Considering the Style根据合同的文体进行选择
合同英语属条法英语,其文件的基本要求是用词规范、正式、符合约定俗成的含义。
在选择同义词时,译者应充分考虑合同文本的特点,选择符合合同文体的正式的规范的词汇,不能容许在文字选择上存在随意性。
「例1」
买方须于销售确认书第三条所规定日期之前开出本批交易的信用证。否则,售方有权不经通知取消本确认书,或接受买方对本售货确认书未履行的全部或一部分,或对因此遭受的损失提出索赔。
原译文:
The Buyer shall establish the covering letter of credit before the date specified in Clause Threeof this Sales Confirmation, failing which the Seller reserves the right lo rescind withoutfurther notice, or to accept whole or any part of this Sales Confirmation not fulfilled by theBuyer, or to lodge a claim for losses sustained. if any.
该句条款中的“有权”,英文合同中大多选择:to have the right或keep the right,但该句选用reserve theright to do sth. 比前两种表达更正式,因为reserve本身就属条法英语中的专用词汇,表示to have aspecified power of right in law.比如,我们经常看到的“版权所有”,用英语表达就是All rights reserved.句中的“取消”,英文中有cancel, abolish, call off等表达方式,而本句选用rescind专门指cancel acontract or an agreement;句中“提出赔偿”中的“提出”,选用了lodge,在合同英语中其宾语只能是aclaim或claims,合在一起to lodge a claim就是“提出索赔”。如果用raise ,put forward ,advance,尽管都可译为“提出”,但都不能准确地表述“提出赔偿”的含义。例如,用a claim作raise的宾语,写成raise aclaim,意思便成了“提出某项要求”。
「例2」
如乙方在技术资料的交付方面违约,不应要求甲方立即支付任何专利权使用费。
原译文:
Party A shall not be asked to pay at once any royalties in default on the part of Party B to theDelivery of Technical Documentation.
该译文中的ask应更换为require ,ask和require的意思虽然都是“要求”,但后者更正式;句中的at once应更换为forthwith,因为forthwith是公文体,较at once或immediately正式、严谨。例如:The Partiesacknowledge and agree that the Joint Venture Company shall be formed forthwith uponsatisfaction of the conditions(缔约各方确认并同意,一旦条件符合,合资经营公司便立即组成)。
「例3」
公司的任何一方未经董事会一致通过及中国主管审批部门的批准,不得向第三方转让、抵押、出售或以其他方式处理其全部或部分投资。若一方要转让股份,必须遵守以下规定……
句中的“转让”一词多数译者选用transfer.但我们认为用assign更正式,assign/assignment是法律英语,表示to transfer property .rights to sb in accordance with laws;而transfer/transference仅表示to hand over the possession of property ,etc.,因此,本段可译为:
Neither party of the Joint Venture may assign ,pledge ,sell or otherwise dispose of all orpart of its investment subscribed to a third party without the unanimous approval of theBoard of Directors and consent by the appropriate Cinese Government ApprovingDepartments. In case that assignment is effected by one party ,the following stipulationsmust be observed.。。
「例4」
如果许可方允许任何第三方在任何地方使用本专利或相应的专利,及有关特许产品的生产、使用和销售的许可证,而且其条件比本协议规定的条件更优惠,许可方应立即以书面形式将这些优惠许可的细节通知被许可方,被许可方有接受相同优惠条件的选择权。
原译文:
If the Licensor allows any other license under the Patent or their other responding patents toany third party in connection with the manufacture ,Use and sale Of the Licensed Products inany place under such conditions as are more favorable to a licensee than those providedherein, the licensor shall promptly inform the Licensee in written form of the details 0f suchother license and the licensee has the choice to adopt equally favorable conditions.
译文中的allow(允许,许可)不如用grant正式。grant在国际商务合同,尤其在许可证合同中表示许可方toallow the licensee to…,而allow仅表示to say that someone can do sth .inform一般指传达某种信息和资料,如:He informed his staff that he was going to Spain on business(他告诉自己的职员,他要去西班牙出差);notify用在合同文体中,表示正式书面通知对方与其有关的利益,因此,句中的“通知”应选择notify.前面的promptly也应更换为forthwith.句中最后的“选择”应选用option,专门用于表示当事人的一种“选择权”,尤其指offer to sb of the right to enter into a contract at a later date.例如:TheSellers have the option to deliver 5%more or less of the quantity contracted(卖方有按合同规定的数量多交或短交5%的选择权)。