The-Stylistic-Features-of-legal-documents1.ppt
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1、TheStylisticFeaturesofLegalDocumentsI.Register Whats your impression about Legal Documents?RegisterLegalEnglishisEnglishusedinlawandotherlegaldocuments.Thelawisasetofenforcedrulesunderwhichasocietyisgoverned.Thelawestablishes the rulesthatdefineapersonsrightsandobligations.Italsosets penalties forpe
2、oplewhoviolatetheserules.RegisterFOD1.1 Field of discourse FODreferstothetypeofsocialactivityinwhichlanguageplaysapart.SolegaldocumentsFODisthatthereareregulationsclarifyingtheobligationsandrightsofthepartiesinvolvedinaparticularlegalsubjectfield.Register1.2 The classification of legal documentsThel
3、egaldocumentscanbeclassifiedintomanycategories,suchasdecree(法令),agreement(协议),contract(合同),treaty(契约),judgment(判决),ruling(裁定)andsoon.RegisterLaw public law private lawThe private lawisalsocalledcivillawwhichdeterminesapersonslegalrightsandobligationsinmanykindsofactivitiesthatinvolveotherpeople.The
4、public lawinvolvesthegovernmentdirectly.Itdefinesapersonsrightsandobligationsinrelationtothegovernment.ThetortlawRegisterThe private lawTheinheritancelawThecontractThecommerciallawThefamilylawThepropertylawThecorporationlawRegisterpublic lawTheinternationallawThecriminallawThe administrative lawThec
5、onstitutionallawRegister2.MODLegalEnglishisoftenmostpresentedinthewritten form,anditisprobablythemostarchaicandformalofallthevarietiesofthelanguageanditiscertainlyoneofthemoststylisticallydistinctivevarietiesofEnglish.Itisold fashionedbecauseitdrawsuponatime-honoredandwell-triedtraditionofusagewhich
6、hasevolvedinthehandsoflawyers,andwhichtheyknowfromexperiencedoesthejobtheywantittodotostatefactsandagreementsabouttheminanextremelypreciseway.Soitisobviousofthemodeoflegaldocumentsthatitemployshighlyformalwrittenlanguagetoclarifytherightsandobligationsindetail.Register3.TODAstothetenor,thedraftsofle
7、galtextwhoonbehalfofthewillofthesupremepowerofthestategoverningthebehaviorsofthepartiesconcernedintherelatedlegaleventsandintherangewherethelawareapplicable.RegisterTheenforcementoftheirobligationsThetermsofpunishmentforTheviolationofthelawandtheevasionoftheirobligations.ConcernswiththeGuaranteeofpe
8、oplesrights010203thelegalEnglishhasthefunctionsof:II.Linguistic Description Semantic Features 1.Linguistic DescriptionFormalnessImpersonal:impartial4Precise12Solemn/authoritative31)Characters:Conservative5Linguistic Description1.1.Precision(精确)(精确)Precisionshouldbetheprimaryrequirementofthelegislati
9、vewriting,whichallowsofnoambiguityininterpretingthedocuments.Theimportanceandseriousnessattachedtolegaldocumentsmakeitessentialtoavoidinaccuratewordsoruncleardefinitionsinlegallanguage.TheprecisionoflegalEnglishisrealizedbytheuseofcorrectwords,technicaltermsandsentencepatternsfreefromloopholesandamb
10、iguities.Nolaworadministrativeorlocalrulesandregulationsshall contravenetheconstitution.(一切法律、行政法规和地方法规都不得同宪法相抵触)Linguistic DescriptionE.G.FormalnessisanotherstylisticfeatureoflegalEnglish.Lawsorregulations,formulatedbyStateorganstoregulatepeoplesbehavior,areauthoritative.Inordertoshowtheirauthority
11、,thelanguageusedshouldbeformalandfreefromcolloquialwordsorexpressions.TheemploymentofOldorMiddleEnglishwordsorwordsofLatinorFrenchoriginsandlongandcomplexsentencescontributestotheformalnessoflegalEnglish.Linguistic Description1.2.Formalness(正式)(正式)Unlikethelanguageoftheadvertisementwhichemploysitscr
12、aftsmanshiptoarousethepotentialconsumersstrongdesiretobuyacertainproductorservice,thelanguageofthelawfocusesonassertingadeterrentforce.InordertocreateanatmosphereofSolemnity,thedraftsmanoflawstendstousemanynarrativesentencesandimperativesentences,andavoidsUsingdescriptivemodifierstoIndicatetheobject
13、ivityandthebindingforceofrulesandregulations.Linguistic Description1.3.Impassiveness(冷漠)(冷漠)Linguistic Description1.4.Impersonal writingToachieveimpartiality,whichisoneofthemostimportantfeaturesoflaw,thelanguageusedshouldbeimpersonalandobjective.Wordswithanemotionalimpactaretobeavoidedinlegallanguag
14、eandtheextensiveuseofpassivevoicealsoindicatestheimpassivefeatureoflegalEnglish.Linguistic Description1.5.Conservative(保守,严谨)(保守,严谨)Consequently,thecomposersoflegaldocumentsmusttakethegreatestpainstoensurethatitsaysexactlywhathewantstosayandatthesametimegivesnoopportunityformisinterpretation.Theyhav
15、etopayspecialattentiontotheprecisionofwording,andtheavoidanceofmisunderstandingaswellasambiguity,andforthispurpose,theyoftenciteconventionalformulasandusemodelexamples.Thereluctancetoadoptnewanduntestedmodesofexpressioncontributestothelinguisticconservatismoflegallanguage.Linguistic DescriptionItisw
16、ellknownthatfeaturesatonelevelwillreinforcefeaturesatotherlevels.ItisalsotrueoflegalEnglish.Therareuseofpronouns,theavoidanceofemotiveadjectives,thefrequentuseofcoordinationatthelexicallevel,andtheemploymentofcomplete,major,declarativesentences,thefrequentuseofcomplexnominalgroupsatthesyntacticlevel
17、,allcontributetotheconveyingoftheexactmeaning,theavoidanceofpersonalfeelingsandambiguity.Linguistic DescriptionInordertoachieveexactnessofreferenceandtogetridofanypossiblemisinterpretationormisunderstanding,extremelydetailedexpressionsarepreferredinlegalEnglish.II.Linguistic Description Lexical Feat
18、ures 2.Linguistic DescriptionCommon words in legal senseCommon words in legal senseArchaisms Archaisms Loan wordsLoan words-Vote.Reduplication of synonyms or Reduplication of synonyms or near-synonymsnear-synonymsTechnical termsTechnical terms Official wordsOfficial wordsLinguistic Description2.1 Lo
19、an wordsWordsofdifferentoriginsmayyielddifferentstylisticeffects.BorrowedwordsfromFrench andLatinarebigwordsandliterarywordsandareconsideredmoreelegantandrefined.AtextloadedwithLatinateorFrenchwordsmayseemratherformal,serious or dignified.So,LatinateorFrenchwordsareappropriatetowritingsonmore seriou
20、s topics.Linguistic DescriptionBesides,theseborrowedwordsorphrasesfromFrenchandLatinpossessunivocity(单义性)oflegalsenseandarequitesuitablefortheaccuracyandprecisenessoflegalEnglishtexts,whichistheotherimportantreasonthatpersonnelinlegalfieldprefertothem.(Re:Univocitymeansthatawordalwayshasthesamemeani
21、ng.Aunivocalwordisunambiguousandprecise.)Linguistic Description2.1.1.Words with Latin originLatinfirstpermeatedintoEnglishin597AD,andIntermingledbylargeamountwithEnglishinthefieldoflaw,inthearchaismperiodofthe14thand15thAD(Li,2003:17).Andsincethen,lotsofEnglishwordswithLatinsourcesremaininlegalEngli
22、sh.affirm(断言断言)veto(否决否决)appeal(上诉上诉)immune(免除的免除的)offence(犯罪犯罪)verdict(裁决裁决)injury(伤害伤害)litigant(诉讼人诉讼人)legal(合法的合法的)register(注册注册)custody(拘留拘留)orbiter(仲裁人仲裁人)suppress(镇压镇压)testimony(证词证词)detention(拘留拘留)negotiate(谈判谈判)homicide(杀人杀人)Convict(宣告宣告)declaration(宣言宣言)prosecute(对对起诉起诉)compensate(补偿补偿)appe
23、llate(受理上诉的受理上诉的)Linguistic DescriptionE.G.Linguistic DescriptionTherearealsoLatinwordsretainedinthelegislative texts.HereisalistofLatinwordsbasictolegislativetexts:Jusretentiouis(留置权)perstripes(代位继承)obligationsolitarian(连带债务)confidejussio(共同保证)Linguistic Description2.1.2.Words with France originSin
24、ce1154,BritainhadbeenreinedbyFranceintheHouseofPlantagenetandFrenchbecamethe official language,widely used in palace,courts and schools.LotsofEnglishwordswithFrenchoriginsarereservedinthelegislativetextstoday.bill(法案)petition(请愿)suit(诉讼)summon(传票)plea(抗辩)eyre(巡回法庭)inquest(审讯)defendant(被告)assize(巡回审判
25、)attorney(律师)complaint(控告)advocate(辩护者)plaintiff(原告)judge(审判员,法官)bar(法庭,审判台)hueandcry(通缉令)indictment(告发,控告)Linguistic DescriptionE.G.Linguistic DescriptionCommonwords,formalwordsandinformalwordsareusednotfortheircommonmeaning,butfortheirspecialmeaning.2.2.Common words in legal sensearticle(Law)apart
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