第 1 页 共 13 页 法律资料合同翻译用词特点
法律资料合同翻译用词特点
一. 正确运用法律术语
不论是汉语合同还是英语合同都有自己的法律术语。合同法律文件的汉译英就是要在充分理解原语(汉语)的法律术语的基础上,正确选择、使用译入语的法律术语。为保证译入语能精确地表达原语的含意,研究英语的法律术语、法律英语的用词特点就显得十分重要。
一部分法律英语的的专门术语常常以here-, there-,
where-作前缀与另一个词构成一个正式法律词汇,如:hereafter, hereby, herein, hereinafter, hereinbefore,
hereof, hereto, hereunder, hereupon, herewith,
thereafter, thereby, therefrom, therein, thereafter,
thereinbefore, thereon, thereof, thereupon, therewith;
whereas, whereby, wherein, whereon, etc. 下面列举几个实例来解释汉译英时使用这些词的意义及用法:
例1: “合同生效后,当事人就质量、价款或者报酬、履行地点等内容没有约定或者约定不明确的,可以协议补充;第 2 页 共 13 页 ……”(《中华人民共和国合同法》第61条)。
翻译此条款时,应从语内译入手,因该条款暗含一个条件句:“如果合同生效后,当事人就……约定不明确的,”其主句是“可以协议补充;……”因此可以译为:
If, after the contract made by and between the
parties becomes effective, there is no agreement
therein on the terms and provisions regarding quality,
price or remuneration and place of performance, etc.
or such agreement is unclear, the parties may, through
consultation, agree upon supplementary terms and
provisions;
译文there is no agreement后面用了therein,为agreement下了明确的界说,指agreement in the
contract,因therein表示 in that; in that particular
context; in that respect之意,在此它指上文所指的范围。其它场合亦如此,比如 “合同(中)的…….,工程(中)的……”时,就可以用此词,如 “修补工程中的缺陷”可以译为the
remedying of any defects therein, (therein指 “in 第 3 页 共 13 页 the Works”),“用于工程中的材料或机械设备”可译为
materials or plant for incorporation therein (therein指 “in the Works”)。
例2: “……. 对方有异议的,可以请求人民法院或者仲裁机构确认解除合同的效力。
法律、行政法规规定解除合同应当办理批准、登记等手续的,依照其规定。”(《中华人民共和国合同法》第96条)
英 译文:……If the other party
disagrees therewith, the party in question may request
the people’s court or an arbitration institution
to confirm rescission of the effectiveness of the
contract.
Where the laws or administrative regulations
specify that the rescission of a contract shall go
through the formalities of approval and registration,
the provisions thereof shall be complied with.
译文在the other party disagrees之后用了therewith,表示“与此”、“与之”之意,即disagrees
with the fact that the contract shall be rescinded.
译 文还用了thereof ,指上文的provisions of the
laws or administrative regulations;因它省略了7个英文第 4 页 共 13 页 字,故译文简洁、明了,所指准确无误。据此“合同条件、条款”可译为the terms, conditions and provisions
thereof,其中thereof表示of the Contract,即上文提及的“合同的….”。 又如下面这一条款:“(合同)条件中的标题及旁注不应视为条件的一部分,对合同条件或合同本身的解释或理解也不应加以考虑。”可译为:The headings
and marginal notes in these conditions shall not be
deemed part thereof or be taken into consideration in
the interpretation or construction thereof or of the
Contract.文中两个thereof均表示of these conditions。
例3:保管期间届满或者寄存人提前领取保管物的,保管人应当将原物及其孳息归还寄存人。(《中华人民共和国合同法》第377条)
英 译为:If the safekeeping duration expires or
the depositor claims and retrieves the article before
the expiry date, the safekeeping party shall return to
the depositor the original article and the interest
generated therefrom.
译文中的therefrom表示from the original article,准确指出interest的来源。 第 5 页 共 13 页 例4:委托合同是委托人和受托人约定,由受托人处理委托人事务的合同。(《中华人民共和国合同法》第396条)
译 文为:A commission contract refers to a
contract between the commissioning party and the
commissioned party whereby the commissioned party
shall handle the business of the commissioning party.
译文中的whereby意为凭此协 议,凭此条款等,即by
the agreement; by the contract; by the following terms
and conditions,etc.此词常用于合同协议书中,引出合同当事人应承担的主要合同义务。
为了加深对这些词的认识,再从FIDIC条款(注:FIDIC为国际工程师联合会的缩写;FIDIC条款是指国际工程师联合会出版的“土木工程施工合同条件”)及其它国际法法律英语文本中择出几句,附以中译文,供读者比较,并由此反推中译英的行文。
1. FIDIC 合同条款第3.1款原文为:“The Contract
shall not, without the prior consent of the Employer
(which consent, notwithstanding the provisions of Sub-Clause 1.5, shall be at the sole discretion of the
Employer), assign the Contract or any part thereof, or 第 6 页 共 13 页 any benefit or interest therein or thereunder,
otherwise than by: ………”
文中除了用thereof一词外,还用了therein和
thereunder,它们分别表示:of the Contract, in the
Contract, under the Contract(合同的, 合同中, 根据合同),这些专门术语的使用使行文简洁、明了,含义准确无误。
参考译文:无业主的事先同意(尽管有1.5款的规定,这种同意也应由业主自行决定),承包人不得转让合同或合同的任何部分,不得转让合同中或根据合同获得的任何好处或利益,但下列情况除外:
2. 联合国国际货物销售合同公约第46条原文规定:“ If the goods do not conform with the contract, the
buyer may require the seller to remedy the lack of
conformity by repair, unless this is unreasonable
having regard to all the circumstances. A request for
repair shall be made either in conjunction with notice
given under Article 39 or within a reasonable time
thereafter. ”
文中thereafter为法律英语的的专门用语,在此表示after notice given under Article 39,,它避免重复,又能准确表达原意。