法律翻譯縱橫談
2010 年 4 月 24 日
講者：Joanne Choi
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法律翻譯經驗
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港大中文系主修翻譯
第一份工作：音樂公司
第二份工作：翻譯公司
第三份工作：律師樓
就業機會
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法律文件種類
 非爭訟性
non-contentious
 爭訟性
contentious
 推廣、教育性
promotional / educational
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非爭訟性法律文件
1. 協議、合約、條款及細則
agreement, contract, terms &
conditions
2. 貸款協議、按揭、擔保
loan agreement, mortgage, guarantee
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非爭訟性法律文件
3. 轉讓契、公契、租約
assignment, DMC (deed of mutual
covenant), lease / tenancy
4. 各類證書、公證書、委託書、決議案
certificate, notary certificate, power
of attorney (mandate), resolution
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非爭訟性法律文件
5. 公司章程文件
constitutive documents
 組織章程大綱及細則
M&A - memorandum and articles of
association
 公司註冊證書
Certificate of Incorporation
 公司更改名稱證書
Certificate of Change of Name
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非爭訟性法律文件
6. 遺囑及遺產文件
 遺囑
will
 遺囑認證書
grant of probate
 遺產管理書
letter of administration
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非爭訟性法律文件
7. 專利文件：證明書、說明書
8. 調解協議
9. 往來書信
10.法例條文
 中台法例英譯
 外地法例中譯
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爭訟性法律文件
1. 各種法庭文件
 申索陳述書 statement of claim
 證人陳述書 witness statement
 非宗教式誓詞 affirmation
 宗教式誓章 affidavit
 答辯書 defence
 反申索書 counterclaim
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爭訟性法律文件
 警方供詞 police statement
 醫療報告 medical report
 專家報告 expert report
 聆訊謄本 court transcript
2. 法庭判詞 judgment
3. 法律匯報 law report
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推廣／教育性
1. 法律文章或通訊
 修例或新法例諮詢
 條例修訂或新法例
 新案例
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工作要求
 一般翻譯工作的要求
 雙語能力
 準確理解原文
 用通順文字譯出
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工作要求
 法律翻譯工作的額外要求

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法律知識
拆解長句的能力
不同範疇的知識
資源充足
勤做資料搜尋，反復推敲印證
專注，不怕枯燥及窒息感
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法律翻譯的難處
 英譯中
1.
拉丁文
-
2.
法律術語
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3.
mens rea, undivided share, easement
法律用語
-
4.
pari passu、mutatis mutandis
leave, conversion, wrong, costs in the cause
指示副詞
-
-
hereof, thereof, whereupon…
“The Terms” means the terms and conditions contained
herein in relation to the Transaction.
“CO” means the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) and any
subsidiary legislation made thereunder.
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法律翻譯的難處
5.
舊式英語
-
6.
In witness whereof the Parties hereby put their hands
unto this Agreement on the date first written above.
合併句子
-
-
The Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase and
the Vendor hereby agrees to sell
the Property at the Purchase Price upon the terms
and conditions set out hereunder.
The Lender, as creditor, has offered and
the Borrower, as debtor, has accepted
the Loan provided by the Lender subject to and
upon the terms and conditions herein contained.
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法律翻譯的難處
7. 句子冗長
a. The Borrower agrees to indemnify the
Lender against all liabilities suffered or
incurred by the Lender as a result of any
matter or thing in breach of this
Agreement.
借款人同意，就貸款人由於任何違反本協
議的事宜或事情而蒙受或招致的所有債務，
向貸款人作出彌償保證。
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法律翻譯的難處
b. The Borrower agrees to indemnify the Lender against
all liabilities, losses, damages, outgoings, costs
and expenses of whatever nature or description
suffered or incurred by the Lender directly or
indirectly at any time before the Maturity Day as a
result of any matter or thing in breach of any of the
representations and warranties in this Agreement.
借款人同意，就貸款人由於任何違反本協議任何陳述及
保證的事宜或事情，而在到期日之前的任何時間直接或
間接蒙受或招致的任何性質或種類的所有債務、損失、
損害賠償、支出、費用及開支，向貸款人作出彌償保證。
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法律翻譯的難處
8. 文意複雜
-
-
e.g. attestation of a will
“SIGNED by the said Testator as his last will
and testament in the presence of us both
present at the same time who at the
Testator’s request in the Testator’s presence
and in the presence of each other, have
hereunto subscribed our names as
witnesses.”
putting all the signature requirements into
one sentence
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法律翻譯的難處
9. 法律用語 vs 通俗用語
Legal tongue vs daily language
-
-
The Vendor shall deliver up vacant possession
of the Property to the Purchaser on or before
the Completion Date
交出空置管有權、交吉
Occupy, occupier, occupation permit
佔用、佔用人、住戶、入伙紙
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法律翻譯的難處
10. 準確 vs 籠統
Precise description vs idiomatic expression
- Metal tray
- 鐵盆
11. 詞義不清 – 有意或無意
- addition：加數、增加、增設、增補…
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法律翻譯的難處
R. v. Tam Yuk Ha (HCMA933/1996)
“any alteration or addition which would result
in a material deviation from the plan thereof
approved under by-law 33”
「進行任何更改或增建工程，而該更改或增建
工程會令該處所與根據第 33 條獲批准的圖則有
重大偏差」
By-law 35 of the Food Business (Urban Council) By-laws, Cap 132 (now s.34, Cap 132X)
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法律翻譯的難處
 Metal trays = addition
 “Under bilingual legislation, both the English
language text and the Chinese language text
of an ordinance are equally authentic. It is not
the English language text which prevails over
the Chinese language text nor vice versa. It is
the two authentic texts together which make up
the legislation enacted by the Legislative
Council.
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法律翻譯的難處

“If one of the authentic texts is ambiguous and the
other authentic text is clear and plain, the court must
reconcile the difference of meaning of the two
authentic texts in a way so as to give effect to the
authentic text with a clear and plain meaning.

“If the two authentic texts cannot be reconciled with
one another, the only reasonable step to take is to give
effect to the authentic text which favours the appellant.”
註：只適用於法例，而非私人合約、協議等
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法律翻譯的難處
12.法理分析
Legal reasoning
 Compare: definition of “easement”
 An easement is a non-possessory
interest to use real property in
possession of another person for a
stated purpose.
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法律翻譯的難處
 判詞 – 層層推進的思考過程
e.g. Donoghue v Stevenson (1932)

Neighbour Principle – There must be, and is, some
general conception of relations giving rise to a duty of
care, of which the particular cases found in the books
are but instances. ... The rule that you are to love your
neighbour becomes in law you must not injure your
neighbour; and the lawyer's question: Who is my
neighbour? receives a restricted reply. You must take
reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you
can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your
neighbour.
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法律翻譯的難處
13. 淺白英語運動
Plain English Campaign
- 法律英語亦為洋人詬病
- 避免拉丁文、術語、長句；分段
- 多用於書信
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法律翻譯的難處
 中譯英
1. 香港法律
2. 國內法律
3. 台灣法律
-
詞彙不同：
英：
Appellant v Respondent
港：
上訴人 訴 答辯人／應訴人
中／台：上訴人 訴 被上訴人
 最終的難題：通順易懂 vs 準確
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工作流程
 整篇翻譯
 譯文更新、修改
 修改舊客戶的文件，用於新客戶
 原文已修改三四次，譯文只修改了一次
 雙方來回修改合約文件
 一致性的問題
 詞彙一致，不能一時譯做 A，一時譯做 B
 急件：多人合譯一份文件
 相關文件：合譯或先後翻譯
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參考資源
1. BLIS – Glossary:
http://www.legislation.gov.hk/eng/glossary/homeglos.htm
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參考資源
2. BLIS – Ordinances:
http://www.legislation.gov.hk/eng/home.htm
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參考資源
3. 政府部門常用辭彙：
http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcsb/glossary/glossary_tc.php
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參考資源
4. 司法機構：
http://www.judiciary.gov.hk/tc/index/index.htm
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參考資源
5. 證監會 - 英漢證券期貨及財務用語匯編：
http://www.sfc.hk/sfc/html/TC/inutilbar/glossary/glossary_4th_edition_2006.htm
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參考資源
6. 《英漢法律大詞典》，李宗鍔，
潘慧儀主編，商務，2003
7. 《香港英漢雙解法律詞典》
Hong Kong English-Chinese
Legal Dictionary. Patrick Chan.
LexisNexis. 2005.
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參考資源
9. 《法律翻譯：從實踐出發》，
陸文慧主編，中華，2002
10.《財經翻譯精要》，周兆祥，
范志偉著，商務，2004
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參考資源
11.《香港法概論》，三聯，2009
12.An Introduction to the Hong
Kong Legal System. Peter
Wesley-Smith. Hong Kong :
Oxford University Press, 1998.
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參考資源
13.《中文解毒》，天窗/信報，
2009
14.《執正中文》，天窗/信報，
2009
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