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合同法律文件翻译用词特点之一:用词正规

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傅伟良

(北京第二外国语学院 英语系 100024)

摘要:本文就合同法律文件用词特征,着重探讨法律文件正规性问题。文中列举若干中英文原文条款的翻译实例,论述法律术语及专业词汇怎样在汉译英时起到译文与原文功能对等的效应。

关键词:法律术语,语内译,专业词汇

Samples of Formal Language as Required by the Translation of Legal Contract Documents

Fu Weiliang

(English Department, Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute, Beijing 100024)

Abstract: This article focuses on the use of formal language as applied to legal contract documents. The examples cited here show how functional equivalence is achieved in the translation of these documents from Chinese to English through the use of adjuncts commonly seen in legal writings.

Key words: legal terms, connotative translation, terminology

合同法律文件的翻译要求严谨,而翻译中的用词准确是达到这一要求的重要一步。无论是汉语还是英语在合同法律用语上都自成一格,有鲜明的用词特点。汉译英时须将译入语的用词定位于正规、精确、鲜明,使译文具有法律文件的严谨性、准确性、权威性。本文就合同法律文件翻译的用词正规问题谈两点看法。

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;……”(《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 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。

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 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。

参考译文:“如货物不符合合同要求,买方可要求卖方修理,以补救与合同不符之处, 除非在考虑各种情况之后,认为此要求不合理。该修理要求应是根据第39条发出通知中提出的,或在上述通知发出后合理的时间内提出的。”

二. 使用书面的正式用语

合同法律文件的尊严及权威性通常要通过一些书面的正式用语来体现,比如, “根据”,“按照”,应译为in accordance with而不用according to,因为according to是非正式用词,也常用于口语。合同法律文件常用的其它正式专用词组有:be liable for, provided that, unless otherwise, be deemed to, in question, in case, be liable to, in respect of, in the event that, in the event of, in the case where 等。是否使用这些词汇或使用是否正确,直接影响译文的语言转换质量,影响合同法律条款功能的对等性。请见下例:

例1:《中华人民共和国合同法》第4条规定:“当事人依法享有自愿订立合同的权利,任何单位和个人不得非法干预。”

中文原文中的“享有自愿订立……权利”,如果译为Parties shall enjoy the right ……则非法律语言,因enjoy意为to have for one’s use, benefit或to take pleasure …… ,多带感****彩,不如动词have。“ …… 享有自愿订立合同的权利…….” 如果译为…… the right to sign contract, 是不妥的,因sign 意为 to place a sign to,或 to engage or hire 之意,所以“签合同”如逐字译成 “sign a contract”,,在翻译合同文件时不可取。签订合同的动词可用conclude 或者enter into (a contract)表示,或者用下列几个动词的任何两个的组合(即同义词连用)成的词组:sign, conclude, make, enter into (a contract)。“当事人依法享有…….”中的“依法”如果译为according to 亦不可取,according to非法律专业用词,条款中应用正式短语:in accordance with.所以此条款应译为:

The parties shall, in accordance with the law, have the right to voluntarily conclude and enter into a contract. No unit or individual shall illegally interfere.

例2:《中华人民共和国合同法》第14条规定:“要约是希望和他人订立合同的意思表示,该意思表示应当符合下列规定:

一. 内容具体确定;

二.表明经受要约人承诺,要约人即受该意思表示约束。”

如果把此条款译为Here offer means that one party expresses its wish to enter into a contract with the other party, and the wish expressed should include the following provisions:

(1) The concrete contents are designated; and

(2) Once the offeree accepts the offer, the offerer shall be bound by the offer,那么有以下几点欠妥:

★ 法律条文中尽量避免用代词,第一句中one party…its 都不恰当,不明确,最好避免。

★ Here offer means……的句式是非法律语言

★ wish 指心中的愿望,与中文的“意思表示”有差 异;把“该意思表示”译为 “the wish expressed”不确切。

★ should为非正式用语,应改为shall。

★ include是“包含”,“包括在内”之意,不是“符合某种规定”之意。中文的“符合下列规定”的内语译表示“遵守、遵循下列规定”之意,不是“包含”。

★ The concrete contents 只译出了中文的字面意思,所谓“内容具体确定”,语内含意为内容详细、全面、明确,受要约人通过要约不但明白要约人的真实意愿,而且还知道可能所要订立的合同的一些主要条款。这里的“确定”指要约内容确定,不指动作,所以译成“具体的内容被确定”与原意不符。

★ Once不如in case 正式

为使译文用词明确,结构清楚,避免歧义,该条款可译文为:

An offer refers to a proposal to make and enter into a contract with other parties. The proposal in question shall comply with the following provisions:

(1) The contents thereof shall be detailed and definite;

(2) The proposal in question shall indicate that the offeror shall be bound by the offer in question in case the offer is accepted by the offeree thereto.

例3:《中华人民共和国合同法》第15条规定:“要约邀请是希望他人向自己发出要约的意思表示。寄送的价目表、拍卖公告、招标公告、控股说明书、商业广告等为要约邀请。

商业广告的内容符合要约规定的,视为要约”

此条如果译为:An offer invitation means that one party invites other parties to issue offers to it. An offer invitation includes, mailed or delivered by other means, price lists, auction announcements, tendering notices, the directions for raising capital by floating shares and commercial advertisements.

Commercial advertisements whose contents are in conformity with the provisions of offers shall be regarded as offers.

则有如下不妥之处:

★ one party不具法律语言特点,要尽量避免。

★ invite动作概念太强,易产生一方邀请另一方发出要约的歧义。

★ to issue offers to it中的 issue有发表,公布之意,易产生歧义, it所指也不明确。

★ An offer invitation includes……, 让人认为一份要约包括下列那些内容,这就错了.原文意思是(如果语内译)……的内容都称为要约.

在此有必要解释一下原中文条款中几个名词:

★ 寄送价目表:指寄出印有商品价格的文件.目的是希望收到价目表的人,向自己发出订立合同的要约并提出订立合同的条件.价目表的寄送行为只是一种要约邀请,而不是要约本身。

★ 拍卖公告:指拍卖人向竞买人发出的要求对方报价的文件,该文件记载拍卖标的物的名称、质量、数量、拍卖场所,拍卖日期等项目,但因公布对象不定,不具备合同内容,所以只能称为要约邀请,不能称为要约。

★ 招股说明又称招股章程,是表达募集股份的意思,并载有某些信息的文件,是要约邀请。

★ 商业广告也是一种要约邀请。

★ whose contents…..可用于普通描述,不可用于条款。

据此,此条可改译为:An invitation for offer refers to a proposal for requesting other parties to make offers to the principal. Price forms mailed or sent, public notices of auction and tender, prospectuses and commercial advertisements, etc. shall be deemed to be an invitation for an offer.

Where the contents of a commercial advertisement comply with the terms and provisions of the offer, the advertisement in question shall be deemed to be an offer.

注:

★ invitation用的是派生名词,抽象性强一些,invitation for offer: 要约邀请

★ to the principal: 指寄送要约邀请的人

★ be deemed to (be/do): 被认为,法律文件中的正式用语,比“ be believed, be considered”正式

★ where在法律文件中常常不是指地方,不引导地点状语从句,而是比if 肯定的条件句,强调在某种情况时,处在……..情况下,环境中,条件下则如何,如何。

一切文字都要求清晰,法律语言尤其如此。清晰的内容之一就是指称(reference)不被人误解。一为文字对包含其中的对象,时、空、状态、环境,除直接用它们自身的词、语使人明暸之外,许多时候是通过其它的词、语来指称的。法律文字特别注重这类指称的明晰性,尤其是间接指称。本文列举了这方面的一些例子,既能抛砖引玉,又能得到更有见地的评说。

作者简介:

傅伟良,北京第二外国语学院英语系 

电话:65710251,89528030;13691166295 

邮编:100024 电子信箱:fuweiliang@ sohu.com

Fu Weiliang,English Department, Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute, Beijing 100024; Tel.65710251;89528030;13691166295 E-mail: fuweiliang@ sohu.com

傅伟良,英语副教授,硕士研究生导师。研究方向:合同写作与翻译,合同法,国际经济合作。

http://www.chinalaw.gov.cn/jsp/contentpub/browser/contentpro.jsp?contentid=co1143051558


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2004-6-9 0:52:00-2017-08-22