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英译“实施”条文之典型错误

Date:2009-3-24


请看以下例示的“实施”条文英译之典型错误——亦前本之鉴也。就此专题,笔者在其他著述中涉及过不止一次。但看来,积重一时 (其实此“一时”有数年至十数年之久)难返。本文又一次提出,不仅“温故知新”而已,且系着眼于新的视角并以新的(1997-1998)资料为根据的错误事实及其分析,希望这类典型错误在今后十年内能在我们的法律英译中斩草除根,永远绝灭。

本文基础资料均取自《上海市利用外资工作手册》上海远东出版社1998年增订本(以下简称《手册》)和上海中英对照《新法规月刊增刊》(以下直接用阿拉伯数字指年份以罗马字指其期数),希各注意:

(1) Art.22 The present Measures shall come into effect from [?!]

March 1,1997

—《手册》,P.914

(2) Art.43 The present Regulations shall come into force from [?!] July l,1996.

——《手册》,P.907

(3) Art.23 The detailed Rules come into force as from [?!] the date of its [?!]promulgation.

——《手册》,P.840

(4) Art.35 This law shall go into effect as of [?!] January 1,1995.

——《手册》, P.1037

(5) Art.80 These Rules shall come into force,as from [?!] October 1, 1995.

(6) Art. This Law shall come into force as off [?!] September 1,1995.

——《手册》,P.1074.

(7) Art.21 The present provisions shall be implemented on a trial basis [?!] September 1,1997.

一97/II,P.85

(8) Art.14 The present provisions shall become effective on the day of promulgation.

--97/II,P.19

(9) Art. 28 The Present provisions shall become effective on the day of promulgation.

对以上所例示的典型错误作如下分析:

甲.除上列例(3)之外,其余各例之谓语动词都由“shall”与原形主动词构成。但按英语言语实践的客观规律,这种“shall”的是违反规律的即错误的。这种滥用“shall”的错误在我们的法律翻译实践中是非常普遍的,从而给我们的(而不是英语国家的)法律英译者一个错觉:误以为于兹场合使用“shall”的这种错误不是错误而是正确了。但我们法律汉译英的错误决不因其频率之高而不算错误了。请看《民法通则》第156条的下列正确译文:

•  Article 156 The Law goes into effect on January 1,1987.

--From Collection of Laws and Regulations of the People ’ s Republic of China Concerning Foreign Economic Affairs Vol 6, Beijing Law publishing House,1987,p.91

•  Article 156 The Law goes into effect on January 1,1987

--General principles of Civil Law of the People ’ s Republic of China,translated by Whitmore Gray and Henry Ruiheng Zheng, from Lam and Contemporary problems,Vol.52 Spring & Summer 1989,Numbers 2 & 3

(3) Article 156 This law becomes effective on the first day of January 1,1987.

--China Law Reporter, American Bar Association

和错误译文:

(4) Article l56 This law Shall Come into force on January 1,1987.

--The Laws of the People ’ s Republic of China (1983-1986), Foreign language press, 1987, p.249

(5) Article l56 This law Shall Come into force on 1 January, 1987.

--General Principles of Civil Law of the People ’ s Republic of China, CCH Australia

由于不用“shall”的正确译法和滥用“shall”的错误译法都相当普遍,法律英译者中就流传出这样一种折衷说来了——不用“shall”对,用“shall”也对。这种说法非常有害。因为:

(6)法律条文的英语中一般不用将来时;

(7)在法律条文的英语中,“shall”不是一个temporal verb而只是个“modal verb”;

(8)一项法律定于何时实施,是该法律本身的规则(rule of law)[而不是当事人必须如此这般的行为规则(rule of conduct)]其动词当然是平铺直叙的直陈式(不用shall);

(9)即使假设(仅仅是假设)万一(当然是不现实的)真的(其实是假的——假设嘛)这个“shall”不用固然对、用了也不错;那末,这个“shall”也不该用:法律文字应力求简练,故可用可不用以不用为是;

(10):所以无论如何雄辩也无法证明用“shall”是对的;而不用“shall”是对的,已经证明如上。

乙.上列各例中除例(7)中的“be implemented"外,主要动词“(be)come”或“go”都作用刹那的时间点(而无法作用于时间段),因此凡是用“from...”、“as from...”或“as of...”等介词短语的实例全都错了

于此相反 ,例(7)“be implemented”则是作用于时间段的[得以实施的状态]却被译成只作用于时间点“on September 1,1997.”-当然是一个错误[应更正为“as of”或“as from Sept.1,1997”]。

丙 .英语习惯与汉语不同,汉语一般只须说“请举手!”而不必说“请举你们的手”,而英语则一般得说“Raise your hands”而不是说“Raise hands, please!”(特殊情况下说“hands up!”[而不是“温、良、恭、谦、让”的“your hands up, please!”]自当别论)。由此可见,上列例子8-9的“on the date of promulgation”的“promulgation”就同刚才提到的“hands”一样,必须有相应的物主代词才是而现在这样不用物主代词,当然是错的。

上例( 3)的“promulgation”前虽然用了物主代词“its”,但这个物主代词却是不中用的-因为这个“its”不是上下文相应点的人称代词!为此,例子(3)必须作如下更正才是:

① The detailed Rules come into force on the date of their promulgation.

② The detailed Rules comes into force on the date of its promulgation.

为了有始有终,强调不用“”是正确的译,并使读者对此留下最后的印象,请看:

These provisions go into effect on November 1, 1988.

-《上海涉外经济法规规章汇编》(1982-1990),上海人民出版社1991年版,P.219

(本文摘自陈忠诚著:《法苑翻谭》,中国法制出版社, 2000 年)

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