商务英语合同翻译

时间:2020-12-12 17:04:32 商务英语 我要投稿

商务英语合同翻译

  篇一:合同保证、不可抗力、其他条款等英文翻译,仅供参考

商务英语合同翻译

  Article 13 Warranties

  The Seller hereby guarantee that unless the contract stipulates otherwise, the product shall fully conform to product specifications within the 12-month quality assurance date from the installation debugging acceptance of the machines (hereafter referred to as ‘quality guarantee period’),but the premise is that the Buyer uses the machines under normal operations in accordance with guidance of the Seller or instructions provided for the Buyer by the Seller and maintains the machines well.

  Article 14 The Seller’s liabilities

  In allusion to claims incurred by the contract, tort, intellectual property rights or other torts of related goods in this contract or otherwise of the contract, the Seller and any affiliated companies or officers, principals, employees, agents, sub-contractors, successors or assignees thereof shall be fully liable for damages or claimed damages borne by agents, officers, principals, representatives or employers of the Buyer. If administration authorities or judicial authorities identify the equipment as infringing goods, the Seller shall be liable for corresponding torts. Besides, the Seller shall pay back the contract price of the infringing goods, and afford the direct and indirect losses which caused by the delay of production and sales due to the stopping of contract machines and by liabilities of breaching the Buyer’s contract with its buyers on this kind of goods.

  Article 15 Force Majeure

  The party affected by incidents shall telex the other party as soon as possible after force majeure incidents and airmail certificate documents issued by related departments within 15 workdays after the incidents to the other party. If force majeure incidents last for more than 30 workdays, both parties shall reach an agreement for further performance of the contract in reasonable time or terminate the performance of the contract through friendly negotiation, and all money or goods already paid or delivered shall be returned. Force majeure only includes earthquakes of higher than magnitude 6, wind of higher than magnitude 9, tsunami and the failure to delivery on schedule caused by specific administrative acts performed by the government according to administrative laws and regulations and other normative documents.

  Article 16 Arbitration

  All disputes in connection with this Contract or the execution thereof shall be settled through friendly negotiations. If no settlement can be reached, the case shall then be submitted to the arbitrary institution in the place where the party proposing arbitration resides in accordance with China laws and legal procedures. The award rendered by arbitrary institution shall be final and binding on both parties. Arbitration expenses comprise expenses paid to arbitrators shall be assumed by the unsuccessful party. The arbitration expenses shall be borne by the losing party, including arbitrators fee.

  Article 17 Transfer

  Without prior written approval and permission, neither Party under this Contract shall not transfer the contract or any relevant interests.

  Article 18 Termination

  Any Party shall have the right to terminate the contract unconditionally by issuing written notices

  to the other Party in case of following conditions:

  a. The other party of the contract is insolvent or bankrupt, compulsive or voluntary;

  b. The other party of the contract transfers all or most part of his assets or stops businesses;

  c. The other party of the contract is subjected to bankruptcy liquidation, organizational structure change or mergers and acquisitions by other companies (except mergers and acquisitions or integration by parent companies, subsidiary companies or affiliated companies).

  Article 19 Notice

  Referred to any notice of this Contract from either Party, the notifier shall send it in written form, while the recipient shall conform the notice in written form and send it to the specific address. Article 20 Non-disclosure Agreement

  The Recipient shall treat all information provided from the Discloser as Confidential Information to keep secret. For the purpose, the Recipient shall execute the confidentiality contract through any forms or contents accepted by the Discloser.

  Article 21 Validity

  21.1 The contract shall come into force upon the signature and stamp by the authorized representatives of both parties. The effective date mentions the final signature date.The date of delivery refers to the date when the advance payment is delivered to the seller account.

  21.2 During the execution of the contract, all documents (including bidding documents, minutes of meetings, supplemental agreements, correspondences, E-mails and faxes) confirmed through signatures of the Buyer and the Seller become effective components of the contract and have the same legal force with the contract.

  篇二:英文合同中不可抗力条款的约定

  英文合同中不可抗力条款的约定

  一、什么是不可抗力条款(Force Majeure Clause)

  合同一经制定,合约双方都希望能够按照合同规定顺利履行合同。但是有时因情势变更,往往会出现一些出乎当事人意料的事情发生,而导致当事人无法履行合同。这种由于当事人所不能控制的事故而导致合同不能履行的,即是不可抗力(Force Majeure),合同中关于这一事项的约定的条款就是不可抗力条款(Force Majeure Clause)[①]。该条款实际上也是一项免责条款。在合同签订后,不是由于当事人的过失或疏忽,而是由于发生了当事人所不能预见的、无法避免和无法预防的意外事故,以致不能履行或不能如期履行合同,遭受意外事故的一方可以免除履行合同的责任或可以延期履行合同,另一方无权要求损害赔偿。 “Force Majeure”一词来自于《法国民法典》第1148条,英文译为:“There is no occasion for damages where, in consequence of force majure or accident the debtor has been prevented from conveying or doing that to which he has obliged or has done what he was debarred from doing.”[②]《牛津法律词典》是这样解释的:“Irresistible

  compulsion or coercion. The phrase is used particularly in commercial contracts to describe events possibly affecting the contract and that are completely outside the parties’ control. Such events are normally listed in full to ensure their

  enforceability; their may be include *acts of God, fires, failure of suppliers or subcontractors to supply the suppliers under the agreement, and strikes and other labour disputes that interfere with the suppliers’ performance of an agreement. An express clause would normally excuse both delay and a total failure to perform the agreement.”[③]

  二、不可抗力条款的基本内容

  一般来说,不可抗力条款中应当包括以下几个方面的内容:

  1. 不可抗力发生的原因(种类);

  2. 不可抗力发生后通知对方的期限、通知的方法以及应当提交的证明文件;

  3. 不可抗力发生的免责事项及善后处理事项。

  (一)不可抗力发生的原因(种类)

  对于不可抗力条款,约定的越详细越好,有些合同,为了省事,往往只是笼统地规定“This contract is subject to force majeure clause”(合同根据不可抗力条款订定),这是相当粗糙的。因为对于什么是“不可抗力”,哪些情况属于不可抗力,不同的人理解是不一样的,有些情况对于处于不同法律地位的当事人来说,并不认为是不可抗力,所以不可抗力发生后,一旦有纠纷就会无所适从。

  并非所有的意外事故都可以视为不可抗力而免除当事人的履行合同的义务,所以对于哪些事故足以构成不可抗力,从而免除当事人履行合同的义务,自然而然地就有必要加以明确的约

  定,以免发生纷歧争执;那么在不可抗力条款中,应当不厌其烦地一项一项的罗列出来。一般而言,下列事项可以构成不可抗力:

  ⑴ strikes(罢工);

  ⑵ lockouts(停工);

  ⑶ Acts of God, such as floods, lightning, cyclone, hurricane, and other storms(天灾如水灾、闪电、飓风及风暴);

  ⑷ threat or existence of war, blockade, embargoes or regulations of any governmental authority(战争或者战争的威胁、封港、禁运、政府管制);

  ⑸ other events beyond the control of the parties(其他非人力所能控制的事件); ⑹ plague, pestilence, disease, epidemics(疫情、瘟疫、传染病);

  ⑺ civil commotions, governmental interference(骚乱、政府干涉);

  ⑻ shortage of raw materials or other supplies(原料短缺);

  ⑼ fires, explosions, destruction or damage to seller’s plant or machinery(卖方工厂或生产设备遭受火灾、爆炸、破坏或者损坏);

  ⑽ shortage of transportation or inability to obtain freight space(无运输工具或者舱位);

  ⑾ other labor troubles or disturbances(其他工人骚扰);

  其中有些事项是要有约定,才可以做为不可抗力,比如⑻--⑾,还有机器停顿故障、财政来源不足、成本上高涨、第三者的不履行导致的;另外如果是国有企业做为合同的一方,还应当注意一些事项,比如政府干预、无法获得出口证、进口证书或者其他涉及到政府的事项,因为中国是公有制国家,外方一般不将国有企业无法获得相当政府文件作为不可抗力。

  (二)不可抗力的通知

  “Force Majeure”条文要规定由于发生不可抗力而无法履行合同义务的一方在特定的期限内向对方通知。因为不可抗力事件一旦发生,导致一方当事人无法履行合同时,应当尽快通知对方当事人,如果不及时通知对方,置之不理,导致对方遭受更大损失时,仍然不能完全免除其责任。如这样约定:

  In the event of any such causes arising, the party affected shall give prompt notice to the other party of the cause

  因为不可抗力事件的发生,而导致合同不能按约履行时,当事人应当迅速通知对方当事人外,必要时还得向对方提供证明文件。这些证明文件通常有以下几种:

  (1)当地商会或者工会出具的证明;

  (2)对方国家驻当事人所在地领事馆出具的证明;

  (3)关于该不可抗力事件新闻报道;

  (4)其他有证明力的证明。

  如这样约定:

  In the event of any such cause arising, documents proving their occurrence or existence shall be submitted by the party to the other party without delay.

  (三)不可抗力发生后的处理

  因为不可抗力发生后,导致合同不能顺利履行时,是否就即免除当事人的违约责任呢?或者是推迟合同的履行期限呢?能否替代履行呢?这些都与当事人双方的利益密切相关,所以在签订合同时,应当充分考虑,比如在国际货物买卖中可以做如下的约定:

  The contract is automatically cancelled as to any unshipped portion in the event that force majeure clause becomes operative.

  这样规定,如果发生了不可抗力事件,对于未装船的货卖方不能也没有责任再去装船,同时买方也无权要求卖方承担损害赔偿。在这种条款下,如果卖方还没有生产、备货,解除合同,对他就不会有什么影响,但是如果货物已经准备好了,只是因一时的不可抗力,就解除合同,就难免要遭受损失。所以有些买卖合同中的不可抗力条款进一步规定:“如果因为意外事件影响,不能按期装运时,买方同意将装运期限顺延一百天;期满后,如还是不能装运时,买方有权解除合同。”当然顺延的期限不能漫无限制,否则买方将会处于被动之情境。

  一般情况下,为了顾及公平合理,一方面赋予一方当事人合理的延长期限,以便其有履行合同的机会,延长期满后,另外一方当事人可以解除合同,以免处于久悬未决的状态。对此,《华沙—牛津规则》有这样的规定:

  The seller shall not be responsible for delay or failure to ship the goods contracted to be sold or any part thereof or to deliver such goods, or any part thereof into the custody of the carrier, as the case may be, arising from force majeure, or from any extraordinary causes, accidents or hindrances of what kind soever or wheresoever or the consequences thereof which it was impossible in the circumstances for the seller to have foreseen or averted. In the event of any of the said causes, accidents or hindrances preventing, hindering or impeding the production, the manufacture, the delivery to the seller, or the shipment of the goods contracted to be sold or any part thereof or the chartering of any vessel or part of vessel, notice thereof shall be given to the buyer by the seller, and on such notice being given the time

  for shipment or delivery into the custody of the carrier, as the case may be, shall be extended until the operation of the cause, accident or hindrance preventing, hindering or impeding the production, the manufacture, the delivery to the seller or the shipment of the said goods or any part thereof or the chartering of any vessel or part of vessel has ceased. But if any of these causes, accidents or hindrances continues for more than fourteen days from the time or from the expiration of the period if any, specified in the contract of sale for the shipment of the goods or their delivery into the custody of the carrier, as the case may be, or if no such time or period has been specified in the contract then from the expiration of the reasonable time contemplated in Rule 3, the whole contract of sale or such part thereof as shall remain to be fulfilled by the seller may, at the option of either party, be determined, such option shall be exercised and notice to that effect shall be given by either party to the other party at any time during the seven days next succeeding the period of fourteen days hereinbefore mentioned but not thereafter. And on such notice being given neither party shall have any claim against the other party in respect of such determination.

  (由于不可抗力、任何特殊原因、事故,或者由于不论何种或何处发生的阻碍,或由此而产生的结果,为当时卖方所不能预见或避免,以致卖方延迟或未能装运全部或部分订售货物或者延迟或未能将全部或部分订售货物,交给承运人保管,卖方对此将不负责任。

  如果上述原因、事故或障碍,阻止、妨碍或耽误了全部或部分订售货物的生产、制造、交给卖方或装船,或者全部或部分船只的租赁,卖方应将有关情况通知买方,此项通知一经发出,装船时间或交给承运人保管的时间应展延到上述原因、事故或障碍解除时为止。但是上述那些原因、事故或障碍,如延续超过买卖合同规定的装船或交给承运人保管的日期或截止期限十四天(如果合同没有规定此项装船或交给承运人保管的日期或截止期限,则按第三条规定预计合理的期限截止时计算),全部或部分合同是否仍由卖方履行,可由买卖当事人的任何一方选择决定,对此,任何一方都可在上述十四天后的七天内进行抉择并通知对方。此项通知发出后,任何一方将无权由于此项抉择而对另一方提出索赔要求。)

  三、不可抗力条款的实例

  1. THE ICC MODEL INTERNATIONAL SALE CONTRACT (Manufactured Goods Intended for Resale)(国际商会《国际货物销售合同范本》(仅用于旨在转售的制成品)) 第13款:

  Art.13 Force majeure

  13.1 A party is not liable for a failure to perform any of his obligations in SO far as he proves.

  (a)that the failure was due to an impediment beyond his control.and

  (b)that he could not reasonable be expected to have taken the impediment and its effects upon his ability to perform into account at the time of the conclusion of the contract,and

  (c) that he could not reasonably have avoided or overcome it or its effects.13.2 A party seeking relief shall.as soon as practicable after the impediment and its effects upon his ability to perform become known to him,give notice to the other party of such impediment and its effects on his ability to perform.Notice shall also be given when the ground of relief ceases.

  Failure to give either notice makes the party thus fmling liable in damages for loss which otherwise could have been avoided.

  13.3 Without prejudice to article 10.2.a ground of relief under this clause relieves the party failing to perform from liability in damages,from penalties and other contractual sanctions,form the duty to pay interest on money owing as long aS and to the extent that the ground subsists.

  13.4 If the grounds of relief subsist for more than six months.either party shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice.

  (第13条 不可抗力

  13.1一方当事人对其未履行义务可不负责任,如果他能证明:

  (a)不能履行义务是由非他所能控制的障碍所致,及

  (b)在订立合同时,不能合理预见到他已把这一障碍及其对他履约的能力产生影响考虑在内,以及

  (C)他不能合理地避免或克服该障碍或其影响。

  13.2请求免责的一方当事人,在他知道了此项障碍及其对他履约能力的影响之后,应以实际可能的速度尽快通知另一方当事人此项障碍及其对他履约能力的影响。当免责的原因消除时也应发出通知。

  如果未能发出任一通知,则该当事人应承担其原可避免的损失赔偿责任。

  13.3在不影响第10.2条效力的前提下,本款下的免责理由,只要且仅在此限度内该免责事由继续存在,可使未履约方得以免除损害赔偿之责任,免除处罚及其他约定的罚金,免除所欠款项利息支付之责任。

  13.4若免责的`原因持续存在6个月以上,任何一方均有权不经过通知对方即可终止合同。)

  篇三:中英商务合同翻译中的障碍分析及策略,作者:施侨

  中英商务合同翻译中的障碍分析及应对策

  略

  【摘要】随着中外经贸合作关系日益加强,商务活动也趋于白热化,而商务合同作为开展商务活动的依据与准则,其文本扮演着尤为重要的角色,这就对商务合同翻译提出了极高的要求。本文从中英文商务合同的基本特征出发,从语言、文化、商务背景等三个方面分析了中英商务合同翻译中可能存在的障碍,并探讨了相应的处理方法。

  【关键词】商务合同,基本特征, 翻译障碍,应对策略

  0 引言

  商务合同的根本目的在于从法律意义上建立合同语言的权威,从而保障合同参与方的权利与利益,商务合同翻译因而具有非同寻常的意义,其质量评价标准也是极其严格,要求……(补充商务合同翻译的质量标准)。本文从英汉商务合同基本特征的异同出发,尝试分析英汉商务合同翻译中可能存在的障碍,并提出相应的对策。

  1 中英商务合同基本特征比较

  1.1 中英商务合同的共同特征

  (补充一两句话过渡。)

  1.1.1 法律效力

  合同是平等主题自然人、法人和其他组织所实施的一种民事法律行为,以设立、变更或终止民事权利义务关系为目的和宗旨。因而,无论语言背景如何不同,合同均具有法律效力,中英文商务合同亦不例外。

  1.1.2 文体风格

  从文体风格来看,中英商务合同的语言均具有正式、严密、规范等特征,体现在措词上,两者均选用最经济、最有效的文字。此外,两类合同均倾向于选用“大词”,即不带有个人感情色彩的正式词语。如“乙方因施工质量的原因导致业主退房、补偿等全部责任、费用及甲方的损失均由乙方承担。”这里表示原因的词用“因”而不用“因为”,则是因为“因为”一词稍显口语化;又如:The sellers shall not be held responsible for the delay in shipment or non-delivery of the goods due to Force Majeure, which might occur during the process of manufacturing or in the course of adding or transit.这里“因为”一词用due to,而不用owing to或because of,是因为because of口语化较重,而owing to则含感情色彩。

  1.1.3 术语运用

  (补充一两句话简要介绍为何使用术语)中英文商务合同均常使用专业术语。如不可抗力(force majeure)、装箱单(packing list)、保险范围(insurance coverage)、保单(insurance policy)、通货膨胀(inflation)、偷税人(tax dodger)、复利(compound interest)等。合同还常使用法律术语,如违约(breach)、重大过失(gross negligence)、故意行为(willful conduct)等。

  1.1.4 情态动词运用

  为彰显商务合同的效力,合同文本中常出现情态动词。如应当(shall),可(could)等。(补充说明为何使用情态动词。)

  1.1.5模糊词运用

  (补充说明什么是模糊词以及合同中为何使用模糊词)中英商务合同中都使用模糊词从侧面体现了商务合同的适应性,如汉语里的“材料优质”、“环境恶劣”等英语里的within reasonable a time(在合理的时间内),serious dereliction(严重失职)等词。

  1.2 中英商务合同的不同特征

  (补充一两句话过渡。)

  1.2.1 同义词连用

  英语商务合同里常用同义词连用,而汉语商务合同则是同词性词的并列使

  用。(补充原因)如英语中的by and between、null and void、made and enter into等,汉语中的“乙方因施工质量的原因导致业主退房、补偿等全部责任,费用及甲方的损失均由乙方承担”,“ 甲方歇业、停业、濒临破产处于法定整顿期间或者生产经营状况发生严重困难的”。(补充简要分析。)

  1.2.2 古文风格

  英语商务合同中运用古文如force majeure(不可抗力)、insurance premium per capita(人均保险费)、ad valorem duty(从价关税)等,而汉语合同中则没有。(补充原因,简要分析。)

  1.2.3缩略语运用

  英语合同里使用缩略语如CIF(cost, insurance &freight), FOB(free on board),M/T(metric ton),L/C(letter of credit),B/L(bill of lading)等,汉语合同里则不常见。(补充原因,简要分析。)

  1.2.4复杂句型

  在英语合同里,常使用复杂的长句,如Distributor shall exert his best efforts with diligence in advertising and promoting throughout Territory in an effective manner on his own account and Supplier shall provide Distributor free of charge with a reasonable quantity of advertising or sales promotion material such as advertising literature, catalogues, leaflets and other material, which Supplier deems useful to Distributor in his activities under this Agreement.长句里一般都含有各种语法成分,限定成分、分词、分句、名词化等语法现象较多,逻辑严密。而汉语合同语言则短句使用较多,清晰明了,比如“双方在签订本合同前,应认真阅读本合同书。本合同一经签订,即具有法律效力,双方必须严格履行”。(补充原因,简要分析。)

  1.2.5被动语态运用

  英语商务合同语言常使用被动语态,而汉语合同则常使用主动语态,如The L/C has been opened in your favor. 信用证已开到你放名下。(补充原因,简要分析。)

  2 中英商务合同翻译中的障碍分析

  2.1 商务背景下的障碍分析

  商务合同规定属于法律行为,合同属于法律文本,法律语言并不具有独立的语法体系,而是采用程式化的语篇结构,即有一套特定的法律语言体系。商务合同涉及的内容并不仅仅是英汉文字翻译,还涉及到金融、国贸、会计、保险、税收、运输、包装等等专业知识,以及相关的专业术语与固定搭配。缺乏对专业术语的理解会造成辞不达意,因而是合同翻译的障碍之一。

  就法律术语而言,方流芳的“饮水思源”的观点认为(标注引用),外来语是中国法学的主要常用术语,他从法律语言的发展历史及演变规律论证了这一观点。在商务合同涉及的其他领域的专业术语,或多或少也有外来语的因素,外来语对语言的影响也直接增加了翻译的困难度。

  除了已有的外来语,随着社会的发展和新新事物的不断涌现,合同中也出现了一些原本没有的新词,也会增加翻译的负担。比如网购里常用的词语“秒杀”翻译成英语是“seckill”,是“second”和“kill”的组合;“刷信誉”译为“refresh credit”;“包邮”译为“free delivery”或者“post for free”,等等。

  2.2 文化背景下的障碍分析

  文化差异在商务合同翻译中的影响主要表现在商品名的翻译。一个好的商品再加上好的品牌名,那么它的销售前景无疑一片光明。历史上品牌名翻译经典之一coca cola(可口可乐),其直接影响是商品存活了一百多年延续至今,盛行全世界。再比如汽车品牌“东风”翻译成“zephyr”,东风在我国火烧赤壁典故中是成功的关键,而zephyr在希腊神话里则是春天唤醒大自然的西风,带有希望之意。这就使其能够被广为接受,东风汽车也成功地在国际市场立足。相反,如果商品名的翻译让外国人感觉不到其内涵所在,那么即便商品质量再好,在国际市场上也不会有所发展。像中国的运动品牌李宁,翻译成英文是NINING,在国外无法发展,原因就在于它与lying(撒谎)音似。一个品牌名如果没有威信,就没有消费者愿意购买。在翻译商品名时,我们的一大障碍就在于是否考虑到译文在目的语所具有的文化内涵。

  另外,在商务合同翻译过程中,文化差异也对翻译目的语的语言表达有影响。在汉语里,合同语言通常是简练的,以短句为主,如“乙方解除本合同,应当提前三十日以书面形式通知甲方。但属下列情形之一的,乙方可以随时解除本合同”。如果直译为英文,就会造成短句偏多或者重复啰嗦,表达出来的英语就不够地道,因为英文合同语言表达习惯是使用长句以避免重复。同理,英译汉的时候也要考虑将英语长句译为有效的中式短句。

  2.3 语言背景下的障碍分析

  语言方面的障碍主要从三个方面来分析:语言习得、语言表达能力和双语水平。

  我们已经有了语言学习天赋,也学习了英语的基本语法,在学习商务合同翻译的时候相比较母语习得,第二语言受社会交往因素的影响就不是很深刻了。如果社交因素匮乏,得不到强有力的补充,而母语的语言习惯和思维方式又强于第二语言,那么在商务合同翻译的时候母语的思维模式在一定程度上必定制约着二语习得,从而造成商务合同翻译障碍。

  语言表达能力欠佳是合同翻译的另外一个障碍。胡德良、孙红艳的研究表明,(插入标注)虽然写作与翻译的过程和目的不同,但是两者均以阅读为基础,是语言组织能力、表达能力、行文能力的体现,是人在通过大脑思维加工的产品。写作与翻译相辅相成,善于写作的人表达能力相对严密,有利于译文的流畅性。写作能力欠佳也是英汉商务合同翻译中的障碍。

  张薇的合作型对话中学习者语言水平与二语学习相关性研究表明,英语水平不同的英语学习者在二语写作时运用母语思考的程度不同,这是因为它们大脑里的语言片段的多少不一。如果说英语水平越高,那么在翻译的过程中,汉译英的时候,头脑里的语言片段越多,汉语思维对英语行文的束缚就越弱,英译汉的时候遇到生词或复杂的句子而无法翻译的几率就越小,翻译就越顺畅。所以在某种程度上讲,双语水平不高也是翻译中的障碍。

  3 中英商务合同翻译障碍的应对策略

  3.1 小标题

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