Legitimacy:多义、本义及汉译

legitimacy一词多义,应根据术语单义化的原则分别翻译,而放弃“百分之百对应”“涵盖其所有意义”的称名预期。作为政治学核心术语,legitimacy有“合法性”“正当性”等多种译名。但应避免使用“合法性”之译,以免与legality混淆;应慎重使用“正当性”之译,以免与justness混淆。legitimacy本义为主权或政权为人民肯定、认可、接受,故可用“肯认性”或“认受性”,并根据语境灵活处理。

On Chinese Translation of Legitimacy

Different Chinese translations are required for the multiple meanings of legitimacy. Translators shall give up nomenclatural anticipation of “100% correspondence” or “all meanings included” in Chinese translation. As a key word or key term in political philosophy, legitimacy can be translated as “hefaxing” “zhengdangxing”, and so on. However, “hefaxing” is not proper because it is also the translation of “legality”; “zhengdangxing” is not proper because it is also the translation of “justness” and “justification”. The basic meaning of legitimacy is that regime or government is accepted and admitted by people, so “kenrenxing” or “renshouxing” is the most appropriate translation.