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營企業法
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營企業法
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(包括身為外國法人的企業),其內涵要比今漢語 “ 外資企業 ” 大!
5 .原文:中華人民共和國海關對進出上海外高橋保稅區貨物、運輸工具和個人攜帶物品的管理辦法。
譯文:甲: Procedures of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China for the Control over the Goods, Means of Transport and Personal Articles Entering or Leaving the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone
- 同上甲 (1994 版 )
乙 : Measures of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China Concerning the Administration of the Goods, Means of Transport and Articles Carried by Individuals to be Brought into or out of the Bonded Area of Outer Gaoqiao in Shanghai
- 同上乙 (1991 版 )
按:由出版年份看,甲譯作于乙譯作后三年,在其下劃線印刷部分,分明是在同乙譯中也用斜體印刷的相應部分唱對臺戲,似乎是在搞兩家爭鳴,在愚弄不通漢語只懂英語的讀者。何苦呢?
6 .原文:中華人民共和國歸僑、僑眷權益保護法
譯文:甲: Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives
-Shanghai’s Foreign Economic Rules and Regulations (1991-1992),Shanghai Far East Publishers 1994,p.47
乙: Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Family Members of Overseas Chinese
-Laws and Regulations of the People’s Republic of China Governing Foreign-Related Matters, China Legal System Publishing House, Beijing 1991,p.1945.
按:細心的讀者一定發現了,以上甲、乙兩譯不僅文字不同 --- 其內涵也有 50% 大相徑庭。按漢語原文,保護對象僑是 “ 歸僑 ” 和 “ 僑(不問歸與不歸)的眷 ” ,譯文甲的內涵卻是以 “ 歸僑 ” 和 “ 歸僑的( Their )親眷( Relatives ) ” 為保護對象的;按譯文乙,則其所內涵的對象是 “ 歸僑 ” 和 “ 海外華僑的家屬 ” 了,從而譯文甲在英語讀者面前大大歪曲了原文!
7. 原文:上海市企業國有資產產權登記實施辦法
譯文: 甲: Procedures of Shanghai Municipality on the Implementation of Enterprises’ Property Right Over State- owned Assets
-Supplement (Chinese-English) New Laws and Regulations Monthly, 1997.1,p.5
乙: Procedures of Shanghai Municipality on the Implementation of Registration of Enterprises’ Property Right Over State-owned Assets
-lbid, p.18
按:稀奇稀奇真稀奇,同樣這項《辦法》,同樣刊載在同一期《新法規月刊》 1997 增刊 1 期中的該辦法名稱英譯,卻在第 5 頁上是一個樣,而在 182 頁上卻另是一個樣了。
其次,是法律(廣義)名稱大小寫原有一定的規矩,奈譯者時而不懂或不守規則,舛誤起矣,如: