法律英語|法律文本中“shall”的用法你懂得多少

法律 英語 教育 中國審判 2017-05-15
法律英語|法律文本中“shall”的用法你懂得多少

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在英文的法律文本中,法律翻譯者經常會碰到情態動詞,能否準確翻譯,也體現著翻譯者的水平高低,尤其是shall在法律文本的翻譯中更是頻繁,下面就來看一下法律英語中shall的用法。

法律英語|法律文本中“shall”的用法你懂得多少

1

shall”怎麼譯

“shall”一般用於法律或半法律文件中,含有“本條款具有法律規定的指令性或強制性之意”。尤其是在經貿法律文本中,“shall”的譯法種類繁多,通常被譯為“須”、“應”,有時被譯成“應當”,也有時譯成“要”、“將”、“可”,還有被譯成“必須”,舉例如下:

1. …the election or recall of chief procurators of people’s procuratorates shallbe reported to the chief procurators of the people’s procuratorates at the next higher level for submission to the standing committees of the people’s congresses at the corresponding level for approval.

選出或罷免人民檢察長,報上級人民檢察院檢察長提請該級人民代表大會常務委員會批准。(憲法)

2.One who instigates others to commit a crime shallbe punished according to the role he plays in the joint crime. One who instigates a person under the age of eighteen to commit a crime shall be given a heavier punishment.

教唆他人犯罪的,應當按照他在共同犯罪中起的作用處罰。教唆不滿十八歲的人犯罪的,應當從重處罰。(刑法)

3.If the Buyers fail to notify and/or forward full details within the period specified above, the Buyers shallbe deemed to have waived their right to assert any claim.

如果買方未能在上述規定的期間內通知和(或)寄出完整的細節,那麼買方被認為放棄提出任何索賠的權利。

4. In the event the Buyers’ such appointment does not arrive in time, the Sellers’ system of inspection shallbe final and binding upon the parties concerned.

萬一買方對這種委託未能及時到達,賣方的檢查制度是決定性的並對有關各方有約束力。

5.The Purchaser shall, upon receipt of Corporation’s respective invoices therefor, pay to Corporation all amounts which become due by the Purchaser to the Corporation hereunder, including without limitation an amount equal to the taxes and duties.

收到公司的各種發票後,買方必須立刻付給公司已到期應付的所有款項,包括各種稅收費用在內,不得有例外。

綜上所述:shall的譯法顯然多種多樣,我們在翻譯的時候要注意上下文的語境,根據語境的不同來決定“shall”的意思。

2

什麼情況下“shall”可以選擇不譯

有些情況下“shall”是可以不翻譯的,具體情況如下:

一、在具有較長時效的一般性法律條文中(如基本法和憲法),即對對象較為籠統的的廣大民眾實施的法律,而不是時效性很強、實施範圍狹窄的指令、通令和命令中。例如:

1.All Hong Kong residents shallbe equal before the law.

香港居民在法律面前一律平等。

2.The homes and other premises of Hong Kong residents shall be inviolable. Arbitrary or unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a resident’s home or other premises shall be prohibited.

香港居民的住宅和其他房屋不受侵犯。禁止任意或非法搜查、侵入居民的住宅和其他房屋。

二、在法律和普通合約條文中,當shall之後所跟的動詞本身就能表達權利、義務或責任以及主句的基本結構為shall + be + predicative (表語)時,通常也是不譯的:

1.The board shallhave such jurisdiction and powers as are conferred on it by this or any other Ordinance.

仲裁處具備本條例或任何其他條例授予仲裁處的司法管轄權及權利。

2.If the Buyers fail to provide such letter of credit in the Seller’s favor as prescribed above, the Sellers shall have the option of reselling the contracted goods for the account of the Buyers or delaying any shipment and/or cancelling any orders at any time on the Buyers account and risk.

如果買方未能向賣方提供如上規定的這種信用證,賣方有權選擇把合約規定的買上賬上的貨物轉售或隨時推遲付運和(或)撤銷任何訂單,損失和風險由買方承擔。

3.The Landlord shall not be in any way responsible to the Tenant for any damage caused to be said premises or the contents thereof arising as a result of the negligence of any other tenant of the said building.

由於該大廈其他任何住戶的過失而產生的對該樓宇或其裡面的東西的任何損壞,業主對主租戶不負任何責任。

4.Provided that should the Purchaser or his nominee have entered in possession of the premises hereby agreed to be sold the Purchaser shall thereupon be deemed to have accepted the title of the Vendor and shall not be entitled to raise any requisition or objection In respect of any of the matters aforesaid.

倘若買主或其指定人已佔有憑本合約出售的樓宇,買主將被認為已接受賣主的所有權,並無權在上述任何問題方面提出任何要求或反對。

仔細對照以上中英文本,我們不難歸納出:在法律及合約條文中,have the right/power/jurisdiction/obligation of, have the option of, be responsible for (bear/take responsibility/cost for), be obliged to, be liable to, be entitled to, be at liberty to, be able to, be + predicative adjective等動詞短語片語是經常用來表示權利、責任和義務的,如果這些短語前面帶有shall,則一般不能把它譯成“須”、“應當”、“應”等。

3

“shall”的否定句應該如何翻譯?

“Shall”在兩種情況下可以不譯外,主要可以被譯成“須”、“應”和“應當”等。但shall與not或其他否定形式(如用否定詞No/neigher開頭的句子)連用時,一般不能順其自然,譯成“不須”、“不應”或“不要”、“不可”、“不應當”,因為這幾個詞的意思在漢語裡主要表示“建議”或“忠告”;在語用上,口語色彩較重,表示“禁止”的語氣不夠強烈;大量既定的權威性文獻表明:shall not及類似否定式短句的最通常、最恰當的譯法是“不得”,因為“不得”在漢語裡與“禁止”一詞同義,與法律英語中含shall的否定句所要表達的意思相同。例如:

1.The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents shall not be restricted unless as prescribed by law. Such restrictions shall not contravene the provisions of the preceding paragraph of this Article.

香港居民享有的權利和自由,除依法規定外不得限制,此種限制不得與本條第一款規定牴觸。

2. No will shall be revoked by any presumption of an intention on the ground of an alteration in circumstances.

凡以情況有變為理由,而對立遺囑作出推定者,該遺囑不得因該項推定而撤銷。

3.Neither Party hereto shall assign this Agreement or any of its rights and interest hereunder without the other Party’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

本協議的任何一方未經另一方事先書面同意(該另一方不得無理拒絕同意),不得轉讓本協議或其在本協議項下的任何權利和權益。

這裡歸納出的是shall + not在法律文件英譯漢中最常用的一種譯法,並不意味著這就是一個絕對翻譯規律。儘管法律篇章的翻譯比較特殊,但任何翻譯經驗的總結都不能生搬硬套。任何一個詞的正確翻譯都得根據上下文及在特定情形下的語言表達習慣來確定。

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A bit in the morning is better than nothing all day.

略有勝於全無

《每週一諺》

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編輯:孫敏

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