The Chinese expression “污染环境犯罪” can be translated into the English “environmental crimes” and other terms. A translation guide for various contexts is provided below.
Contexts
Criminal Law
Translation Equivalents
- Environmental crimes
Evidence for Translation Approach
According to Wang Xiumin in The People’s Prosecutions website:
“1997年刑法第三百三十八条对污染环境罪(当时罪名为重大环境污染事故罪)的规定为:“违反国家规定,向土地、水体、大气排放、倾倒或者处置有放射性的废物、含传染病病原体的废物、有毒物质或者其他危险废物,造成重大环境污染事故,致使公私财产遭受重大损失或者人身伤亡的严重后果的,处三年以下有期徒刑或者拘役,并处或者单处罚金;后果特别严重的,处三年以上七年以下有期徒刑,并处罚金。”
According to Pace University Research Guide for Environmental Crimes:
“The term Environmental Crime, a subdivision of white collar crime (sometimes called “green collar crime”[1]) has been used since the 1970s to refer to criminal “statutory offenses involving harm to the environment, such as a violation of the criminal provisions in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, the Federal Pollution Control Act of 1972 . . . or the Endangered Species Act.” ”
Analysis
The Chinese term appears to have entered the language via an earlier translation from English. Some divergence in the terms’ implications may appear as a distinct body of Chinese environmental law develops.
Further Research
The above contexts are not necessarily exhaustive and an appropriate English translation for the source Chinese may differ in different social contexts.