法律名稱英譯若干問題(一)

字號:

人有姓名,如張大,王小,陳新;法律(廣義)自然亦有其名稱,如**法,хх條例,…辦法…。法律名稱之英譯有其特殊性,自然亦有其特殊問題。那么法律名稱之英譯實踐存在著哪些問題呢?
    首先是同一法律名稱,有的譯作如此,有的卻譯作那般,在英語讀者看來,有兩種英譯的同一名稱的同一個法,按英語讀來竟判若兩法,如:
    1、原文:中華人民共和國民法通則
    譯文:甲: General Rules of the Civil Law of the People's Republic of China
    -Shanghai's Foreign Economic Rules and Regulations(1991-1992), Shanghai Far East Publishers 1994, P.15
    乙: General Principles of the Civil Law of the People's Republic of China
    -Laws and Regulations of the People's Republic of China Governing Foreign-Related Matters(1949-1990). Legal System Publishing House Beijing China 1991, P.33
    按:雖僅“rules”與“principles”一字之差, 亦已毫厘千里矣。民法的原則不是“民法”本身!
    2.原文:中華人民共和國中外合資經(jīng)營企業(yè)法
    譯文:甲:Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Joint Ventures
    -同上甲
    乙: Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures
    -同上乙
    3.原文:中華人民共和國中外合作經(jīng)營企業(yè)法
    譯文:甲: Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperative Ventures
    -同上甲
    乙: Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures
    -同上乙, P. 50 下
    4.原文:中華人民共和國外資企業(yè)法
    譯文:甲:Law of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Enterprises
    -同上甲
    乙: Law of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Capital Enterprises
    -同上乙, P. 489
    按:“foreign enterprises”可以是絕對地“foreign”的企業(yè)(包括身為外國法人的企業(yè)),其內(nèi)涵要比今漢語“外資企業(yè)”大!