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在英文的法律文本中，法律翻译者经常会碰到情态动词，能否准确翻译，也体现着翻译者的水平高低，尤其是shall在法律文本的翻译中更是频繁，下面就来看一下法律英语中shall的用法。

1

“shall”怎么译

“shall”一般用于法律或半法律文件中，含有“本条款具有法律规定的指令性或强制性之意”。尤其是在经贸法律文本中，“shall”的译法种类繁多，通常被译为“须”、“应”，有时被译成“应当”，也有时译成“要”、“将”、“可”，还有被译成“必须”，举例如下：

1. …the election or recall of chief procurators of people’s procuratorates shallbe reported to the chief procurators of the people’s procuratorates at the next higher level for submission to the standing committees of the people’s congresses at the corresponding level for approval.

选出或罢免人民检察长，须报上级人民检察院检察长提请该级人民代表大会常务委员会批准。（宪法）

2．One who instigates others to commit a crime shallbe punished according to the role he plays in the joint crime. One who instigates a person under the age of eighteen to commit a crime shall be given a heavier punishment.

教唆他人犯罪的，应当按照他在共同犯罪中起的作用处罚。教唆不满十八岁的人犯罪的，应当从重处罚。（刑法）

3．If the Buyers fail to notify and/or forward full details within the period specified above, the Buyers shallbe deemed to have waived their right to assert any claim.

如果买方未能在上述规定的期间内通知和（或）寄出完整的细节，那么买方将被认为放弃提出任何索赔的权利。

4. In the event the Buyers’ such appointment does not arrive in time, the Sellers’ system of inspection shallbe final and binding upon the parties concerned.

万一买方对这种委托未能及时到达，卖方的检查制度将是决定性的并对有关各方有约束力。

5．The Purchaser shall, upon receipt of Corporation’s respective invoices therefor, pay to Corporation all amounts which become due by the Purchaser to the Corporation hereunder, including without limitation an amount equal to the taxes and duties.

收到公司的各种发票后，买方必须立刻付给公司已到期应付的所有款项，包括各种税收费用在内，不得有例外。

综上所述：shall的译法显然多种多样，我们在翻译的时候要注意上下文的语境，根据语境的不同来决定“shall”的意思。

2

什么情况下“shall”可以选择不译

有些情况下“shall”是可以不翻译的，具体情况如下：

一、在具有较长时效的一般性法律条文中（如基本法和宪法），即对对象较为笼统的的广大民众实施的法律，而不是时效性很强、实施范围狭窄的指令、通令和命令中。例如：

1．All Hong Kong residents shallbe equal before the law.

香港居民在法律面前一律平等。

2．The homes and other premises of Hong Kong residents shall be inviolable. Arbitrary or unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a resident’s home or other premises shall be prohibited.

香港居民的住宅和其他房屋不受侵犯。禁止任意或非法搜查、侵入居民的住宅和其他房屋。

二、在法律和普通合约条文中，当shall之后所跟的动词本身就能表达权利、义务或责任以及主句的基本结构为shall + be + predicative （表语）时，通常也是不译的：

1．The board shallhave such jurisdiction and powers as are conferred on it by this or any other Ordinance.

仲裁处具备本条例或任何其他条例授予仲裁处的司法管辖权及权利。

2．If the Buyers fail to provide such letter of credit in the Seller’s favor as prescribed above, the Sellers shall have the option of reselling the contracted goods for the account of the Buyers or delaying any shipment and/or cancelling any orders at any time on the Buyers account and risk.

如果买方未能向卖方提供如上规定的这种信用证，卖方有权选择把合约规定的买上账上的货物转售或随时推迟付运和（或）撤销任何订单，损失和风险由买方承担。

3．The Landlord shall not be in any way responsible to the Tenant for any damage caused to be said premises or the contents thereof arising as a result of the negligence of any other tenant of the said building.

由于该大厦其他任何住户的过失而产生的对该楼宇或其里面的东西的任何损坏，业主对主租户不负任何责任。

4．Provided that should the Purchaser or his nominee have entered in possession of the premises hereby agreed to be sold the Purchaser shall thereupon be deemed to have accepted the title of the Vendor and shall not be entitled to raise any requisition or objection In respect of any of the matters aforesaid.

倘若买主或其指定人已占有凭本合约出售的楼宇，买主将被认为已接受卖主的所有权，并无权在上述任何问题方面提出任何要求或反对。

仔细对照以上中英文本，我们不难归纳出：在法律及合约条文中，have the right/power/jurisdiction/obligation of, have the option of, be responsible for (bear/take responsibility/cost for), be obliged to, be liable to, be entitled to, be at liberty to, be able to, be + predicative adjective等动词短语片语是经常用来表示权利、责任和义务的，如果这些短语前面带有shall，则一般不能把它译成“须”、“应当”、“应”等。

3

“shall”的否定句应该如何翻译？

“Shall”在两种情况下可以不译外，主要可以被译成“须”、“应”和“应当”等。但shall与not或其他否定形式（如用否定词No/neigher开头的句子）连用时，一般不能顺其自然，译成“不须”、“不应”或“不要”、“不可”、“不应当”，因为这几个词的意思在汉语里主要表示“建议”或“忠告”；在语用上，口语色彩较重，表示“禁止”的语气不够强烈；大量既定的权威性文献表明：shall not及类似否定式短句的最通常、最恰当的译法是“不得”，因为“不得”在汉语里与“禁止”一词同义，与法律英语中含shall的否定句所要表达的意思相同。例如：

1．The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents shall not be restricted unless as prescribed by law. Such restrictions shall not contravene the provisions of the preceding paragraph of this Article.

香港居民享有的权利和自由，除依法规定外不得限制，此种限制不得与本条第一款规定抵触。

2. No will shall be revoked by any presumption of an intention on the ground of an alteration in circumstances.

凡以情况有变为理由，而对立遗嘱作出推定者，该遗嘱不得因该项推定而撤销。

3．Neither Party hereto shall assign this Agreement or any of its rights and interest hereunder without the other Party’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

本协议的任何一方未经另一方事先书面同意（该另一方不得无理拒绝同意），不得转让本协议或其在本协议项下的任何权利和权益。

这里归纳出的是shall + not在法律文件英译汉中最常用的一种译法，并不意味着这就是一个绝对翻译规律。尽管法律篇章的翻译比较特殊，但任何翻译经验的总结都不能生搬硬套。任何一个词的正确翻译都得根据上下文及在特定情形下的语言表达习惯来确定。

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A bit in the morning is better than nothing all day.

略有胜于全无

《每周一谚》

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编辑：孙敏