（一）词汇特征

1.广泛使用专业术语

专业术语意义精确，无歧义，不带有任何个人感情色彩，具有国际通用性，并且有着鲜明的文体特点。为了精确、客观地描述商务活动中的各个环节以及各类相关单据，商务英语合同中经常使用大量商务类专业术语。

Due to a serious shortage of shipping space, we cannot deliver these goods until July 25.

由于舱位严重不足，我们无法在7月25日之前发货。

此句中的“shipping space”是海运业务中的一个专业术语，不了解的人可能会按照字面意思翻译为“装运空间”。

此外，为了准确说明商务活动中贸易双方的权利和义务，商务英语合同中还经常使用法律类专业术语。

All disputes in connection with this Contract or the execution thereof shall be settled friendly through negotiations. Where no settlement can be reached the disputes shall be submitted for arbitration（仲裁）. If the Sellers are the plaintiff（申诉人）the arbitration shall take place in Stockholm. Each party shall appoint an arbitrator（仲裁员）within 30 days after receipt of notif ication from the opposite party and the two Arbitrators thus appointed shall jointly nominate a third person as umpire （首席仲裁员） to form an Arbitration Committee（仲裁委员会）. The said umpire shall be confined to the citizens of Swedish nationality. If the Buyers are the plaintiff the arbitration shall take place in Beijing and be conducted by the Arbitration Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in accordance with the Provisional Rules of Procedures（仲裁程序） promulgated by the said Arbitration Committee. The decision （裁决） of the Arbitration Committee shall be accepted as final （终局裁决） and binding on both parties. Neither party shall seek recourse to a law court or other authorities to appeal （上诉） for revision of the decision. Arbitration expenses （诉讼费用） shall be borne by the losing Party （败诉方）.

上述例子是我国某进口公司与某出口商签订的进口合同中有关仲裁的合同条款规定，其中的斜体部分是较常见的法律专业术语，由此可以看出商务英语合同的专业术语性特点。

2.大量使用名词

商务英语合同中常大量使用名词。名词的使用不仅可以丰富合同的内容，还可以避免使用代词时产生的歧义。

If the Seller determines the performance has not been completed satisfactorily and in conformance with this Contract, the performance bond may be retained by the Seller until the Seller can determine damages caused by the lack of performance.

卖方如果确定履行情况不尽如人意或与合同不符，可以扣留履约保证金，直到其能够确定履行不善造成损失的费用。

3.经常使用介词短语

为了体现正式与严谨的文体特征，商务英语合同中经常使用较为复杂的介词短语来代替非正式语体中较为简单的介词和连词。

The participants in the joint venture shall commence discussion with regard to the extension of the period of existence of the venture and in the event of their agreeing upon such extension, they shall record such agreement in a written document signed by all of them not later than three years prior to the expiry of the current period.

就本合资企业存续时限的延期问题，各方应着手进行讨论。一旦各方就此达成一致，应当形成书面协议，由各方在本合同期限到期之前的三年内签字生效。

上述例子用“with regard to”代替“about”，用“in the event of”代替“in case of”，用“prior to”代替“before”，使得行文更加严谨和正式。

4.多使用情态动词“shall”

“shall”一词在商务英语合同中出现的频率很高。此处的shall并非助动词，而是情态动词，表示强烈的义务关系。

This Contract shall be written in English in four copies. Each party shall keep two copies.

本合同应以英文写成，一式四份，双方各持两份。

The date of registration of the cooperative venture company shall be the date of the establishment of the board of directors of the cooperative venture company.

合资公司注册登记之日，为董事会正式成立之日。

The amendment of the contract or other appendices shall come into force only after a written agreement has been signed by Party A and Party B and approved by the original examination and approval authority.

只有在甲方和乙方共同签署书面协议，并且经原审批机构批准，合同及其他附件的修订才能生效。

5.词语并列现象频繁

为了严谨起见，商务英语合同并不像其他文体那样排除重复，而是大量使用词语并列结构。商务英语合同中的并列结构往往由“and”或“or”连接，通常分为以下四种方式。

（1）同义词或近义词并列。

Each party to this Agreement shall fulfill or perform any of the obligations under this Agreement.

本协议的双方应履行协议规定的义务。

The parties here to agree to keep secret and confidential all information furnished and provided to them by the other party.

双方一致同意：对于对方提供的一切机密信息予以保密。

This Agreement and any rights or obligations here under are not transferable or assignable by one party to this agreement without the consent of the other party hereto.

本协议下的任何权利和义务如一方不经另一方的同意不得转让。

（2）反义词并列。

Warranties, express or implied, must be construed as consistent with each other and as cumulative, but if that construction is unreasonable, the intention of the parties determines which warranty is dominant.

（3）由相关词并列。

This contract is made by and between the Buyers and the Sellers, whereby the Buyers agree to buy and the Sellers agree to sell the under-mentioned commodity.

本合同由买方和卖方共同签署，据此，买方和卖方同意买卖下列商品。

（4）合同用语的固定模式。(www.daowen.com)

The Agreement shall be and remain in full force and effect in all respects.

本协议在各方面全权生效。

The Company hereby releases and discharges Party A from further performance of, and any duties, obligations or liabilities under, the amended Agreement.

本公司特此解除甲方已修正协议的进一步履行及其修正协议下的义务和责任。

（二）句法特征

1.多使用陈述句和条件句

因需要准确、客观地描述事实，表明合同规定的当事人的相关责任、权利和义务，因此商务英语合同中陈述句的使用频率很高，而较少使用疑问句和感叹句。在合同中，陈述句多用于阐述、解释、说明、规定和判断等，语言平实、客观。

Party B shall bear all expenses for advertising and publicity in connection with the commodity in question in Singapore within the validity of this agreement, and shall submit to Party A all audio and video materials intended for advertising for prior approval.

乙方负担本协议有效期内在新加坡销售代理商品做广告宣传所需的一切费用，并向甲方提交所有用于广告的声像资料，以供甲方事先核准。

此外，由于需要清楚地界定在发生任何情况下当事人应当如何反应，因此商务英语合同中经常使用大量条件句。

In case a third party brings a charge of infringement, licensor shall be responsible for dealing with the third party and bear full legal and financial responsibilities which may arise.

如果发生第三方指控侵权，则由出让方负责与第三方交涉并承担由此引起的法律和经济上的全部责任。

2.普遍使用一般现在时

就时态而言，商务英语合同中普遍使用一般现在时，用以说明事实、确立相关规定等，强调各项条款的原则性、现实性和有效性。

Licensor guarantees that licensor is legitimate owner of the know-how supplied by licensor to licensee in accordance with the stipulations of the contract, and that licensor is lawfully in a position to transfer the know-how to licensee.

出让方保证是本合同规定提供的一切专有技术和技术资料的合法所有者，并有权向甲方转让。

The undersigned Seller and Buyer have held discussions relating to the processing and assembling of plastic toy products and have agreed to close the following transactions according to the terms and conditions set forth as below.

本合同签署的买方和卖方就有关塑料玩具产品的加工与装配问题经过商讨后一致同意，如果发生以下提及的情况或条件，本交易自动终止。

3.较多使用主动语态

在谈及当事人相关义务时，为了突出责任人，商务英语合同中主动语态使用的频率较高，而被动语态使用的频率相对较低。主动语态的使用可以使责任和权力的划分更加清晰。

The Employer may ask bidders individually for clarification of their tenders, including breakdowns of unit prices.

雇主可要求投标者就其标书做出单独解释，包括单位价格细目表。

The Contractor shall supply to the Engineer four copies of all Drawings, Specification and other documents.

承包商应向工程师提供四个关于所有图纸、规格和其他文件的副本。

4.经常使用长句

（1）句子冗长。商务英语中含有大量定义、限定、修饰，结构上相互重叠和穿插，因此句子十分冗长。

In the event of a Subcontractor having undertaken towards the Contractor in respect of the work executed; or the goods, materials, plant or services supplied by such Subcontractor, any continuing obligation extending or a period exceeding that of the Defects Liability Period under the Contract, the Contractor shall at any times after the expiration of such period, as sign to the Employer, at the Employer’s request and cost, the benefit of such obligation for the unexpired duration thereof.

当分包商在所进行的工作，或其提供的货物、材料、工程设备或服务等方面为承包商承担了合同规定的缺陷责任期限结束后的任何延长期间须继续承担的任何连续义务时，承包商在根据雇主的要求和由雇主承担费用的情况下，在缺陷责任期满之后的任何时间，将上述未终止的此类义务的权益转让给雇主。

上述句子用一句话说明了承包商应承担的责任和义务，句子十分冗长，但却十分严谨和凝练，将所要表达的事情清晰地表达出来。

During the validity of this Agreement, Party A refrains from offering the abovementioned goods to other merchants with ports in Country X as ports of destination, while Party B undertakes to refrain from purchasing, pushing sales of or acting as agents for the commodity of other suppliers the same as or similar to that stated in Article 2 and guarantee not to transship in any way the said goods supplied by Party A to any area, where exclusivity or sales agency has been granted by Party A.

协议有效期内，甲方不能将上述商品提供给以X国为目的港的商人，而乙方不能购买、促销，或代理与第二条所描述的产品相同或相似的其他供应商产品，并且保证不将甲方提供的上述商品转运到甲方指派独家代理人或销售代理人的任何地方。

（2）使用复杂的状语。为了使各项条款清晰明确，不产生任何歧义和误解，商务英语合同中经常使用大量结构复杂、重叠的状语来修饰动词，以严格界定合同双方的权利和义务。此外，一个状语包含另一个状语的情况也是十分常见的。

If, before the Time for Completion of the whole of the Works or, if applicable, any Section, a Taking-Over Certificate has been issued for any part of the Works or of a Section, the liquidated damages for delay in completion of the remainder of the Works or of that Section shall, for any period of delay after the date stated in such Taking-Over Certificate, and in the absence of alternative provisions in the Contract, be reduced in the Proportion which the value of the Part so certified bears to the value for the whole of the Works or Section, as applicable.

在整个工程或任何区段的竣工期限之前，如果工程任何部分或任何区段已签发移交证书，则在合同中无替代条款的情况下，对于在该移交证书注明的日期之后的任何拖延期间该工程或区段剩余部分的延期损害赔偿费，应按已签发部分的价值对整个工程或区段的价值比例相应地减少。

5.名词重复率很高

商务英语合同经常采用名词重复的手段来明确说明是“谁”或者是“什么”，目的是避免条款双方可能发生歧义、矛盾、误解和争端。

The Buyer has the right to lodge a claim against the Seller and all the expenses incurred therefrom shall be borne by the Seller. The claim mentioned above shall be regarded as being accepted if the Seller fails to reply within 15 days after the Seller received the Buyer’s claim.

该例句中共有50个单词，其中“the buyer”重复出现了2次，“claim”出现了3次，“the seller”更是连续4次出现，从中可以看出商务英语合同中名词的重复率之高。

综上，商务英语合同是为了严格限定当事人责任、权利和义务的一种文体形式，其本身并不具有独立的词汇和语法体系，与其他文体也没有本质上的区别。研究商务英语合同的语言特征，正是研究商务英语合同在词汇、语法等方面表现出的独特之处，其目的就是准确、得体地制定商务英语合同。