法律英語語言特點(diǎn)(講座)

法律英語的語言特點(diǎn)主講人：鐘玲俐BriefIntroductiontoLegalLanguageTheofficiallanguagesareEnglish,FrenchandSpanish;(seeArt.16.6ofWTOAgmt)Thedocumentsaredraftedinthelanguagesoflegalprofessional;NoChineseequivalentstoSOMEtechnicaltermsinthecommonlaw;One-passagesentencesarefrequentlyused.AnExampleofONE-PassageSentence

InresponsetoquestionsfromcertainmembersoftheWorkingParty,therepresentativesofChinaconfirmedthatadministrativeactionsrelatedtotheimplementationoflaws,regulations,judicialdecisionsandadministrativerulingofgeneralapplicationreferredtoinArt.V:IoftheGATT1994,Art.VIoftheGATSandtherelevantprovisionoftheTRIPSAgmtincludedthoserelatingtotheimplementationofnationaltreatment,continuedconformityassessment,theregulation,control,supplyorpromotionofaserviceincludingthegrantordenialofalicensetoprovideaserviceandothermatters,andthatsuchadministrativeactionswouldbesubjecttotheproceduresestablishedforpromptreviewundersection2(D)(2)oftheDraftProtocol,andinformationonsuchprocedureswouldbeavailablethroughtheenquirypointthatChinawouldestablishuponaccession.Frequent,andevenexcessive,useofmodificationisuniqueinlegalEnglish,

Simplifythesentencestructure!ThePartiestothisAgreement,Recognizingthattheirrelationsinthefieldoftradeandeconomicendeavourshouldbeconductedwithaviewtoraisingstandardsofliving,ensuringfullemploymentandalargeandsteadilygrowingvolumeofrealincomeandeffectivedemand,andexpandingtheproductionofandtradeingoodsandservices,whileallowingfortheoptimaluseoftheworld’sresourcesinaccordancewiththeobjectiveofsustainabledevelopment,seekingbothtoprotectandpreservetheenvironmentandtoenhancethemeansfordoingsoinamannerconsistentwiththeirrespectiveneedsandconcernsatdifferentlevelsofeconomicdevelopment,Recognizingfurtherthatthereisneedforpositiveeffortsdesignedtoensurethatdevelopingcountries,andespeciallytheleastdevelopedamongthem,secureashareinthegrowthininternationaltradecommensuratewiththeneedsoftheireconomicdevelopment,Beingdesirousofcontributingtotheseobjectivesbyenteringintoreciprocalandmutuallyadvantageousarrangementsdirectedtothesubstantialreductionoftariffsandotherbarrierstotradeandtotheeliminationofdiscriminatorytreatmentininternationaltraderelations,Resolved,therefore,todevelopanintegrated,moreviableanddurablemultilateraltradingsystemencompassingtheGeneralAgreementonTariffsandTrade,theresultsofpasttradeliberalizationefforts,andalloftheresultsoftheUruguayRoundofMultilateralTradeNegotiations,Determinedtopreservethebasicprinciplesandtofurthertheobjectivesunderlyingthismultilateraltradingsystem,Agreeasfollows:ArticleIEstablishmentoftheOrganizationTheWorldTradeOrganization(hereinafterreferredtoas“theWTO〞)isherebyestablished.ArticleIIScopeoftheWTO……ArticleXVI

MiscellaneousProvisionsTypicalexampleMarrakeshAgreementEstablishingtheWorldTradeOrganization(馬爾喀什世界貿(mào)易組織協(xié)定)

ThePartiestothisAgreement,(subject)Recognizing…Beingdesirousof…Resolved…Determined…

Agreeasfollows:(predicate)(that)Art,1toArt.16.(object)CulturalDifferencesBetweenEnglishandChineseEnglishfocusesonHypotaxis(形合)ChinesefocusesonParataxis(意合)So,“Tobebilingual,onehastobebicultural〞.

所謂形就是形式，形合即形式的合拍；意合即追求意義的整合，不求邏輯嚴(yán)密。形合借助語言形式手段〔包括詞匯手段和形態(tài)手段〕來實(shí)現(xiàn)詞語或句子的銜接；意合不借助語言形式手段而借助詞語或句子所含意義的邏輯練習(xí)來實(shí)現(xiàn)詞或句子的連接。eg.他們決定把這個(gè)問題交給安理會(huì)，我們完全理解。WefullyunderstandtheirdecisiontobringthisquestionbeforetheSecurityCouncil.(動(dòng)態(tài)與靜態(tài))

continued“Thegreatpestofspeechisfrequencyoftranslation…..thisisthemostmischievousandcomprehensiveinnovation〞.-----SamuelJohnsonWeadvocateREALandGENUINEreadingsintheoriginal.1775年，在英語——作為一種文字的開展史上，是具有里程碑意義的。這一年，英國的第一部《英語大辭典》問世。她的作者便是英國著名的作家和詞編纂學(xué)家撒繆爾·約翰遜〔SamuelJohnson)。他在這部大辭典的序言里寫下了這樣一句話：Thegreatpestofspeechisfrequencyoftranslation…thisisthemostmischievousandcomprehensiveinnovation(語言最大的禍害就是頻繁的翻譯，這是一種最有害且最綜合意上的“再炮制〞。)原文閃爍著作品本身質(zhì)樸而靈動(dòng)的光輝!AtypicalexampleoffrequenttranslationOriginaloneisaChineseidiomwhichreads:“心有余而力缺乏〞Englishversion:Thespiritiswilling,butthefleshisweak.AfterhavingbeentranslatedintoRussianandthenbacktoChinese,theidiomreadsasfollows:“酒精是好的，肉是壞的〞Atypicalexampleofusingtranslationsoftware輸入中文：你英文很流暢，我八輩子也學(xué)不成你這個(gè)樣子。Theoutcomeis：YouarefluentinEnglish,Ilearntheeightcannotyouinmylifelikethis.TheCharacteristicsoftheLanguageofLegalProfessionalI.Preciseness

II.FormalityIII.Toughness/ObscurityIV.TheIntentionalUseofAmbiguousLanguage

I.Preciseness1.“ChinaLaw〞intheprospectusissuedinHK.2.TheCharterrequiredthatdirectors“shallbeelectedonavoteofthestockholdersrepresentingnotlessthantwo-thirdsofoutstandingcapitalsstockofthecorporation.Twoversionsofexample21)Acandidateneedsthevotesoftwo-thirdsofthestockholderstobeelected;2)Two-thirdsofthestockholdersmustbepresentatthemeetingatwhichtheelectionisheld.“onavoteof〞means“quorum〞＊Howtodividethetestator’sproperty?3.Theremainderofthetestator’spropertyshouldbe“dividedequallybetweenallofournephewsandniecesonmywife’ssideandmyniece.〞(Note:22nephewsandniecesonmywife’ssideandonenieceonmyside.)Doesthissentencecausecontroversy?4.Mynephewistoreceive$50000ayearuntilhisuniversityeducationiscompleted.Sinceuniv.educationisnotclear,itmaycausecontroversy?(Post-graduate/Ph.Dstudymayinclude)II.FormalityBench-Heisthebench.Bar-Hehasenteredthebar.SomecourtroomEnglish“Objection!〞Whatmaythejudgesaybyrespondingto“Objection!〞?sustained/overruled原告-?plaintiff被告-?defendant不在場證明-?alibiCheckhowmuchyouknow?Moreexamplesstart-commence;cause-endeavourjoin-accedeto;consider-accommodateunfriendly-inimicalforthesamereason-bythesametokenaccordingtoinaccordancewith/pursuantto;intherightproportionto-

commensuratewith

inthecourseof…inthepursuanceof…III.Toughness/Obscurity3.1

Commonwordstoexpressingspecificmeaningsparty---personcontractingorlitigatinginstrument---legaldocumentsave---exceptconsiderationthepriceyoupayforone’spromisehearing

trialofacaseinalawcourt,espbeforeajudgewithoutajury.continued3.2TheuseofarchaicwordsofEnglishwhereof(關(guān)于);wherein(其中);whereby(憑借);hereinafter(在下文中);therefrom(由此);thereon(關(guān)于,在其上)3.3TheuseofLatinTheuseofLatinisdeemedtobethebasisforadvancedlearning〔在英國有這樣一個(gè)不成文的規(guī)定，只有懂得拉丁語的人才稱得上是學(xué)法律的人〕e.g.Interalia〔尤其，其它以外〕;adlitem〔專指);deminimis(最低減讓標(biāo)準(zhǔn)〕;defacto〔事實(shí)上〕;exofficio〔依照職責(zé)〕;suigeneris〔獨(dú)特的〕continuede.g.1.Director-General,whoactinginanexofficiocapacity,willoffergoodoffices,conciliationormediationtosettlethedisputes.2.27countries,whilenotcontractingparties,applytherulesofGATTtotheirtradepoliciesonadefactobasis.Continued3.4Theuseofastringofsynonymstermsandconditions〔條款〕;completeandfinalunderstanding〔理解〕;customsfeesandduties〔關(guān)稅〕nullandvoid(無效);shunandavoid(防止);reciprocalandmutual(相互);conciliationandmediation(調(diào)解);affirmandconfirm(證實(shí));provisionalandinterim(暫時(shí));repealandannul(廢除);justandfair;(公平〕rectify,amend,ormodify〔修改〕

continued3.5Theuseoflegalesee.g.onusofproof(舉證責(zé)任);bewithoutprejudiceto(公平);termsofreference(職責(zé)范圍);termofserviceTheonusofproofrestswiththedefendant.Therightofinterpretingtheseregulationsresidesin/isvestedintheMofcom.Cf.“belongto,beentitledtoandresidein〞continued3.6ThemassuseofabbreviationsDSU(UnderstandingonRulesandProceduresGoverningtheSettlementofDisputes關(guān)于爭端解決規(guī)那么與程序的諒解);TRIPs(AgreementOnTrade-relatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRight關(guān)貿(mào)總協(xié)定知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)協(xié)議);TRIMs(與貿(mào)易有關(guān)的投資措施);WIPO(世界知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)組織);WCO(世界海關(guān)組織).3.7Theuseofatypicalcollocatione.g.AcommitteeontradeUnderstandingonRulesandProcedures….imposein…continued

3.8Theuseofcertainspecialterms1)GATT1947andGATT19942)customunionandfreetradearea3)CONTRCTINGPARTIESandcontractingparties4)MultilateralandPlurilateralDifferentTermsUsedbtwGATT1947&GATT1994GATT1947GATT19941.ContractingParties1.Members2.Less-developed2.Developingcontractingpartiescountrymembers3.Developedcontracting3.DevelopedPartiescountrymembers4.Executivesecretary4.Director-generalIV.TheIntentionaluseofAmbiguousLanguagePurposes:1)Unwillingtostateone’sopinionexplicitlye.g.Unlesstheaccountispaidwithinnexttendays,itwillbenecessarytotakeappropriateaction.2)Leavingoneselfmuchleewa