法律英语语言特点(讲座)

法律英语的语言特点主讲人：钟玲俐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(马尔喀什世界贸易组织协定)

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

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

所谓形就是形式，形合即形式的合拍；意合即追求意义的整合，不求逻辑严密。形合借助语言形式手段〔包括词汇手段和形态手段〕来实现词语或句子的衔接；意合不借助语言形式手段而借助词语或句子所含意义的逻辑练习来实现词或句子的连接。eg.他们决定把这个问题交给安理会，我们完全理解。WefullyunderstandtheirdecisiontobringthisquestionbeforetheSecurityCouncil.(动态与静态)

continued“Thegreatpestofspeechisfrequencyoftranslation…..thisisthemostmischievousandcomprehensiveinnovation〞.-----SamuelJohnsonWeadvocateREALandGENUINEreadingsintheoriginal.1775年，在英语——作为一种文字的开展史上，是具有里程碑意义的。这一年，英国的第一部《英语大辞典》问世。她的作者便是英国著名的作家和词编纂学家撒缪尔·约翰逊〔SamuelJohnson)。他在这部大辞典的序言里写下了这样一句话：Thegreatpestofspeechisfrequencyoftranslation…thisisthemostmischievousandcomprehensiveinnovation(语言最大的祸害就是频繁的翻译，这是一种最有害且最综合意上的“再炮制〞。)原文闪烁着作品本身质朴而灵动的光辉!AtypicalexampleoffrequenttranslationOriginaloneisaChineseidiomwhichreads:“心有余而力缺乏〞Englishversion:Thespiritiswilling,butthefleshisweak.AfterhavingbeentranslatedintoRussianandthenbacktoChinese,theidiomreadsasfollows:“酒精是好的，肉是坏的〞Atypicalexampleofusingtranslationsoftware输入中文：你英文很流畅，我八辈子也学不成你这个样子。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不在场证明-?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(关于);wherein(其中);whereby(凭借);hereinafter(在下文中);therefrom(由此);thereon(关于,在其上)3.3TheuseofLatinTheuseofLatinisdeemedtobethebasisforadvancedlearning〔在英国有这样一个不成文的规定，只有懂得拉丁语的人才称得上是学法律的人〕e.g.Interalia〔尤其，其它以外〕;adlitem〔专指);deminimis(最低减让标准〕;defacto〔事实上〕;exofficio〔依照职责〕;suigeneris〔独特的〕continuede.g.1.Director-General,whoactinginanexofficiocapacity,willoffergoodoffices,conciliationormediationtosettlethedisputes.2.27countries,whilenotcontractingparties,applytherulesofGATTtotheirtradepoliciesonadefactobasis.Continued3.4Theuseofastringofsynonymstermsandconditions〔条款〕;completeandfinalunderstanding〔理解〕;customsfeesandduties〔关税〕nullandvoid(无效);shunandavoid(防止);reciprocalandmutual(相互);conciliationandmediation(调解);affirmandconfirm(证实);provisionalandinterim(暂时);repealandannul(废除);justandfair;(公平〕rectify,amend,ormodify〔修改〕

continued3.5Theuseoflegalesee.g.onusofproof(举证责任);bewithoutprejudiceto(公平);termsofreference(职责范围);termofserviceTheonusofproofrestswiththedefendant.Therightofinterpretingtheseregulationsresidesin/isvestedintheMofcom.Cf.“belongto,beentitledtoandresidein〞continued3.6ThemassuseofabbreviationsDSU(UnderstandingonRulesandProceduresGoverningtheSettlementofDisputes关于争端解决规那么与程序的谅解);TRIPs(AgreementOnTrade-relatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRight关贸总协定知识产权协议);TRIMs(与贸易有关的投资措施);WIPO(世界知识产权组织);WCO(世界海关组织).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