Functions of legal document
法律文本的功能
法律文本的主要功能应当是呼吁、规范， 提供信息只能是它的各种次要功能之一、 法律文本具有规定、约束性功能以规范和 指导社会与个人之间、个人与个人之间在 政治、经济和文化等领域的活动和行为， 其规范功能受到国家强制力的保护，具有 强制性。
Syntax of law
1. complex sentences otherwise… subject to… without prejudice to… provided that… notwithstanding… where clause who clause 2. passive voice
letters patent(专利证书) shall、must、have the duty to do、may not、have the
right to do 6. doublets/legal pairs or triplets null and void rest, residue and remainder
Without prior written approval, no Party shall assign any and all of its rights and interests and delegate its responsibilities under this Agreement to any third party. However, Party B shall have the right to assign its rights and interests and delegate its responsibilities hereunder to an affiliate; provided that Party B shall continue to warrant that such affiliate will complete the purchase of the equity interest in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
Discourse of law
Coherence and cohesion: fixed structure constitution; contract; agreement; convention;
certificate; prospectus; bill of indictment; civil complaint/judgment;
Without prior written approval, no Party shall assign any and all of its rights and interests and delegate its responsibilities under this Agreement to any third party.
hereunder: under this Agreement;
provided that: under the condition that…
但乙方有权将其在本协议项下的任何和全 部权利和权益让与及将其在本协议项下的 责任委托给一家关联公司，但是（条件是） 乙方应继续保证该关联公司将以本协议拟 定的方式完成对股权的购买。
法律文本的翻译 Translation of Legal Document
It is not possible to gain an insight into the nature of any institution of human life without an inquiry into the purposes or functions which the particular institution is designed to accomplish. Nobody can intelligently discuss problems of government and arrive at a considered judgment with respect to the policies which should be promoted by public officials or agencies without first forming an opinion as to the general aims and ends for which governments are established. This is equally true for the institution of law, at least in the secular, political sense with which we are concerned. We treat law as a particular kind of governmental institution. From this perspective, we assert that no official within the institution of law—no judge, attorney or other person with official duties in the administration of law—can adequately discharge his or her duties unless familiar with the general purposes which the law is supposed to perform for society.
prior: coming before in time;
shall: indicating legal obligation;
any and all: emphasis; under this Agreement: “本协议项下的”
未经事先书面批准，任何一方不得将其在 本协议项下的任何和全部权利和权益让与 及将其在本协议项下的责任委托给任何第 三方。
Contents
1. Brief introduction 2. Linguistic features of legal document 3. Principles of translation
1. Brief introduction
1. foreign investment and research; 2. cross-legal-translation; 3. making of law (Canada etc)
法律的性质和职能
要洞察人类生活任何一个制度的性质而不研究建立该制度 旨在达到的目的或职能，那是不可能的。任何人如果不首 先就政府建立的总目的和总目标形成一个意见，就不能明 智地讨论治理国家的问题并就国家官员或国家机构应该推 行的政策作出深思熟虑的判断。对法律制度来说，情况也 同样如此－至少在我们所关心的世俗的、政治的意义上是 如此。我们把法律当作一种特定的政治制度。从这一观点 出发，我们主张：在法律制度内，任何官员－法官、律师 或其他在司法工作中担任正式职责的人－如果不熟悉法律 应为社会去完成的那些总目的，就无法恰当地履行其职责。
Types of legal document
1. 宪法、法律、法令、公约（双边或多边）； 2. 合同和契约； 3. 诉讼文书：传票、诉状、案件报告、证词、判
决书； 4. 公司章程、规则和规章； 5. 出生证明、死亡证明、结婚证、离婚证、证书、
公证。
2. Lingu document
Assignment/transfer *****
Neither Party may assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, without the other Party’s prior written consent, except to i) any corporation resulting from any merger, consolidation or other reorganization involving the assigning Party, and ii) any entity to which the assigning Party may transfer all or substantially all of its assets; provided that the assignee agrees in writing to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Agreement and provides documentation as evidence that the assignee has the ability and capability of meeting all of the obligations under this agreement.
Lexicology of law
4. loan words
Latin：ad hoc (专门的)、bona fide(真诚的)、 French: force majeure(不可抗力)
5. terms and jargons damages(损失赔偿金) 、defendant(被告)、lessee(承租人)、
style: formal (solemn, rigid) at different levels of language: A) words and phrases; B) sentence; C) discourse.
Lexicology of law
1. formal words and phrases prior (before); subsequent (after); provided that (but); etc 2. different denotation of the same common words battery: 电池－伤害、人身攻击 appeal: 呼吁－上诉 defense: 防御－辩护 visit: 参观、访问－惩治 discovery: 发现－证据开示（民事诉讼、强制性、法院主持） 3. archaism herein, hereafter, hereto, hereunder there-/where aforesaid, forthwith