1 高校硕士研究生专业英语精品教材 高级法学英语 中南财经政法大学研究生部精品教材研究课题（20122014） 2 编写说明 高级法学英语旨在培养学习者借助已有的基础英语为工具学习法学知 识，在法学知识的学习过程中， 习得专业语言。 编写原则既遵循语言学习的内在 规律性，又充分体现法学知识的专业特点，重在提高法学硕士研究生的专业英语 思辨能力。 课文取材不再是一般法学知识的简要陈述，而是以问题研究为导向的深入探 讨。语料源于英美学者2012 年以来发表的论文或出版的著作。 全书共十个单元。 单元课文阅读量为5000 英文单词。每单元由课文、 生词、 注解、练习和法律英语汉译技巧组成。单元课文是由三篇各1500 字左右的文章 组成一个内容完整、 主题突出的统一体， 以有利于学习者贯通知识， 进一步深入 分析探讨。 课文内容包括普通法系与大陆法系的比较、合同与准合同、 商人法与 商法、欧洲统一销售法、国际环境法、公平招聘法律问题、跨国离婚法律问题、 有子女的父母犯罪量刑问题、 英格兰与苏格兰刑事拘留问题、 美国法学教育与改 革等专题。法学英语翻译技巧包括基本翻译技巧-加注、增补、省略、转换、 切分、合并，以及句子翻译技巧-名词从句的翻译、状语从句的翻译、定语从 句的翻译和长句的翻译。 单元练习包括阅读理解问题、 词汇练习、 短文翻译和课 文概要写作。 本教程设计阅读总量为50000 英文单词，生词概率为 2%，适合大学英语四 级水平以上且有相当法学基础的学习者使用。 3 CONTENTS UNIT ONE CONTRACT LAW Section A Understanding of Contract Section B Mistake in Contract Section C Quasi-Contract Section D Translation Skill: Annotation UNIT TWO LITIGATING MARITAL PROPERTY AND SUPPORT RIGHTS FOR INTERNATIONAL DIVORCE Section A Jurisdiction and Procedure in International Divorce Litigation Section B Defining Property and support rights Section C Recognizing and Enforcing Marital Property and Support Orders Section D Translation Skill: Amplification UNIT THREE A FAMILY LAW PERSPECTIVE ON PARENTAL INCARCERATION Section A Family Law and Child Development Section B Approaches to Consideration of Children s Interests Section C Proposal for Consideration of Children s Interests When Sentencing Parents Section D Translation Skill: Omission UNIT FOUR FAIRNESS AND INEQUALIT IN EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION LITIGATION Section A How People Assess Legal Fairness: Toward an Analysis of Situated Justice Section B Employment Civil Rights Section C Toward Understanding Situated Justice Section D Translation Skill: Shift of Perspective UNIT FIVE LAW MERCHANT Section A Foundations of the Law Merchant Section B The Law in Law Merchant Section C Twenty-first-century Law Merchant Section D Translation Skill: Division UNIT SIX COMMOM EUROPEAN SALES LAW Section A The Substantive Scope of the CESL Section B Possible Routes for Members to Reach the Agreement Section C Further Questions from the Proposal within the Framework Section D Translation Skill: Combination UNIT SEVEN A NEW DAWN FOR SCOTTISH CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Section A Arrest, Custody and Police Powers Section B Access to Legal Assistance 4 Section C Requirement for Corroboration Section D Translation Skill: Translation of Noun Clause UNIT EIGHT INTERNATIONAL LAW OF ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND THE ESPOO CONVENTION Section A The Obligation to EIA Section B Content of an EIA Section C Challenging an EIA: Judicial Review Section D Translation Skill: Translation of Adverbial Clause UNIT NINE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE COMMON LAW: THE PUZZLE OF MIXED LEGAL FAMILIES Section A The history of the common law Section B Mixed Jurisdictions and Mixed Legal Families Section C THE Economic Model Section D Translation Skill: Translation of Attributive Clause UNIT TEN AMERICAN LAW SCHOOL EDUCATION Section A History of Legal Education Section B Law School Rankings Section C Law School Education Reform Section D Translation Skill: Translation of Long Clause Appendix Key to the Exercise 5 UNIT ONE CONTRACT LAW Section A Understanding of Contract 1 In the eyes of lawyers the word “contract” is used in common speech, simply to refer to a writing containing terms on which the parties have agreed. “Contract ” is often used in a more technical sense to mean a promise, or a set of promises, that the law will enforce or at least recognize in some way. British law defines contract as an agreement arising from offer and acceptance. One party makes an offer, and another party accepts that offer. When this has happened (provided that other necessary factors, namely, consideration and intention to contract, are present) there is a contract. 2 In arguing the definition of contract some jurisprudents think neither promise nor agreement is completely satisfactory as a basis for the definition. They claim that the definition of the American Restatement ignores the bargainthe exchange of equivalents which is the essence of a contract. No indication is made in the definition that the typical contract is a two-sided affair, something being promised or done on one side in return for something being promised or done on the other side. Thus to say that a contract can simply be “a promise ” is to overlook the fact that there is generally some act or promise given in return for the other promise before that promise becomes a contract. Even to say that a contract may consist of “a set of promises ” gives no indication that some of these promises are usually given in return for some 6 others. But it would be wrong to assume that all contracts are genuine bargains in which something is offered on one side for something else of equivalent value on the other. 3 Every promise is an agreement and every set of promises forming the consideration for each other is also an agreement. Agreement implies two or more persons who agree upon the same thing in the same sense. It