《法律英语阅读与翻译教程》课文英文版摘录Word文档下载推荐.doc

《法律英语阅读与翻译教程》课文英文版摘录Word文档下载推荐.doc

《《法律英语阅读与翻译教程》课文英文版摘录Word文档下载推荐.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《《法律英语阅读与翻译教程》课文英文版摘录Word文档下载推荐.doc（32页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Lesson1LawandClassificationofLaw

1，GeneralIntroduction

Lawisasystemofrulesandguidelines,usuallyenforcedthroughasetofinstitutions.Itshapespolitics,economicsandsocietyinnumerouswaysandservesasasocialmediatorofrelationsbetweenpeople.Contractlawregulateseverythingfrombuyingabustickettotradingonfinancialderivativesmarkets.Propertylawdefinesrightsandobligationsrelatedtothetransferandtitleofpersonalandrealproperty.Trustlawappliestoassetsheldforinvestmentandfinancialsecurity,whiletortlawallowstoclaimsforcompensationifaperson’srightsorpropertyareharmed.Iftheharmiscriminalizedinlegislation.Criminallawoffersmeansbywhichstatecanprosecutetheperpetrator.Constitutionallawprovidesaframeworkforthecreationoflaw,theprotectionofhumanrightsandtheelectionofpoliticalrepresentatives.Administrativelawisusedtoreviewthedecisionsofgovernmentagencies,whileinternationallawgovernsaffairsbetweensovereignstatesinactivitiesrangingfromtradetoenvironmentregulationormilitaryaction.Writingin350BC,theGreekphilosopherAristotledeclared,”Theruleoflawisbetterthananyruleofindividual.”

Lawraisesimportantandcomplexissuesconcerningequality,fairnessandjustness,”Initsmajesticequality”,saidtheauthorAnatoleFrancein1894,”thelawforbidstherichandpooraliketosleepunderthebridge,beginthestreetandstealloavesofbread.”Inatypicaldemocracy,thecentralinstitutionforinterpretingandcreatinglawarethethreemainbranchesofgovernment,namelyanimpartialjudiciary,ademocraticlegislature,andanaccountableexecutive.Toimplementandenforcethelawandprovideservicesforthepublic,agovernment’sbureaucracy,themilitaryandpolicearevital.Whilealltheseorgansofthestatearecreaturescreatedandboundbylaw,anindependentlegalprofessionandavibrantcivilsocietywillsupporttheirprogress.

2,ClassificationofLaw

Thereareseveraldifferentwaysinwhichlawscanbeclassified,dependingonthecriteriaorcharacteristics

a,SubstantiveLawvs.ProceduralLaw

Substantivelawexplainswhatyoucanandyoucannotdo.Forexample,youcannotmurderanotherhumanbeingunlessitwasaself-defense,youwereunderduress,orifyouweredruggedbyanotherperson.Unlikesubstantivelaw,procedurallawarejuststepsthatmusttakeplacewhenfilingalawsuitagainstanotherparty.

b,PublicLawvs.PrivateLaw

Lawcanbedividedintotwomainbranches:

publiclawandprivatelaw.Publiclawisthebodyoflawdealingwiththerelationsbetweenprivateindividualsandthegovernment,andwiththestructureandoperationofthegovernmentitself,includingconstitutionlaw,criminallaw,andadministrativelaw.Privatelawisthebodyoflawdealingwithprivatepersonsandtheirpropertyandrelationships.

c,CriminalLawvs.CivilLaw

Criminallaworpenallawdefinesbreachesofdutytosocietyatlarge.Itissociety,throughgovernmentemployeescalledprosecutors（suchasdistrictattorneys）,thatbringscourtactionagainstviolators.Ifyouarefoundguiltyofacrimesuchastheft,youwillbepunishedbyimprisonmentorafine.Civillaw,asopposedtocriminallaw,isthebranchoflawdealingwithdisputesbetweenindividualsororganizations,inwhichcompensationmaybeawardedtothevictim.Forinstance,ifacarcrashvictimclaimsdamagesagainstthedriverforlossorinjurysustainedinanaccident,thiswillbeacivillawcase.

d,CommonLawvs.CivilLaw

Commonlawislawdevelopedbyjudgesthroughdecisionsofcourtsandsimilartribunalsratherthanthroughlegislativestatutesorexecutivebranchaction.Commonlawcountriesprosecutewiththeconceptof“staredecisis”,whichmeansthatthesecountriessuchastheUnitedStatesofAmericamakedecisionsbasedonprecedents.Becauseeachjudicialopinionservesasaprecedentforlaterdecisions,asaresult,commonlawissometimescalledjudge-madelaw.Anglo-Americanlawisrootedinthetraditionofthecommonlaw.In1881,JusticeOliverWendellHolmes,Jr.Wrote,”Thelifeofthelawhasnotbeenlogic;

Ithasbeenexperience.”Commonlawdevelopedasaresponsetotheneedtofindsolutionstothepressingissuesofthetime.Unlikecommonlaw,theprincipleofcivillawistoprovideallcitizenswithanaccessibleandwrittencollectionofthelawswhichapplytothemandwhichjudgesmustfollow.

Lesson2LegalSystems:

CommonLawandCivilLaw

Everyindependentcountryhasitsownlegalsystem.Thesystemvaryaccordingtoeachcountry’ssocialtraditionsandformofgovernment.Butmostsystemscanbeclassedaseitheracommon-lawsystemoracivil-lawsystem.TheUnitedStates,Canada,GreatBritain,andotherEnglish-speakingcountrieshaveacommon-lawsystem