is that Mainland China and Hong Kong display both similarities and differences in their Chinese translation of financial terms. With the increasing contact since the 1997 handover, the two regions appear to have been influencing each other, especially in that Mainland China has been adopting Hong Kong’s Chinese translations. In view of the fact that some translation scholars and practitioners advocate the standardisation of Chinese financial terminology in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for the sake of better economic development, this paper outlines the main properties of the two regions’ terminologies and evaluates how such standardisation might possibly proceed. Limited research has been done with regard to the translation of Chinese financial terminology and this exploratory study will fill that gap and attract similar studies in the translation and terminology fields.