My Vocabulary Briefi ng in Legal En glish
同一意义正式与非正式的表达
一词多义:
Advise
释义:advise在法律英语中有两个常用意思:
①律师等法律工作者提供法律建议,如
The partner of the law firm advised the Manager on various specialist legal issues
该律师事务所的合伙人就各种专业法律问题向经理提出了法律建议。
②通知,相当于notify或inform,女口
The use of advise in the sense of “ inform, no tify, ” was restricted to bus in ess corresp ondence and legal con texts. Thus one may say the suspects were advised of their rights, but it would be considered pretentious to say you ' d better advise your friends that the date of the pic nic has bee n cha nged
advise表示“通知,告知”的这种用法局限地用于商业往来及法律情况。因此可以说嫌疑犯被告知他们所具有的权利,但是你最好通知你的朋友,野餐的
日期有所改变,这种说法被认为是做作的。
Deposit
释义:deposit在法律英语中通常最常用的意思有两个:
①存款,这是他在普通英语和法律英语都很常见的意思,既可作名词也可作
动词,如
He has a deposit of 10,000yuan in ICBC他在工商银行有1万元的存款。
People tend to deposit their idle money in the bank。人们喜欢把不用的钱存至U 银行。
②定金,保证金,相当于earnest money。根据中国的合同法,缴纳定金方违约的,定金不予返还,接收定金方违约的,应当双方返还定金。如
The shop un dertook to keep the goods for me provided that I paid a deposit. 商店答应,倘若我付定金就给我保留这批货。
Discharge
释义:discharge在法律英语中的常用含义有两个:
①履行,侧重于对具体义务的履行,相当于fulfill,女口
He discharged his obligations after the call of the creditors
他在债权人的督促下,才履行了自己的义务。
②免除,即免除他人的义务或债务。
His liability to pay the loan to the bank was discharged due to his bankruptcy 他对银行的借款偿还义务因其破产而免除。
从上面两个例子可以看出,discharge的两个含义是截然相反的,因此,我们在理解和翻译它的含义时,应当放到上下文中,不能望文生义。一般来说,如果主语是自己(如例证1),就理解为履行,动作由别人发出(如例证2),则理解为免除。
draft
释义:draft在法律英语中通常有两个含义,一个是起草,如draft a law起草法律,draft a con tract起草合同等。另一个意思是汇票,如承兑汇票也可以是honor a draft,开具汇票可以说是issue a draft等。
execute
释义:execute是法律英语中常用也是比较容易出错的单词,通常理解为合同的签订等。如 the con tract shall take effect upon its execution 合同自签订之日起生效。很多人容易把它理解为执行,这是错误的。但execution的确有执行、履
行的意思,如果它与表示一段的时间状语连用,那肯定是执行、履行的意思,如in the course of the executi on of the con tract 在合同履行过程中。
issue
释义:issue的意思是签发,如issue an order签发命令,issue a notice签发通知,issue stock发行证券,issue a draft开具汇票等。用作名词时,意思是争点、争议点,即当事人之间关于事实或法律的争议事项,如issue at/in law法律上的争点,issue of fact事实上的争点等。
represe ntati on
释义:representation在法律英语中有两个含义,一是代表,女口representation by counsel由律师代表,一个是陈述,通常和warranty连用,出现在合同中,representation and warranty 为合同的“陈述与保证条款”。
un derwrite
释义:underwrite在法律英语中有两个常见含义,一是承保、给…保险,如underwrite the goods in transit为运输途中的货物承保,另外一个意思是证券承销、报销,女口underwriting agreement 证券承销协议,underwriting spread 承销差价等。
settleme nt
释义:settlement在法律英语中的常见含义是和解,如reach a settlement达成和解,settlement out of court庭外和解。另外,settlement也可作账目的结算,如settlement of an account 账目结算,settlement date 交割日等。
term
释义:term在法律英语中有两个常见含义,一是期限,如term of office任期,term of the con tract合同有效期,另外一个是条件,如term of the purchase 购买条件,terms and con diti ons条件及条款等。
withdraw
释义:withdraw有两个常用意思,一是支取、提款,女口withdraw money from the bank从银行提款,另一个意思是撤回、撤销,如withdraw an offer撤回邀约,withdraw a charge撤回指控,withdraw from criminal activities 推出犯罪活动等。