1.
……the common law has in itself a number of historical sources which were, prior to Conquest, embodied in local custom. The unique contribution of the Norman Conquest, was to unify these local customs into one system of law common to all men, for this reason termed the "common law".
——Walker & Walker, The English Legal system, London l976, The English Legal system, London l976, p.3
2.
The common law is so called because it was commonly applied throughout the kingdom of England.
——You and the Law, Reader's Digest Association, Inc.,
由此可見，英國的“common law”是以其區(qū)別于前英國各地各種各樣不統(tǒng)一的習(xí)慣而使之統(tǒng)一為在全國各地共同適用為其特征的，故漢語譯之為“普通法”顯然不如“共同法”之切合原意——哪怕譯成“普遍法”也許也要比“普通法”略勝一籌吧。
以“普通法”譯“common law”的另一個(gè)嚴(yán)重缺點(diǎn)，則在于其易滋歧義——“普通法”可以被誤解為另一法學(xué)概念“特別法”的對立概念。 由此得出的體會(huì)是：
甲。 法律翻譯工作要求譯者不但是精通語言的，而且也是精通比較法學(xué)的；
乙。 約定俗成只是翻譯諸規(guī)律之一而千萬不能捧之為翻譯的原則，更不能容忍它成為在翻譯中實(shí)事求是、尊重科學(xué)、服從真理、從善如流的絆腳石。
……the common law has in itself a number of historical sources which were, prior to Conquest, embodied in local custom. The unique contribution of the Norman Conquest, was to unify these local customs into one system of law common to all men, for this reason termed the "common law".
——Walker & Walker, The English Legal system, London l976, The English Legal system, London l976, p.3
2.
The common law is so called because it was commonly applied throughout the kingdom of England.
——You and the Law, Reader's Digest Association, Inc.,
由此可見，英國的“common law”是以其區(qū)別于前英國各地各種各樣不統(tǒng)一的習(xí)慣而使之統(tǒng)一為在全國各地共同適用為其特征的，故漢語譯之為“普通法”顯然不如“共同法”之切合原意——哪怕譯成“普遍法”也許也要比“普通法”略勝一籌吧。
以“普通法”譯“common law”的另一個(gè)嚴(yán)重缺點(diǎn)，則在于其易滋歧義——“普通法”可以被誤解為另一法學(xué)概念“特別法”的對立概念。 由此得出的體會(huì)是：
甲。 法律翻譯工作要求譯者不但是精通語言的，而且也是精通比較法學(xué)的；
乙。 約定俗成只是翻譯諸規(guī)律之一而千萬不能捧之為翻譯的原則，更不能容忍它成為在翻譯中實(shí)事求是、尊重科學(xué)、服從真理、從善如流的絆腳石。