商务英语合同的语言特点.docx

1、商务英语合同的语言特点商务英语合同的语言特点【摘要】商务英语合同既具有商务英语的特点,同时也具有法律英语的特点，它是一种专门的应用文体，重在记实，措词行文的一大特点确实是准确与严谨。商务合同具有显著的公文体特点，属于法律文本，有专门的法律功能，因此商务合同的起草和翻译具有强烈的目的性，符合法律公文的特点，做到译文结构严谨、逻辑严密、言简意赅，没把握好这些特点，就专门难达到预期的成效。本文通过对商务英语合同的语言特点及其起草翻译中应注意的若干问题的表述，从词汇、短语、句子、文体结构四个方面，浅谈一下商务英语合同的语言特点。 关键词：商务合同、语言特点、法律、正式、严谨随着中国加入WTO，我国与世

2、界各国的联系日益紧密,我国商务人士对商务合同的接触也越来越多。然而专门多人对商务合同是一种法律文件认识不够深刻, 对其语言特点把握得不够好, 加之各国间存在文化差异, 因此在明白得和撰写商务合同方面存在许多问题。为了促进我国与世界各国的商务交流, 以法律形式爱护自身权益,我国商务人士专门有必要学会撰写英语商务合同。一、商务合同的概述(一)商务合同的的概念商务合同指的是两人或几人之间、两方或多方当事人之间在进行商务交往时,为了确定各自的权益和义务而订立的各自遵守的条文。(二)商务合同的结构商务合同通常是由前言、正文以及结尾三部分组成。前言要紧是写明合同当事人的名称或姓名、国籍、主营业务或合同签订

3、的日期、地点。正文是合同的主体，明确规定当事人各方的权益、义务、责任和风险等。商务合同的结尾，其要紧内容包括合同生效、合同使用文字、补充条文及额外协议等。(三)商务合同的分类常用的商务合同要紧有：销售合同、技术转让合同、议购合同、中外合资合同、期货交易合同、加工合同等。二、商务英语合同的语言特点(一)商务英语合同的的词汇特点1.使用的词语正式、庄重、准确。商务英语合同不同于一样的应用文，它是一种比较专门的应用文体，它需要将合同双方的意愿清晰地表达出来，因此其用词选词方面需要认真考究。商务英语合同又是具有法律性质的公文，为了爱护法律的权威性和政策性，在写作选词时适应采纳正式严谨的词语，以显示其正

4、规、庄重的特点。例如：The World International Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), desiring to establish a mutually supportive relationship between them, and with a view to establishing appropriate agreements for cooperation between them, agree as follows:与wish或want相比desire较正式；相

5、比in order to, with a view to为正式用语。2.法律用语、合同术语的使用在商务合同中专门广泛由于依法成立的商务合同是具有法律约束力的法律性文件，因此商务合同的拟定人通常适应使用法律词语、合同术语，从而表达商务合同语言的准确、规范、威严的特点。例如：在合资经营企业合同中有如此一段话:In case one party desire to sell or assign(转让) all or part of his investment subscribed, the other party shall have the preemptive（优先购买的）right.（此句中

6、的assign和preemptive差不多上法律用语）常见的英文合同术语：accord and satisfaction, consideration, contemplate, convenience, defect, encumbrance, envisage, ex prate, frustration, jurisdiction, principal, remedy, restitution, specific performance, surely, survive, tort, unilateral contract, variance, waive. 3.大量的使用古英语词汇在商

7、务合同中，迄今还大量使用中古英语词汇，最常见的形式是here、there、where加上介词而构成的复合副词。在这些词语中，here代表this，three代表that，where代表which并引出从句。经常在同一合同中有些名词会被多次提及，使用这些古英语词汇不但能够幸免用词重复和文句过长而且还使合同语句简练、准确、有说服力。常见这类词：hereinafter, whereas, whereby等。例如：This contract is made by and between China National Native Produce & Animal By - Products Corpo

8、ration, Guangdong Native Produce Branch( hereafter called the seller) and American Trading Co, Ltd( hereafter called the buyer ) whereby the Sellers agree to sell and the Buyers agree to buy the under - mentioned goods in accordance with the terms and conditions stipulated below. 句中hereafter 把卖方的名称由

9、 12 个单词减至一个 “seller”使合同语言显得简洁。Whereby不仅仅使意思表达更加的明确，更表达出英语合同语言措词的准确性以及合同的古文风格。使用这些古体词使得合同语言显得更加的规范和严谨。4.成对的使用近义词、同义词。一词多义、多词一意。在英文商务合同中我们不难见到以下用法：perform and fulfill（履行） rights and interests（权益）, terms and conditions（条款）, complete and final understanding（全部和最终的明白得）, customs fees and duties（关税）, loss

10、of and damage to（关税）， null and void（无效）, sign and issue（签发）, furnish and provide（提供）,rules and regulations（规章）, as and when（当的时候），即成双成对的使用意义差别专门小的近义词、同义词，如此让合同的语言显得周密、严谨，减少了流淌和争议。例句：Each party to this Agreement shall perform and fulfill any of the obligation under this Agreement.本协议的各方均应履行协议规定的义务。（句

11、中确实是同义谓语动词的成对使用，perform 和fulfill 差不多上“履行”的意思，然而perform强调的是主观的努力，fulfill注重的是客观的结果。一样，成对近义词已当做适应用语来用，这些词组都表示一些固定的含义，在合同写作和翻译时都不能随意拆分，这种结构的使用表达了英语合同语言的庄重和严谨。5.较多的借用外来词（拉丁语、法语词汇）在商务合同中，拉丁语、法语词汇也经常显现。如：Bona fide activity（慈善活动）、inter alia（还有其他事项）mutatia mutadandis（依照情形在细节上作必要修改）stare decisis（遵循先例）差不多上来源于拉

12、丁语，在商务合同中一样以斜体显现。法语在历史上对法律英语的形成和进展产生够较大的阻碍，专门多法律词汇确实是从法语中接过来的例如：bar（律师）, suit（起诉、控告）, complain（投诉）, jury（陪审团）, terms（条件、条款）, claim（权益）等都来自法语。 6.情态动词的使用频率较高在商务英语合同中，情态动词shall, shall not, may not, may, must专门常用，而且它们在商务合同中所表达的含义与其在其他非法律应用文中所表达的含义有所不同。Shall, may, must, may not/shall not要紧是分别指明合同双方当事人的权益

13、即可做什么，当事人的义务即该做什么，规定做的即必须做什么，还有禁止做的即不能做什么。例如：The insurance must be issued irrespective of percentage.The Employer shall make a prepayment of 20of the contact value to the Contractor within 10 days after signing the Contract. 7.用语明确，不使用易产生歧义的词汇为了幸免明白得上的分歧所引起的争议、索赔或者诉讼事件，商务合同的用语必须专门清晰明确。例如：Shipment is

14、 to be effected bimonthly at 800 metric tons each.句中的bimonthly既能够明白得为“两个月一次”又能够明白得为“一个月两次”；那么应装数量能够明白得为“每两个月装一次每次装600吨”也能够翻译为“半个月装一次每次装600吨”如此就使装船的时刻和数量都产生了歧义。因此，像这种意义模糊的词语就不能显现在商务合同中，或者在句中加以限制就幸免这一缺陷如改成：Shipment is to be effected bimonthly at 600 metric tons each within May,2001.（在2001年5月份之内装运两次每次6

15、00吨。） 8.指代明确在商务合同中专门少显现人称代词，而且即使显现了人称代词通常差不多上泛指。合同的起草人经常用the said 或 the same 加上一个名词来指代前文中提到的名词。例如：The seller shall not be held responsible for any delay in delivery or nondelivery of the goods due to Force Majeure. However , the seller shall advise the buyer immediately of such occurrence and within

16、 fourteen days thereafter ,shall send by airmail to the buyer a certificate issued by the competent government authorities of the place where the accident has occurred as evidence thereof .Under such circumstances the seller, however ,it still under the obligation to take all necessary measures to h

17、asten the delivery of the goods .In case the accident lasts for more than 10 weeks ,the buyer shall have the right to cancel this contract . 上述合同条款中就没有使用一个指示代词或不定代词，而是重复所指名词，使得所指代的事物明确而清晰。If any disagreement arises, the said（上文中所提到的）treaty shall be applied.No one may engage in securities business wi

18、thout approval of the same authority. (二)商务英语合同中的短语特点1.使用专门的短语表达合同英语惯有的含义商务合同中经常使用一些约定俗成的专门短语来表达某些惯有的含义，最常见的这类短语有：whereas 鉴于in witness whereof 作为协议事项的证据now this presents witness 兹特立约为据for and on behalf of 代表某人per pro. = procurationem 代表代理2.名词性短语居多 相比之下动词词组不管是在使用数量和结构的复杂性程度上都不及名词词组，因此在商务合同中显现本该显现动词短语

19、的部分却转化成了名词短语，显得专门轻巧。例如：The Contractor shall not knowingly do or omit to do anything which may adversely affect an orderly transfer of responsibility for provision of the Services.（句中的transfer responsibility转化成了transfer of responsibility，而provision Services转化成了provision of the Services）3.动词短语转化成介词、形容

20、词短语动词转化成介词短语是商务合同句式表达的一大亮点，例如：support 转化成 in support of；violate转化成为in violate of；default转化成 in default of；break 转化成in break of. All such minutes ,records ,and reports shall be on file at the FIB offices.该句中“存档”用的是“on file”而不是用的动词短语“be file”。常见的商务合同中动词转化成形容词短语的句子有：inclusive转化为be inclusive of；exclude长

21、转化为be exclusive of.如：Your salary inclusive of any overtime payment from the date of commencement of your contract will be USD AMOUNT IN FIGURE (USD Amount in Words) and will be paid in arrears at the end of the month.The foregoing states the sole and exclusive liability of the parties hereto for inf

22、ringement of patents, copyrights, mask works, trade secrets trademarks, and other proprietary rights, whether direct or contributory,4.常用短语来替代一些从句有时英文商务合同中为了让句子更简单，会使用一些短语来替代某些定语、状语、主语从句。例如：All right and all design elements resulting from the Services shall vest in and be the absolute property of Pa

23、rty A.该句中的分词短语resulting from the Services就起到了使句子结构紧密，表达简单的成效，同时替代了定语从句“which result from the Services”。All property of the Contractor while at the Premises shall be at the risk of Contractor and the Department shall accept no liability for any loss or damage however occurring thereto or caused there

24、by except where any such loss or damage was caused or contributed to by any act, neglect or default of any Servant of thereby Crown at the Premises acting in the course of his employment.句中的“however occurring thereto or caused thereby”就替代了状语从句“however it will be occur thereto or be caused thereby”。(

25、三)商务英语合同的句子特点1.长句的使用专门常见（主从复合句、综合复杂句）合同是具有法律效力的公文，因此在撰写合同时期望提供的信息完整、严密，不让读者曲解，误读。对某些具有法律性的概念成立的条件限定专门多，继而对中心词的限制也较多，因此在商务合同中长句较多，短句偏少。例如：Questions concerning matters governed by this convention which are not expressly settled in it are to be settled in conformity with the general principles on which

26、 it is based or , in the absence of such principles , in conformity with the law applicable by virus of the rules of private international law .(主从复合句)Where a foreigner or enterprise applies for trademark registration in China, the matter shall be handled in acceptance with any agreement concluded b

27、etween the country to which the applicant belongs and the Peoples Republic of China, or on the basic of the principle of reciprocity. ( 综合复杂句)2.句子结构完整在商务合同那中一样采纳主语、谓语都具备的完全完整句，通常不使用省略句，以免造成因省略或句子缺省而显现歧义、意义歪曲。例如：The WTO Secretariat shall transmit to the International Bureau, free of charge, a copy of

28、 the laws and regulations received by the WTO Secretariat from WTO Members under Article 63.2 of the TRIPS Agreement in the language or languages and in the form or forms in which they were received, and the International Bureau shall place such copies in its collection. 3.多个句式表达一个法律含义商务合同中广泛存在一个法律含

29、义多个句式表达的现象。例如：除if之外与“假如、假如”相关的还有if and whenever, in the event that/in the event of, where, should ,in case/in case of, on condition that/on the conditions that, insofar as/in so far as等。关于“有权做”的表达有may do, shall/will have the right to do, shall have the right (but not obligation ) to do, be entitled

30、to sth., be entitled to do, reserve the right to do, be (duly) authorized to do, have the authority to do, do sth. at ones option, be at liberty to do, sth rests with sb. to do 等。在英语商务合同中表“应当做”也举不胜举如：shall do, have the legal obligation to do, be obliged to do, be under the obligation for/to do, shal

31、l be liable to do, be responsible to do, be required to do, be ones account/responsibility等。 4.语序专门，频繁的使用倒装语序商务合同中的倒装要紧表达在否定提早和省略if的句子中。例句：Nothing in Article 12.3 shall prevent Party A or any of its affiliation from continuing to carry on any of their present businesses（否定提早）.Should Company at its s

32、ole option elect to further investigate the validity of Contractor s proposal ,Company shall advise Contractor in writing accordingly（省略if的句子）. 5.现在时代代替今后时，因此今后时使用较少尽管合同的条款专门多差不多上规定今后的事项，然而在适应上已使用现在是为原则。例如：Licensee may terminate this Contract 60 days after a written notice thereof is sent to Licensor upon the happening of one of the following events:a. Licensor becomes insolvent or a liquidator of Licensor is appointed;b. The patent described in Article 2 is not issued within 30 days from signing