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ions according to functional equivalence theory, pay attention to inter-lingual coherence and the logic of legal form and content. Microscopically, it should be from perspectives of sentence pattern and vocabulary to use the methods of separating translation and paraphrase, meaning expansion and strict equivalence to guide the concrete practice of legal translation so as to ensure the equivalence of the ideographic function and legal function of the target language and the source language (Donat and Candel-Mora, 2015).

2.3 Discussion
Application of functional equivalence theory in legal English translation abroad is earlier than that of China (Xiang, 2011, Yu, 2015). They emphasized the equivalence of meanings, and later they emphasized not only functional equivalence but also equivalence of meaning. Finally, relevant scholars reached a consensus, in the process of legal English translation, it should emphasize functional equivalence, so that readers of the target language response to the message basically the same as what the original text readers response to the original information (Zhang, 2010). Related researches in China do not object to the principle of functional equivalence in theory, they mainly focused on how to apply the principle of functional equivalence to the translation of legal English and put forward a lot of translation skills with reference value, providing valuable translation suggestions for translators engaged in legal English translation, but most of these studies focused on the translation of vocabulary. There are some problems in the quantity and depth of study on how to apply functional equivalence in translation of sentence pattern and discourse (Statham, 2003). On the basis of the above research, this study combines with functional equivalence theory and explores legal English translation from three aspects: discourse, vocabulary, and syntax, in the hope of complementing the deficiencies of the above studies.

3.0 Vocabulary 词汇

3.1 Old English
Historically, English litigation and legal instruments were originally exclusively in Latin until the French Normans invaded Britain from the sea and conquered England, then they mixed French, Latin and English, and finally English became the official law term. In order to maintain legal heritage and the authority which can not be easily changed, some Old English and foreign words still retain in modern legal English (Hu, 2013).
This type of Old English is rarely used in other areas of modern English, but in the text of legal contract, it is very common, the main purpose is to avoid duplication, misunderstanding and ambiguity, so as to make sentence structure compact and refined, then the writing will be more accurate, simple. The use of antique words has greatly enhanced the formal and seriousness of legal English, which is in line with the standardization of legal text.
The most prominent Old English in legal English is compounds combining of “here, there, what and where”, such as “thereunder, hereby, herein, hereinafter” and so on, these Old English are obscure, which brings challenges to the ability of legal English translation workers (Hu, 2013). For example:

If we do not know what thereunder means, the above phrase is also very difficult to be translated clearly. “There under” in the text means “under that”. Translators should also consider what target language rea