论中英合同语言中的词汇关系
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摘要
当今社会，契约法这一调整当事人之间权利义务的法律得到越来越多的关注。当事人通过订立合同来确定交换的意向和条件，通过履行合同来实现交换和贸易，进而实现其对人身财产关系的调整。所以，合同用语的精确性直接影响到当事人切身权益。从语言学角度看，有关词汇关系的研究，无论语义学还是词汇学，均有多方面论述且颇有成果。其中，最著名的莫过于结构主义语义学对含蓄的词汇关系——上下义关系，反义关系和相对关系等的论述。然而，随着语义学和词汇学理论的发展，对词汇关系的研究呈现专门化和多样化的趋势。
因此，本文立足于词汇关系，分别从语言学和合同法的角度对词汇关系进行研究，考察中英文合同文本中用词所造成的歧义和模糊，分析合同理解和翻译当中可能遇见的词汇空缺和语义缺省，最后对这些问题提出翻译对策，从而希望对中西契约法理解和交流中能有所助益。鉴于契约范围过于宽泛，本文研究的范围仅限于中英文书面合同用语。本文首先简要介绍契约语言之特点及契约语言中词汇关系的重要作用，进而过渡到词汇关系的理论基础。谈及词汇关系，作者不再限于结构主义语义学的观点，而是介绍了其他流派对此领域的研究。然后，作者对存在于中英文契约语言当中的词汇关系进行静态对比研究，分析其异同点。契约是存在于社会生活中的，所以，本文最后两部分分别探讨在动态世界当中词汇关系可以产生什么问题。鉴于中国与西方世界在历史文化，风俗习惯和宗教信仰方面有诸多不同，且法律制度与法律文化以及经济发展水平相异，因此在契约中难免存在歧义和模糊现象，另外，在中英契约交流中还存在词汇空缺现象，作者提出可以针对不同情况采取不同翻译技巧来应对。并希望对契约语言的词汇研究能引起学术界的重视，从而促进中外法学交流的发展。
Currently, contract law, which is initially concerned with general rights and obligations of people, has got more and more attention from the general public. The parties ascertain the terms and conditions through the formation of contract, and in consequence to realize their interests through the performance of a contract, then, the adjustment of property relationship has been realized. Hence, the pursuit of precision in contract language is really important, and the lexical relations in contracts are closely interrelated with the interests of people. From the perspective of linguistics, there are a large number of scholars from different linguistic schools have illustrated lexical relations. One of the most extraordinary schools which study this field very well is structural semantics. It has set forth the hyponymy, antonymy as well as converses very clearly. However, thanks to the development of semantic and lexicology, the study of lexical relations becomes more and more specific and several new research methods are employed in this field.
Therefore, based on the analysis of lexical relations, this thesis reviews the lexical relations from the perspectives of linguistics as well as contract law. The author analyzes the ambiguity and vagueness in both Chinese and English contract contexts, and then surveys the lexical gap and non-correspondence in meaning aroused by the differences of legal lexicons in these two languages. Finally, the author tries to suggest some translation strategies to solve these problems, doing something beneficial to the understanding of contract law and the contract communication between China and English-speaking countries. Since contract language concerns a great deal of branches of law and it comes into being through various types, this thesis just focuses on the Chinese and English written contracts.
This dissertation first briefly introduces the characteristics of contract language as well as the significance of lexicon in legal language, and then the theoretical foundations are given here. In this part, the essay is not limit to structural semantics, but also provides more viewpoints from other scholars and schools into the study of lexical relations. After the theoretical basis, the author makes a static study of the lexical relations of Chinese and English contract language. Similarities and dissimilarities of contract lexicons are illustrated here. Since contract is closely interacted with social life, the last two chapters of this thesis are focusing on the issues in the dynamic world. Although contract takes precision as its eternal theme, ambiguity still exists in contract due to the polysemous words and other phenomena like the change of meaning. Moreover, sometimes, the terms and conditions of a contract should be flexible, then the fuzziness or vagueness of contract language originated. Furthermore, the differences such as historical and cultural backgrounds, social customs and religious beliefs, the dissimilar legal systems and different levels of economic development may lead to lexical gaps or non-correspondence in meaning. Thus, the author suggests some translation skills to solve problems like these. Finally, the author hopes the study of lexical relations in the field of contracts can get the attention of the academic world, so that communication between China and the English-speaking countries can be promoted.
因此，本文立足于词汇关系，分别从语言学和合同法的角度对词汇关系进行研究，考察中英文合同文本中用词所造成的歧义和模糊，分析合同理解和翻译当中可能遇见的词汇空缺和语义缺省，最后对这些问题提出翻译对策，从而希望对中西契约法理解和交流中能有所助益。鉴于契约范围过于宽泛，本文研究的范围仅限于中英文书面合同用语。本文首先简要介绍契约语言之特点及契约语言中词汇关系的重要作用，进而过渡到词汇关系的理论基础。谈及词汇关系，作者不再限于结构主义语义学的观点，而是介绍了其他流派对此领域的研究。然后，作者对存在于中英文契约语言当中的词汇关系进行静态对比研究，分析其异同点。契约是存在于社会生活中的，所以，本文最后两部分分别探讨在动态世界当中词汇关系可以产生什么问题。鉴于中国与西方世界在历史文化，风俗习惯和宗教信仰方面有诸多不同，且法律制度与法律文化以及经济发展水平相异，因此在契约中难免存在歧义和模糊现象，另外，在中英契约交流中还存在词汇空缺现象，作者提出可以针对不同情况采取不同翻译技巧来应对。并希望对契约语言的词汇研究能引起学术界的重视，从而促进中外法学交流的发展。
Currently, contract law, which is initially concerned with general rights and obligations of people, has got more and more attention from the general public. The parties ascertain the terms and conditions through the formation of contract, and in consequence to realize their interests through the performance of a contract, then, the adjustment of property relationship has been realized. Hence, the pursuit of precision in contract language is really important, and the lexical relations in contracts are closely interrelated with the interests of people. From the perspective of linguistics, there are a large number of scholars from different linguistic schools have illustrated lexical relations. One of the most extraordinary schools which study this field very well is structural semantics. It has set forth the hyponymy, antonymy as well as converses very clearly. However, thanks to the development of semantic and lexicology, the study of lexical relations becomes more and more specific and several new research methods are employed in this field.
Therefore, based on the analysis of lexical relations, this thesis reviews the lexical relations from the perspectives of linguistics as well as contract law. The author analyzes the ambiguity and vagueness in both Chinese and English contract contexts, and then surveys the lexical gap and non-correspondence in meaning aroused by the differences of legal lexicons in these two languages. Finally, the author tries to suggest some translation strategies to solve these problems, doing something beneficial to the understanding of contract law and the contract communication between China and English-speaking countries. Since contract language concerns a great deal of branches of law and it comes into being through various types, this thesis just focuses on the Chinese and English written contracts.
This dissertation first briefly introduces the characteristics of contract language as well as the significance of lexicon in legal language, and then the theoretical foundations are given here. In this part, the essay is not limit to structural semantics, but also provides more viewpoints from other scholars and schools into the study of lexical relations. After the theoretical basis, the author makes a static study of the lexical relations of Chinese and English contract language. Similarities and dissimilarities of contract lexicons are illustrated here. Since contract is closely interacted with social life, the last two chapters of this thesis are focusing on the issues in the dynamic world. Although contract takes precision as its eternal theme, ambiguity still exists in contract due to the polysemous words and other phenomena like the change of meaning. Moreover, sometimes, the terms and conditions of a contract should be flexible, then the fuzziness or vagueness of contract language originated. Furthermore, the differences such as historical and cultural backgrounds, social customs and religious beliefs, the dissimilar legal systems and different levels of economic development may lead to lexical gaps or non-correspondence in meaning. Thus, the author suggests some translation skills to solve problems like these. Finally, the author hopes the study of lexical relations in the field of contracts can get the attention of the academic world, so that communication between China and the English-speaking countries can be promoted.
引文
Agrippa, Henry Cornelius, Three Books of Occult Philosophy. ed. Donald Tyson[C], Minnesota : Llewellyn Publications, 1993.
Baker, Mona, Rout ledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies [M], Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.
Crystal, David, A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1997.
Crystal, David, English Vocabulary. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Conley, John M. and William M. O'Barr, Just Words [M], Chicago and London: the University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Garner, Bryan A., Black's Law Dictionary, St. Paul, Minn.: West Group. 1999.
Gibbons, John, Forensic Linguistics: an introduction to language in the justice system [M], Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
Gunther, Gerald, Sullivan Kathleeen M., Constitutional Law, Westbury and New York: the Foundation Press, 1997.
Hatch, Evelyn, Cheryle Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Language Education, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2001.
Jaszczolt, K. M., Semantics and Pragmatics——Meaning in Language and Discourse [M], Beijing: Peking University Press, 2004.
Kempson, Ruth M., Semantic Theory [M], Oxford: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Leech, Geoffrey N., A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Leech, Geoffrey N., Michael H. Short, Style in Fiction: A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Leech, G. Semantics, Hamondsworth: Penguin Book Ltd, 1974.102) Li Fuyin, Koenraad Kuiper. Semantics: A Course Book [M], Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Education Press. 2006.
Lyons, John, Linguistic Semantics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Lyons, John, Semantics [M], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Malinowski, Bronislaw, Coral Gardens and Their Magic: A Study of the Methods of Tilling the Soil and of Agricultural Rites in the Trobriand Islands:The Language of Magic and Gardening[M], London and New York: Routledge. 2001.
Mellinkoff, David, the language of the law [M], Boston: little, Brown, 1963.
Mey, Jacob L., Pragmatics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Morris, Marshall, Translation and the Law [M], Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995.
Newmark, Peter, A Textbook of Translation [M], UK: Prentice Hall, 1988.
Olsson, John, Forensic Linguistics: An introduction to Language, Crime and the law [M], London and New York: Continuum, 2004.
Radford, Andrew, Syntax: A Minimalist Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Radford, Andrew, Martin Atkinson, David Britain, Harald Clahsen, Andrew Spencer. Linguistics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000.
Saeed, John I., Semantics [M], Bei Jing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Sarat, Austin and Kearns Thomas R., The Rhetoric of Law [M], US: the University of Michigan, 1994.
Skehan, Peter, A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning [M], Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Solan, L.M, the Language of Judges [M], Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
Specter, Arlen, Passion for Truth: From Finding J F K's Single Bullet to Questioning Anita Hill to Impeaching Clinton. (With Charles Robbins)[J], New York: William Morrow, 2000.
Tiersma, Peter M., Legal Language [M], Chicago and London: the University of Chicago Press, 1999.
Tryon, Edwards, The New Dictionary of Thoughts: A Cyclopedia of Quotations. Rev. by C. N. Catrevas and Jonathan Edwards, New York: Standard Book Co., 1967.
Wydich, Richard C., Plain English for Lawyers [M], Durham: Carolina Academic Press, 1998.
Yule, George, The Study of Language [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000.
陈福康，《中国译学理论史稿》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，1996年。
陈宏薇，《汉英翻译基础》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，1998年。
陈治安，文旭，刘家荣，《模糊语言学概论》[M]，重庆：西南师范大学出版社，1997年。
杜金榜，《法律语言学》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2004年。
段满福，《谈英语一词多义现象》[J]，内蒙古大学学报，2004年，(3)：第116页。
何卫平，《通向解释学辩证法之途——伽达默尔哲学思想研究》[M]，上海：上海三联书店，2001年。
胡壮麟，姜望琪，《语言学高级教程》[M]，北京：北京大学出版社，2002年。
李剑波，《论法律英语的词汇特征》[J]，中国科技翻译，2003年，(2)：第16页。
陆国强，《现代英语词汇学》[M]，北京：北京大学出版社，2002年。
陆文慧，《法律翻译——从实践出发》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
潘德荣，《文字·诠释·传统——中国诠释传统的现代转化》[M]，上海：上海译文出版社，2003年。
潘庆云，《中国法律语言鉴衡》[M]，上海：汉语大词典出版社，2004年。
束定芳，《现代语义学的特点与发展趋势》[J]，外语与外语教学2000年，(7)：第28-32页。
束定芳，《认知语义学的基本原理、研究目标与方法》[J]，山东外语教学2005年，(5)：第3-11页。
束定芳，《隐喻学研究》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2000年。
宋雷，《英汉法律用语大辞典》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
宋雷，李荣甫，《法律英语教程》[M]，北京：法律出版社，1999年。．
宋雷，《法律英语同义·近义术语辨析和翻译指南》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
宋雷，《法律词语空缺及翻译对策》[J]，西南民族大学学报，2006年，(173)：第235页。
王铭玉，《语言符号学》[M]，北京：高等教育出版社，2004年。
伍谦光，《语义学导论》[M]' 长沙：湖南教育出版社，2001年。
伍铁平，《普通语言学概要》[M]，北京：高等教育出版社，1993年。
吴伟平，《语言与法律——司法领域的语言学研究》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2002年。
徐烈炯，《语义学》[M]，北京：语文出版社，1990年。
许余龙，《对比语言学》[M]，北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2000年。
薛波，《元照英美法词典》，北京：法律出版社，2003年。
杨良生，秦大伟，《现代英语词汇学导论》[M]，郑州：河南人民出版社，1991年。
俞东明，《意义和所指的哲学语义与语用研究》[J]，外语与外语教学2000年，(2)：第4-15页。
曾宪义，《中国法制史》[M]，北京：中国人民大学出版社，2001年。
张韵斐，《现代英语词汇学概论》[M]，北京：北京师范大学出版社，1986年。
Baker, Mona, Rout ledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies [M], Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.
Crystal, David, A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1997.
Crystal, David, English Vocabulary. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Conley, John M. and William M. O'Barr, Just Words [M], Chicago and London: the University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Garner, Bryan A., Black's Law Dictionary, St. Paul, Minn.: West Group. 1999.
Gibbons, John, Forensic Linguistics: an introduction to language in the justice system [M], Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
Gunther, Gerald, Sullivan Kathleeen M., Constitutional Law, Westbury and New York: the Foundation Press, 1997.
Hatch, Evelyn, Cheryle Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Language Education, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2001.
Jaszczolt, K. M., Semantics and Pragmatics——Meaning in Language and Discourse [M], Beijing: Peking University Press, 2004.
Kempson, Ruth M., Semantic Theory [M], Oxford: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Leech, Geoffrey N., A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Leech, Geoffrey N., Michael H. Short, Style in Fiction: A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Leech, G. Semantics, Hamondsworth: Penguin Book Ltd, 1974.102) Li Fuyin, Koenraad Kuiper. Semantics: A Course Book [M], Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Education Press. 2006.
Lyons, John, Linguistic Semantics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Lyons, John, Semantics [M], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Malinowski, Bronislaw, Coral Gardens and Their Magic: A Study of the Methods of Tilling the Soil and of Agricultural Rites in the Trobriand Islands:The Language of Magic and Gardening[M], London and New York: Routledge. 2001.
Mellinkoff, David, the language of the law [M], Boston: little, Brown, 1963.
Mey, Jacob L., Pragmatics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2001.
Morris, Marshall, Translation and the Law [M], Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995.
Newmark, Peter, A Textbook of Translation [M], UK: Prentice Hall, 1988.
Olsson, John, Forensic Linguistics: An introduction to Language, Crime and the law [M], London and New York: Continuum, 2004.
Radford, Andrew, Syntax: A Minimalist Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Radford, Andrew, Martin Atkinson, David Britain, Harald Clahsen, Andrew Spencer. Linguistics: An Introduction [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000.
Saeed, John I., Semantics [M], Bei Jing: Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press, 2000.
Sarat, Austin and Kearns Thomas R., The Rhetoric of Law [M], US: the University of Michigan, 1994.
Skehan, Peter, A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning [M], Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Solan, L.M, the Language of Judges [M], Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
Specter, Arlen, Passion for Truth: From Finding J F K's Single Bullet to Questioning Anita Hill to Impeaching Clinton. (With Charles Robbins)[J], New York: William Morrow, 2000.
Tiersma, Peter M., Legal Language [M], Chicago and London: the University of Chicago Press, 1999.
Tryon, Edwards, The New Dictionary of Thoughts: A Cyclopedia of Quotations. Rev. by C. N. Catrevas and Jonathan Edwards, New York: Standard Book Co., 1967.
Wydich, Richard C., Plain English for Lawyers [M], Durham: Carolina Academic Press, 1998.
Yule, George, The Study of Language [M], Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000.
陈福康，《中国译学理论史稿》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，1996年。
陈宏薇，《汉英翻译基础》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，1998年。
陈治安，文旭，刘家荣，《模糊语言学概论》[M]，重庆：西南师范大学出版社，1997年。
杜金榜，《法律语言学》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2004年。
段满福，《谈英语一词多义现象》[J]，内蒙古大学学报，2004年，(3)：第116页。
何卫平，《通向解释学辩证法之途——伽达默尔哲学思想研究》[M]，上海：上海三联书店，2001年。
胡壮麟，姜望琪，《语言学高级教程》[M]，北京：北京大学出版社，2002年。
李剑波，《论法律英语的词汇特征》[J]，中国科技翻译，2003年，(2)：第16页。
陆国强，《现代英语词汇学》[M]，北京：北京大学出版社，2002年。
陆文慧，《法律翻译——从实践出发》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
潘德荣，《文字·诠释·传统——中国诠释传统的现代转化》[M]，上海：上海译文出版社，2003年。
潘庆云，《中国法律语言鉴衡》[M]，上海：汉语大词典出版社，2004年。
束定芳，《现代语义学的特点与发展趋势》[J]，外语与外语教学2000年，(7)：第28-32页。
束定芳，《认知语义学的基本原理、研究目标与方法》[J]，山东外语教学2005年，(5)：第3-11页。
束定芳，《隐喻学研究》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2000年。
宋雷，《英汉法律用语大辞典》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
宋雷，李荣甫，《法律英语教程》[M]，北京：法律出版社，1999年。．
宋雷，《法律英语同义·近义术语辨析和翻译指南》[M]，北京：法律出版社，2004年。
宋雷，《法律词语空缺及翻译对策》[J]，西南民族大学学报，2006年，(173)：第235页。
王铭玉，《语言符号学》[M]，北京：高等教育出版社，2004年。
伍谦光，《语义学导论》[M]' 长沙：湖南教育出版社，2001年。
伍铁平，《普通语言学概要》[M]，北京：高等教育出版社，1993年。
吴伟平，《语言与法律——司法领域的语言学研究》[M]，上海：上海外语教育出版社，2002年。
徐烈炯，《语义学》[M]，北京：语文出版社，1990年。
许余龙，《对比语言学》[M]，北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2000年。
薛波，《元照英美法词典》，北京：法律出版社，2003年。
杨良生，秦大伟，《现代英语词汇学导论》[M]，郑州：河南人民出版社，1991年。
俞东明，《意义和所指的哲学语义与语用研究》[J]，外语与外语教学2000年，(2)：第4-15页。
曾宪义，《中国法制史》[M]，北京：中国人民大学出版社，2001年。
张韵斐，《现代英语词汇学概论》[M]，北京：北京师范大学出版社，1986年。