The+Main+Features+of+Legal+English+(students+version)

16. whilst during

Eg. No failure or delay by either of you in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The remedies provided herein are not to be exclusive of any other remedy and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity, by statute or otherwise.

Can you translate the above paragraph into Chinese?

（三）经常使用拉丁语词汇：

在英国，人们把拉丁文看成是一个人深造的基础（the basis for advanced learning）。对法科学生尤其如此。

拉丁词汇 英文含义 1. ab initio from the beginning 2. ad hoc for this purpose 3. ad litem for the lawsuit

4. alibi elsewhere (a defense that the accused was elsewhere when the

offense was committed)

5. amicus curiae friend of the court 6. bona fide good faith

7. caveat emptor let the buyer beware 8. ex parte from one side 9. in re in the matter of 10. inter alia among others 11. prima facie at first appearance

12. respondeat superior let the superior answer (the employer is liable for the acts of

his employees)

13. quorum of whom (the minimum number of people required for a

meeting)

14. scienter having knowledge 15. situs location

16. stare decisis to stand by the decided matters (precedents must be followed) 17. sui generis of its own kind 18. ultra vires beyond the power

19. mutatis mutandis all necessary changes having been made 20. versus against

(四) 使用古法语及法律法语中的词汇：

法律语言常使用一般词汇表中不会有的古法语及法律法语，或称“盎格鲁诺曼语”（Anglo Norman）词汇，如：

古法语词汇 含义相当的英语 1. action lawsuit

2. alien to transfer (property)

3. assigns assignees (those to whom something has been assigned) 4. champerty offense of financing a lawsuit in exchange for a portion

of the proceeds

5. chance-medley sudden quarrel or right

6. chose in action a thing in action, a right to recover a debt 7. color reason, pretext

8. coverture status and rights of a wife arising from marriage 9. delict wrong, offense 10. demise grant; lease; death 11. issue progeny

12. laches neglect to assert a right or claim

13. lien an encumbrance on property for the payment of debt 14. malfeasance wrongdoing

15. nonfeasance not doing, inaction 16. parol oral

17. petty small, minor 18. save except

19. seisin possession of real property 20. specialty a contract under seal 21. style name 22. suffer permit

23. tort a wrong or injury 24. remise to give up

（五）专门术语的使用：

1. agency; 2. certiorari; 3. consideration; 4. domicile; 5. discovery; 6. double jeopardy; 7. easement 8. ex parte ; 9. intestate; 10. jurisdiction in personam; 11. jurisdiction in rem; 12. principal; 13. specific performance; 14. statue of limitation; 15. surety; 16. verdict; 17. will; 18. recuse; 19. recision; 20. variance

(六) “行话”（argot）的使用：

“行话”是普遍适用于某一团体（如律师团体）的特定词汇或短语。如：

1. abet 2. accessory 3. accomplice 4. adhesion contract 5. adverse possession 6. cause of action 7. circumstantial evidence 8. foreclosure 9. forum-shopping 10. grandfather clause 11. insider trading 12. issue of fact 13. issue of law 14. latent defect 15. legal fiction 16. negotiate instrument 17. plea bargain 18. promissory estoppel 19. rescind 20. without prejudice

(七) 经常使用官样文章用语：

1. Before me, the undersigned, a notary public 2. By virtue of the authority vested in me

3. From the beginning of the world to the date hereof 4. In Witness of these things

5. In Witness, this instrument is executed as of the day and year first written above

6. In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of…to be affixed

7. Know All people by These Presents 8. To Whom It May Concern

IV. Intentional Use of Ambiguous Language (刻意使用模糊语言) 法律人常用模糊语言，或出于不愿肯定地表示自己立场与观点，或出于表示礼貌和对他人之尊重，或为不至于将自己的手脚捆住，诸如此等，视情况而定。如：

1. Unless this account is paid within next ten days, it will be necessary to take appropriate action. 本句中的 “take appropriate action” 是“start legal proceedings” or “bring suit” 还是别的，不清楚、不肯定。

2. adequate 3. all reasonable means 4. due care 5. due process 6. improper 7. reasonable care/ man/speed 8. satisfactory 9. serious misconduct 10. undue influence

V. lengthy (冗长）

法律英语多冗长句子，一旦遇见，也不必方寸大乱，忍耐与专注乃是必备条件，先细读数遍，理出主句来：

If the Vendor fails to apply for and obtain any necessary extension of time for completing the Development under sub-clause (2) and fails to complete the Development by the expiry date of the Building Covenant Period, the Purchase shall be entitled unless the completion of the sale and purchase herein has taken place, in addition to any other remedy that he may have, to give the Vendor notice in writing in that behalf to rescind this Agreement and upon service of such notice, this Agreement shall be rescinded within 7 days thereafter and the Vendor shall repay to the Purchaser all amounts paid by the Purchase hereunder together with interest thereon at the rate of 2% per annum above the prime rate specified by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited from time to time the date or dates on which such amounts were paid to the date of repayment, the repayment of such amounts and interest to be in full and final settlement of all claims by the Purchaser against the Vendor hereunder.

大家可考虑翻出其译文？

为何法律语言显得冗长？对此存在多种解释。Mellinkoff所说的“赘言”(tautology), 即反复地表达一个意思或使用同义词，通过经常使用双式词(doublets)、对句(couplets)以及三联词的表达方式（triplets）。

究其原因有下面几点：

1、英语在其发展过程中，经常出现两或多种语言并行存在和发展的情况。与英语有最密切联系的语言是拉丁语和法语，而拉丁语实际上在法律语言中处于一种权威性的地位，拉丁语垄断了13和14两个世纪的语言，此后拉丁语依然作为法律的书面语言被使用着。甚至在法律法语的使用最为盛行的14、15世纪，拉丁语依旧在法律的语言中被广泛地使用。在14世纪，法语成为英国法律的通用语言，并一直作为法律语言被使用至15世纪的末期。如： 源自拉丁语 古英语 lex的 legal (法) lawful doner giver

homicide manslaughter testify witness

testament will 此外还有：

1). able （古法语）and willing (古英语)

2). acknowledge (古英语) and confess (古法语) 3). act (法语或拉丁语) and deed (古英语) 4). bills (古法语) and notes (古英语) 5). breaking (古英语) and entering (法语)

6). conjecture (中古法语或拉丁语) and surmise (中古法语) 7). deem (古英语) and consider (古法语) 8). depose (古法语) and say (古英语)

9). encumbrance (古法语) or burdens (古英语）

这些语意重复的词语，一些是为了进一步阐明词义，一些是为了强调，而另一些则是为了符合当时使用两种语言的习惯。

2、语意重复的做法另一原因是出于头韵的考虑（the power of alliteration ）： “alliteration”（头韵）是通过重复使用一个语音（一般来说是个辅音）以使赘言式的语意重复保留在法律语言之中，如： 1） Aid and abet

2) To have and to hold 3） part and parcel 4） safe and sound

5） remise, release and forever quit claim 6） rest, residue and remainder

3、大量使用近义词： 1） able and willing 2) annul and set aside 3) authorize and empower 4) construed and interpreted 5) covenant and agree 6) duties and obligations 7) each and every 8) final and conclusive

9) in lieu of and in place of 10) right, title, and interest

4、17世纪英语的过于华丽的语言表达方式，大量堆砌词藻之风也对法律语言产生影响。 5、16世纪证据法的发展在一定程度上造成了法律语言的冗长性，由于禁止当事人被禁止以证人的身份出庭，为了在诉讼中保护自己，他们都希望能够向法庭提交一份内容相当详实的长篇书面诉状，这样会有助于从其自身的立场出发来阐明案件的情况。 当然还有其他一些原因，如答辩状由拉丁文翻译而来，就似中文的古文被译成现代文一般，总是显得比古文啰嗦冗长等，不一而足。 简文 冗长

Annul annul and set aside

Remove entirely and completely remove Will last will and testament Void totally null and void Without hindrance without let or hindrance

为表述“当事人各方因已接受对价而同意”，下例中用了四行文字：

Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises, and the representations, warranties, covenants and undertakings of the parties hereinafter set forth, and for other good and valuable considerations, the parties agree among themselves as follows…

此处 “good consideration” means “consideration that is valid under the law” Premises （合同用语）上述各点，上列各项财产；（契约等文证的）说明部分；（作为文证述及主体的）财产，房地产。

VI. conservative 保守

法律语言的保守性产生于公式化的语言，即在语言中使用某些公式。Mellinkoff曾对最早的英国法进行探索，他认为口头传统是造成对宗教仪式般系统阐述依赖的主要因素。如盎格鲁-撒克逊的誓言必须依赖其形式的重复才能收到其他任何词语不会产生的效果。在文盲充斥的社会里只有逐字重复才能确保重要的观点得以继续存在。若词句以一种愉悦听觉的形式出现，保留和重复就会变得容易。语言被赋予韵律之后就会变得容易传播。盎格鲁-撒克逊的法律采用了当时头韵和节律的形式才使古英语保留在一般的誓言之中。如下列澳洲一法庭提供的的宣誓词范本： 适合刑事程序：

I, ?, do solemnly, sincerely and truly affirm and declare that the evidence which I shall give to the court and jury sworn between our Sovereign Lady the Queen and the prisoner at the bar shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth..

When you are taken an affirmation as a witness in a civil trial, you will be asked to say:

I, ?, do solemnly, sincerely and truly affirm and declare that the evidence which I shall give to the court touching the matter in question between the two parties shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

此外，法律语言的保守性还表现在对先例(precedent)的援用上。