不可抗力条款翻译分析两例

例1. If a Party (the "Affected Party") is prevented, hindered or delayed from or in performing any of its obligations under this Agreement by a Force Majeure Event:

译文1：若不可抗力事件令一方无法履行，或迟延履行，或者阻碍一方履行本协议项下任何义务（该方称“受影响方”）：

译文2：如果一方（“受影响方”）因不可抗力而被妨碍、阻碍或迟延履行其在本协议项下的任何义务：

分析：

1) Force Majeure Event在译文2中被略为“不可抗力“是不妥当的。Force Majeure才是“不可抗力”，Force Majeure Event是“不可抗力事件“，前者泛指，后者更为具体。

2) “某某被妨碍/阻碍/迟延做某事”不符合汉语表达习惯。

3) “无法履行其在本协议项下的义务”显得罗嗦，“无法履行本协议项下的义务”就足够并且不会导致任何歧义——任何译文2希望通过强调“其”来避免的歧义——难道一方还会因己方无法履行对方的义务而以不可抗力事件为由提出抗辩？

4) prevent在这里被翻译成“妨碍“是误译。

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed)("Webster") p.984:

prevent: 3 to keep from happening or existing; 4 to hold back: HINDER; STOP。

《现代汉语词典》（1983）：

妨碍（P309）：使事情不能顺利进行；阻碍。

阻碍（1545）：使不能顺利通过或发展。

从英语理解的角度看，prevent具有“阻止”和“妨碍”两方面的含义，在表示“妨碍”的含义时，其意义与hinder一致。本条中hinder与prevent并列，那么prevent就应取"to keep from happening or existing"之意，否则就是be prevented and hindered就是tautology。从汉语的角度检查译文2的选词也可以发现“妨碍”和“阻碍”也是同义词，同时并列使用是同义反复。因此，本条中应当根据"to keep from happening or existing"的理解，将prevent翻译为“阻止”。

5) 译文1的句子结构略显拖沓。

结论：重新选词并重调句子结构，将原文翻译为：“若不可抗力事件阻止、妨碍或延迟一方（“受影响方”）履行本协议项下的任何义务：”

例2. In clause 8, "Force Majeure Event" means an event beyond the reasonable control of the Affected Party, including, without limitation, strike, lock-out, labour dispute, act of God, war, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, compliance with a law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, breakdown of plant or machinery, fire, flood or storm.

译文1：本第8条所称“不可抗力事件”是指超出受影响方合理控制的事件，包括但不限于：罢工、闭厂、劳动纠纷、天灾、战争、暴乱、民众骚乱、恶意损害、遵守法律或政府命令、规则、规章或指令、事故、工厂或机械瘫痪、火灾、洪水或暴风雨（雪）。

译文2：本第8条中，“不可抗力”指受影响方合理控制之外的事件，包括但不限于罢工、停业、劳资纠纷、自然灾害、战争、暴乱、平民骚乱、蓄意破坏、遵守法律或政府命令、规则、规定或指示、事故、工厂或机器故障、火灾、水灾或风暴。

分析：两个版本的译文中有多处不同， 但此处仅讨论上述加粗的本人认为值得商榷的几处，其余个别差异更多的是不同译者的个人风格差异而已，在只要协同工作中做好协调就可以。

1) lock-out。《元照英美法词典》（2003.5, p864）提供的中文是：闭厂；停工；停业。尽管看起来三者都可以用来翻译lock-out，但我个人对此持保留意见，至少我认为在一定的上下文条件下，对这三个词的选择还是有“优先级”的考虑的。

首先，法律检索得知，我国（港澳台地区除外）现行法律法规中没有采用三个词中的任何一个。其次，网络检索发现，lock-out的中文翻译取“闭厂”的多为权威、正式网站。吾道不孤！比如，大英简明百科知识库对lock-out的解释就说得明白：

閉廠 (1880～1899) lockout (1880～1899)

在勞資糾紛中，雇主把員工關在工作場所以外，或者拒絕雇用員工的策略。1780年代和1790年代.......

另外，湖南省政府门户网站刊登的《美国劳工管理关系法》的中文译本也提到：

（ｃ）如果在一定时期内，局长不能通过调解使有关各方达成协议，他必须促使他们自愿寻找别的办法来解决争议而不采取罢工、闭厂或其它施加压力的办法，……

北京市劳动法学和社会保障法学研究会网站刊登的文章《试述法国对罢工的法律调整及关于我国罢工立法的思考》，其中提到：

不属于合法罢工的行为

……

3 ）占领劳动场所的行为。……二是作为员工对雇主的闭厂或清算的一种反应方式……。

中国劳动和社会保障出版社，《国际劳动统计年鉴（2003）》第七卷的标题就是：“罢工和闭厂(Strikes and lockouts)”；第九章的标题是“罢工和闭厂停工”。这里不仅明确地使用了“闭厂”，更进一步地说明了“闭厂”和“停工”的关系——因闭厂而停工（当然，停工的原因不限于闭厂）。

尽管我国大陆地区现行法律法规中没有使用“闭厂”，我国香港地区的《劳资关系条例》（颁布于1987年，属港英时期法律，目前有效性不知，但从法律翻译角度而言仍有很强的借鉴意义）却有此用法：

（III）着手进行、继续、授权、组织或资助闭厂，或威胁采取此等行动；

相关权威例证还有很多。另外，“停工”和“停业”都是汉语中既有的词汇，他们的词义本就不包括舶来法律概念lock-out，他们只是lock-out可导致的后果之一，从这个逻辑关系上讲，“闭厂”和“双停”非但不可混用，还应当予以区分！综上所述，我认为在不可抗力的条款中，对lock-out的中文翻译当取“闭厂”而决非“双停”。

2) breakdown of plant or machinery。译文2的“工厂或机器故障”显然是错的。首先，Webster, p152:

breakdown: (1) failure to function; (2) failure to progress or have effect

《现汉》p401：

（机械、仪器等）发生的不能顺利运转的情况

可见breakdown描述的是“无法工作/运转”的状态，而“故障”仅仅是不能顺利运转，两者对实际工作的影响程度上的差别显而易见。另外，“工厂故障”也不是汉语的习惯搭配。

3) storm。Webster, p1230:

storm: 1a a heavy fall of rain, snow or hail.

可见，storm“暴”的不仅仅是风，还包括雪和冰雹。如何取舍？根据约定不可抗力条款的目的，不难理解三者都应包括在内。因此，一个英语单词storm在这里应该被翻译为：暴风雨（雪）或雹灾。

看他们如何“出炉“？

今年的奥斯卡奖北京时间今天上午刚刚揭晓，最佳男女主角奖项各归其主。新华网的图片新闻标题是"奥斯卡最佳男、女主角出炉"（点击看图）。"出炉"原指食品从炉膛内取出，可以食用。主要是指时间上的"刚刚"成就，表示新鲜。这个引申意义也被用于其他各类行业。

网络上用"出炉"作关键词搜索，发现词条上千万（点击看图），如"成龙史诗巨作《神话》最新预告片出炉"、"免费办公套装OpenOffice新版火热出炉"、"即时翻译, 个性化管理– Google 工具栏版本4 新鲜出炉 "、"新申花主力阵容基本出炉"等等。这个词的修饰对象可谓五花八门，无所不包。无论是软件、电影、还是足球队阵容等等一概都用"出炉"表示"最新"。这也难怪，媒体为了抢新闻，挣眼球，当然要强调自己的新闻是"最新"、"最热"的，所以"出炉"这个词就成了媒体从业人员的"最爱"。

但是，我认为，一个词的引申用法也是有一定限制的，不能不分青红皂白笼统地使用。如果说，用"出炉"来形容期待已久的电影、软件之类还可以接受的话，用"出炉"来形容活生生的人未免就不太妥当了。毕竟，一个词语的引申意义是建立在它的基本意义之上的。所谓"引申"也就是指"（字、词）由原义产生新义"（《现代汉语词典》1992年版）。活色声香的男女主角如何才能出得了红彤彤的炉膛？如此滥用比喻实在令人哭笑不得。

Adieu, "with regard/respect to" !

Fed up with the abused "with regard/respect to" in legal contexts, I have been trying to find some substitutions for this long and cumbersome word.

I found one, an interesting word, i.e. apropos.

It might be used as an adverb, an adjective or a preposition, with illustrations as follows:

Adv. Your letter came apropos as usual. [timely]
Adj. It is an apropos time to have this matter discussed. [proper]
Your remark is not apropos to our discussion. [relevant]
Apple is not apropos for this season. [seasonable]
Prep. Apropos of the preceding statement, ...[about, with regard to]

Please note that when used as an adjective, it is followed by to or for and as an preposition by "of".

Last but not the leaset, the word is pronounced in two different ways, with the stress on the very first syllable as preferred by British speakers or on the very last like how the French say it. However, in whichever case, the ending "s" is silent. That's the rule of pronunciation for all French words and most of the English words with French ancestors.

This marks a beginning that the disgusting long phrase "with regard/respect to" is fading out of the legal documents that I will deal with.

Adieu, "with regard/respect to." It's the apropos time!

Health goes first

Stressed-out lawyer, 27, dies in late-night fall at Tate Modern

David Brown, James Rossiter, Patrick Foster

As a lawyer at one of the "magic circle" of leading corporate legal firms, Matthew Courtney was expected to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

He hoped that his efforts would eventually be rewarded with a partnership – and a £1 million salary.

But weeks after Mr Courtney, 27, and other associate lawyers at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer spoke to senior partners about their long hours and stress, he was found dead at Tate Modern, The Times has learnt.

He had gone alone to the art gallery after work on Friday and died instantly after plunging from a stairwell leading to the seventh-floor restaurant at 11.30pm.

The death of the Oxford-educated lawyer, the only child of the World Cup football referee George Courtney, has highlighted concerns about the stress suffered by City workers as bonuses reach record highs.

His father told The Times: "We talked to Matthew 24 hours before his death and he said he was working long hours but there was nothing there to suspect anything untoward.

"We have spoken to Matthew's line manager today, and there might have been an issue with his workload. They had recently taken some of that workload off him. Freshfields were very happy with the quality of his work."

Mr Courtney, of Pimlico, Central London, had been one of only 100 trainee lawyers selected each year to join Freshfields. He qualified last August and was appointed an associate specialising in intellectual property rights at its Fleet Street offices.

As a £ 55,000-a-year junior, he would frequently have been called on to work 16-hour days, seven days a week, for weeks on end to keep up with the firm's relentless flow of multi-billion-pound deals. Junior staff at Freshfields, which employs 2,400 lawyers worldwide, tend to put in this level of work - for up to eight years before they are eligible for partnership and some of the best financial rewards in the City.

A spokeswoman for Freshfields said: "The firm held a minute's silence at 11am on Monday in memory of a friend and a colleague. We are deeply sad and affected."

Mr Courtney studied law on an open scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford, and spent a year at law school in London. He previously attended Durham School, which costs £ 4,000 a term. He spoke French, German and Spanish, was a talented violinist and saxophonist and had appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe while at Oxford. He had also been a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

His father, who refereed at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, and mother, Margaret, were visited at their home in Spennymoor, Co Durham, by his manager and colleagues. Mr Courtney's father, who is 65, said: "Matthew set very high goals for himself and achieved great goals. He was a credit to himself and his family."

After qualifying last autumn, the father and son spent a month travelling around California. They also went to The Gambia before Christmas.

Mr Courtney's father said: "He had a good crowd of people around him at Freshfields and enjoyed his time there. He was like all of the associates there – he worked fairly long hours but there was a very good social side.

"The only sad thing is he had so much more to give to his employer, his friends and everybody whose lives he touched. I think he might have gone on to things other than the law. He always wanted to write."

Rodney Thomas, director of marketing at Durham School, who taught Mr Courtney German, said: "Matthew was the epitome of a gifted and talented pupil." Police studied security camera footage from Tate Modern but told Mr Courtney's family that it is inconclusive. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said that the death was being treated as "unexplained but not suspicious".
 

Market leader

— Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is Europe's top corporate law firm and last year worked on 260 deals worth €378.3 billion (£ 254 billion).

— It employs more than 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world.

— Its 450 partners each earned on average £ 830,000 last year. Over the next two years this is expected to rise to more than £ 1 million.

— Freshfields' clients include Tesco and Cinven, a private equity firm weighing up a possible £ 10 billion bid for Sainsbury's.

Source: Mergermarket

“遵守**组织有关&&的规定”

现有两种说法
1) comply with the bylaws of ** with respect to &&. 

2) comply with the provisions of ** with respect to &&. 

前者是把"规定"具像了，稍微罗嗦点，也可以改成: comply with the provisions of the bylaws of ** with respect to &&. 

问题在于 the provisions of the bylaws说得很清楚，是指bylaw的具体条文规定。然而，the provisions of **组织也可以表达同样的含义嘛？ 

我个人认为,provisions of 在表示"**规定"的时候，of后面得跟具体的内容，诸如 chapter, section, article, paragraph,乃至** law/regulation 之类，而不能直接跟组织，表示"**组织
 的规定"――这是受汉语"**单位/组织的**规定"的影响。

 您的看法呢？