法律英语合同中常见单词总结与解析.docx

My Vocabulary Briefing in Legal English

同一词语普通用语与法律用语意义不同的对比

单词
普通词义
法律词义
备注
accord
符合、一致
和解或和解协议
reach an accord/accord and satisfaction
acquire
获得、获取
对公司的购买、收购
Acquisition~M&A
act/action
行为、行动
作为、诉讼
Act~forbear/initiate an action
agent
代理人、代理商
商业代理
（非商业用proxy）
attach
依附、粘贴
扣押（财产）
Attach the property/attachment order
bind
包扎、粘合
约束
Bind sb. to sth./to do sth.
call
呼唤、召集
催促履行义务、催款
Notice of call
composition
作文、结构
和解协议
债务人与债权人~settlement agreement
contribution
奉献、捐赠
出资
Registered capital contribution
custom
风俗、惯例
惯例法、Customs海关
Custom and usage(惯例、习惯法)customs declaration. Customs duty
distress
悲痛、贫困；使悲痛、使贫困
扣押物
Abuse the distress滥用扣押物。Distress sale 扣押物出售
future
未来
Futures期货；期货协议
Futures sales; futures contract; futures market
grace
慈悲、恩惠
宽限期
Day of grace; grace period
Honor
荣誉、信誉
对票据的承兑
Honor a bill
infant
婴儿
未成年人（minor）
The contract made by an infant
limitation
限制
时效
Lapse of limitation
promotion
推广
发起设立（公司）
Incorporation by promotion
realize
实现
财产的变现
Realize the security; unrealized profit;
receivable
可接受的
应收
Schedule of accounts receivable; bills receivable; amount receivable.
retain
保存、保持
聘请（律师、顾问等）
Retain an attorney
royalty
皇族、高贵
知识产权使用费
Royalty bonus; royalty interest; royalty tax
satisfaction
满足
清偿或履行
Satisfaction by legacy; satisfaction of judgment; satisfaction of lien.
survive
幸存
继续有效
This clause shall survive the termination…

同一意义正式与非正式的表达

单词
相称于
例句
affect
influence
affect its right
Construe/construction
Interpret/interpretation
A waiver shall not be construed as…
Construction of the contract
determine
Decide(法律英语中表达判决、裁决)
It shall be determined with reference to…
The court decided that the litigation fee…
Due to
Because of
The contract was terminated due to…
Exclusive of
excluding
All rates quoted herein are exclusive of tax.
In accordance with
According to
类似词组pursuant to, in pursuance with
forthwith
immediately
It shall forthwith notify the other party…
Provided that
but
略
Real property
Real estate
范围更广些，除土地及附属建筑和房屋尚有其他附属的各种权益
undertake
promise
Undertake to do
As of
since
This contract shall take effect as of the said date …
Comply with
Abide by/observe/follow
Failure to comply with the regulations can result…
Deem(be deemed to)
believe
…shall be deemed to be the consent of …
Intend to
Wish to

In the event/case that
if

interim
temporary
Regular meetings and interim meetings
notwithstanding
Though/although

一词多义:

Advise
　　释义：advise在法律英语中有两个常用意思：
　　①律师等法律工作者提供法律建议，如
　　The partner of the law firm advised the Manager on various specialist legal issues。
　　该律师事务所的合作人就各种专业法律问题向经理提出了法律建议。
　　②告知，相称于notify或inform，如
　　The use of advise in the sense of “inform, notify,” was restricted to business correspondence and legal contexts. Thus one may say the suspects were advised of their rights, but it would be considered pretentious to say you’d better advise your friends that the date of the picnic has been changed。
advise 表达“告知，告知”的这种用法局限地用于商业往来及法律情况。因此可以说嫌疑犯被告知他们所具有的权利， 但是你最佳告知你的朋友，野餐的日期有所改变，这种说法被认为是做作的。

Deposit
　　释义：deposit在法律英语中通常最常用的意思有两个：
　　①存款，这是他在普通英语和法律英语都很常见的意思，既可作名词也可作动词，如
　　He has a deposit of 10,000yuan in ICBC。他在工商银行有1万元的存款。
　　People tend to deposit their idle money in the bank。人们喜欢把不用的钱存到银行。
　　②定金，保证金，相称于earnest money。根据中国的协议法，缴纳定金方违约的，定金不予返还，接受定金方违约的，应当双方返还定金。如
　　The shop undertook to keep the goods for me provided that I paid a deposit.
商店答应, 倘若我付定金就给我保存这批货。

Discharge
　　释义：discharge在法律英语中的常用含义有两个：
　　①履行，侧重于对具体义务的履行，相称于fulfill，如
　　He discharged his obligations after the call of the creditors。
　　他在债权人的督促下，才履行了自己的义务。
　　②免去，即免去别人的义务或债务。
　　His liability to pay the loan to the bank was discharged due to his bankruptcy。
　　他对银行的借款偿还义务因其破产而免去。
从上面两个例子可以看出，discharge的两个含义是截然相反的，因此，我们在理解和翻译它的含义时，应当放到上下文中，不能望文生义。一般来说，假如主语是自己（如例证1），就理解为履行，动作由别人发出（如例证2），则理解为免去。

draft
释义：draft在法律英语中通常有两个含义，一个是起草，如draft a law起草法律，draft a contract起草协议等。另一个意思是汇票，如承兑汇票也可以是honor a draft，开具汇票可以说是issue a draft等。

execute
释义：execute是法律英语中常用也是比较容易犯错的单词，通常理解为协议的签订等。如the contract shall take effect upon its execution 协议自签订之日起生效。很多人容易把它理解为执行，这是错误的。但execution的确有执行、履行的意思，假如它与表达一段的时间状语连用，那肯定是执行、履行的意思，如in the course of the execution of the contract在协议履行过程中。

issue
释义：issue的意思是签发，如issue an order签发命令，issue a notice签发告知，issue stock发行证券，issue a draft开具汇票等。用作名词时，意思是争点、争议点，即当事人之间关于事实或法律的争议事项，如issue at/in law 法律上的争点，issue of fact事实上的争点等。

representation
释义：representation在法律英语中有两个含义，一是代表，如representation by counsel由律师代表，一个是陈述，通常和warranty连用，出现在协议中，representation and warranty为协议的“陈述与保证条款”。

underwrite
释义:underwrite在法律英语中有两个常见含义，一是承保、给…保险，如underwrite the goods in transit为运送途中的货品承保，此外一个意思是证券承销、报销，如underwriting agreement证券承销协议，underwriting spread承销差价等。

settlement
释义：settlement在法律英语中的常见含义是和解，如reach a settlement达成和解，settlement out of court庭外和解。此外，settlement也可作账目的结算，如settlement of an account账目结算，settlement date交割日等。

term
释义：term在法律英语中有两个常见含义，一是期限，如term of office任期，term of the contract 协议有效期，此外一个是条件，如term of the purchase购买条件，terms and conditions条件及条款等。

withdraw
释义：withdraw有两个常用意思，一是支取、提款，如withdraw money from the bank从银行提款，另一个意思是撤回、撤消，如withdraw an offer撤回邀约，withdraw a charge撤回指控，withdraw from criminal activities推出犯罪活动等。

withhold
　　 释义：withhold在法律英语中有两个常见含义，一是扣付，如withhold tax代扣税款，此外一个是拒绝（公开、给予等），如withhold consent不批准，withhold sentence不予判刑等。

习惯用法

joint and several
释义：joint and several是一个常用词组，意思是连带的，如joint (and several ) liability连带责任，又如a warranty，representation，undertaking, indemnity, covenant or agreement on the part of two or more persons binds them jointly and severally.两人或两人以上对其所作的保证、陈述、承诺、补偿、约定或协议负有连带责任。

null and void
　　释义：void的意思是无效的，经常和null连用，即null and void无效，如an act in conflict of law shall be null and void与法律冲突的行为无效。Void contract无效协议，void marriage无效婚姻，void legacy无效遗嘱，void release无效弃权等。