（一）商务合同翻译的原则

1.准确严谨

商务合同的专业性和兼容性越来越强，为了避免产生歧义，涉外商务合同的翻译必须把“准确严谨”作为首要标准。合同文本是合同双方当事人真实意思表示的文字形式的记录，因此合同文本的翻译不同于文学翻译，一般不讲究文采韵味，而要求必须准确、严谨反映当事人的意思表示。

要做到译文准确严谨，首先要做到用词准确（accuracy）。比如，“shipment date”和“delivery date”，从字面翻译来看，都可以翻译成“装货日期”，但是前者指的是货物装船启运（离港）日期，后者是指货物的到货（到港）日期。在翻译过程中，如果混淆了这些词语，将会造成履约困难，甚至引发纠纷。

If Party A insisted on its original quotation, party B will have to cover its requirements elsewhere.

如果甲方坚持原报价，乙方将只能从其他渠道购进所需之货物。

Party B shall cover the goods with particular average.

乙方将对该货物投保水渍险。

In order to cover out order, we have arranged with the Bank of China, Dalian Brach, a credit for USD 86,000.

为支付我方订货贷款，我方已委托中国银行大连分行开立86 000美元的信用证。

动词“cover”有“包括，囊括”的意思，但在以上三例中，不但不能按原来的意思翻译，而且在各句中由于所属领域范围不同，表达的意思也是不同的，分别是“购进货物”“投保险”“偿付”等意思。

2.规范通顺

合同文本是一种法律文件，属于庄严性文体。翻译商务合同时还应该把规范通顺视为另一大原则。所谓“规范”，是指译文必须符合法律语言的特点，尽量体现出契约文体的特点。而所谓“通顺”，是指译文应当符合汉语的语法要求，使译文清晰易懂。

The date of Bill of Lading shall be taken as the conclusive proof of the date of shipment, seven days grace shall be allowed for shipment earlier or later than the time agreed upon by the Parties. In the event of the goods for one order being shipped in more than one lot each lot shall be deemed to be a separate sale on Contract.

原译：提单的日期应为交货日期的最后证明。双方允许交货比约定的时间早交或迟交七天。一次订货多于一批装运，那么，每批货应被当作是合同的单独买卖。

原译文表达累赘，结构松散，不合乎汉语契约文体的简约风格。

改译：交货日期以提单所载日期为准，双方同意在合同约定的交货期的基础上，允许有前后七天的装运宽限期。若一次订货分批装运，则每一批货为合同项下的单独买卖。

商务法律合同及协议是具有法律效力的正式文件，用语必须准确、规范。法律文件是规定缔约各方应该做些什么，而不是提出问题和进行商榷。商务合同的作用在于明确陈述和规定不同当事人在有关活动中的权利和义务。因此，面对一个文本、句子，首先要明确怎样可以翻译得恰当与合理。

（二）商务合同的翻译方法

1.分词短语的翻译

英语合同中，现在分词和过去分词短语特别常见，通常充当定语和状语。翻译成汉语时，可将后置定语的分词短语译成前置定语，有时也可以译成补语或一个分句，充当状语的分词短语则经常译成状语从句。

Having made investment according to the proceedings of business-starting investments and upon relevant capital verification report, the investors of the FBIE shall file an application to the original registration organ for handling the archival procedures for their investments.

非法人制创投企业投资者根据创业投资进度出资后，应持相关验资报告向原登记机关申请办理出资备案手续。

该例句中的现在分词短语“Having made investments...”翻译成汉语的时间状语分句“根据创业投资进度出资后”，使之更符汉语的表达习惯。

2.长句的翻译

（1）分译法。国际商务英语合同中经常出现很长的句子，甚至一句话就成一段也不奇怪。几乎不可能按原文的结构翻译成有类似结构的汉语，即使翻译了也很难理解。所以必须打破常规，灵活转换。

Either Party may terminate the contract in case of failure on the part of the other Party to fulfill or perform any of its obligations hereunder and in the event that such failure remains unremedied sixty (60) days after the service of a written notices described in Article X below by the non-defaulting Party to the other Party specifying the failure in question and requiting it to be remedied.

如果一方未完成或未履行其在本合同项下的任何义务，而且未按照下述第X条规定在另一方向其送达书面通知，指出其违约行为并要求其予以改正后六十（60）天内，其仍未予以改正，另一方则可以终止本合同。

原文是合同中有关期限和终止的条款，按照先讲结论，再列举行使权力的条件的顺序行文，而在汉语行文习惯中，常常是先说条件后讲结论，因此译文属于逆译法。

Should either of the parties to the contract be prevented from executing the contract by force majeure, such as earthquake, typhoon, flood, fire, war or other unforessen events, and their occurrence and consequences are unpreventable and unavoidable, the prevented party shall notify the other party by telegram without any delay, and within 15 days thereafter provide detailed information of the events and a valid document for evidence issued by the relevant public notary organization explaining the reason of its inability to execute delay the execution of all or part of the contract.

在合作期间，由于地震、台风、水灾、火灾、战争或其他不可预见并且对其发生和后果不能防止和避免的不可抗力事故，致使直接影响合同的履行或者不能按约定的条件履行时，遇有上述不可抗力的一方，应立即将事故情况电报通知对方，并应在15天内提供事故的详细情况及合同不能履行，或者部分不能履行，或者需要延期履行的理由的有效证明文件。此项证明文件应由事故发生地区的有权证明的机构出具。

“By the relevant public notary organization”在合同中有十分重要的意义，强调了该机构的重要性。无权的机构或非事故发生地区的机构出具的证明是无效的，因此将其独立成句，突出其在合同中的位置。译者在翻译时应充分考虑到合同的特征，并注意对句式进行适当调整。

（2）合译法。为了合同便于理解，有时很有必要合二为一。

All disputes, controversies, or differences which may arise between the parties, out of or in relation to or in connection with this agreement, or for the breach thereof shall be settled through amicable consultation. If three occasion of consultation fail to settle, through on Mutual Encouragement and Protection of Investment between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of shall apply.

在执行本协议中产生的或关于违约的所有分歧，应经过友好协商以解决，如经三次以上协商解决无效，应按照《中华人民共和国政府关于相互鼓励和保护投资协定》进行。

The Contract is made by and between the Buyer and the Seller, whereby the Buyer agrees to buy and the Seller agrees to sell the under-mentioned commodity subject to the teems and conditions stipulated below.(www.daowen.com)

买卖双方同意按下述条款购买出售下列商品并签订本合同。

（3）顺译法。所谓顺序法，是指按时间的先后顺序、逻辑的先后来翻译。由于这种译法与汉语的表达顺序基本相同，差别不大，译者完全可做到“递序而下，顺译而为”。

If necessary, the Seller shall send in the 18th month after signing the Contract at his own expense technical personnel to China to discuss the Buyer’s final civil design and if there are revisions regarding the final information of civil engineering, both parties shall discuss and reach agreement on the consequences thus incurred in a protocol. The drawings of the Buyer will be sealed and marked “Approved by born parties” and stamped with the actual date.

若需要，在本合同签字后的第18个月，卖方将自行出资派遣技术人员到中国，就买方的最终土木建筑设计进行讨论，如需要对最终土木建筑设计条件做更改，双方对其结果应在协议书中签署同意。买方的图纸须盖章注明“双方同意”，并签署实际日期。

这一段由两句构成。第一句是两个复合句，由“and”连接。第二句是简单句，共划分为5个部分，也可看作是5个层次，依次而下，层次分明。

In the event that the Company’s operations are reduced substantially from the scale of operation originally anticipated by the parties, or the Company experiences substantial and continuing losses resulting in negative retained earning not anticipated by the Parties in the agreed Business Plan, or in any other circumstances permitted under applicable laws or agreed by the Parties, the Parties may agree to reduce the registered capital of the Company on a prorate basis.

如果合营公司的经营规模比双方原来预期的规模有大幅度缩减，或合营公司持续遭受严重亏损，导致双方商定的业务计划中所未能预期的盈余保留负数，或在任何相关法律允许或双方一致同意的情况下，双方可以协议按原有出资比例减资。

（4）逆译法。所谓逆序法，是指由于英汉两种语言在表达方面存在差异，在翻译时应按各自的语言表达习惯重新组合。在组合过程中，原文的一些语句顺序将被打乱，或前置，或后置。也就是说，或顺译，或倒译。这种倒译，即从原文的后面往前译的方法，通常称为逆序译法。

The risk of loss or of damage to the goods, as well as the obligation to bear the costs relating to the goods, passes from the seller to the buyer when the seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver the goods.

当卖方完成运输货物的责任，货物的丢失或损坏，以及承受与货物相关的费用的责任便由卖方转移到买方。

The Seller shall not be responsible for the delay of shipment or non-delivery of the goods due to force majeure, which might occur during the process of manufacturing or in the course of loading or transit.

在制造或装船运输过程中，因不可抗力致使卖方不能或推迟交货时，卖方不负责任。

原文的行文方式是把信息的重心放在句首，先声明卖方的免责任事宜，再规定哪种原因引起的不能交货或迟交货才会无责任，对不可抗力又做了限定。而按照汉语思维习惯，常常先说原因再讲结论，因此翻译时采用这种逆译方法将原文表示免责条件的句子放在前面。另外，英语中的非限定性定语从句译成汉语有两种方式：①翻译成定语放在所修饰词前；②处理内部的成分。

3.被动语态的翻译

由于主动语态比较自然、明确、直接和有力，所以合同英语中主动态用得较多。但是合同英语中被动语态表达的概念，译成汉语时大多采用主动语态表示。在实际翻译工作中，要灵活运用翻译技巧，既做到在内容上忠实于原文，又在语言形式上规范通顺。被动语态的翻译方法有以下两种。

（1）顺序翻译法。在翻译国际商务合同时，为了使译文符合合同文体的汉语表达方式，可将原文中的某些被动语态按原句的语序顺译。

The Seller shall be entitled to terminate this Contact in the event of failure by the Buyer to comply with any terms or conditions stated in this Article.

如果买方违反本条规定的条件，卖方有权终止此合同。

The term for the technology transfer agreement is signed by Joint Company and Party Band it shall be approved by the approved authority.

技术转让协议的期限由合资公司与乙方签订并经审批机关批准。

It is essentially stressed that the Buyer are requested to sign and return the duplicate of this Contract within 5 days from the date of receipt. In the event of failure to do this, the Sellers reserve the right to cancel the Contract.

必须强调：买方应于收到本合同之日起5内签字并退还合同的副本，如买方不这样做，卖方保留撤销合同的权利。

It is strictly understood that the number of employees to be trained by the contractor at any one time shall no more than(...).

严格明确承包商任何时候所训练的雇工人数不得超过（……）人。

（2）转换翻译法。运用转化法翻译被动语态要注意以下几点。

1）把动作的发出者转换为汉语的主语：在合同英语中的一些被动句子中，往往会出现“by”或“between”引起的短语，在句子中充当状语，其中名词是本句涉及的行为当事人，为突出句中动作的发出者，可转换为主语。

If any terms conditions to this Contract fire breached and the breach is not corrected by any party within 10 days after a written notice thereof is given by the other party, then the non-breaching party shall have the option to terminate this Contract by giving a written notice thereof to the breaching party.

如果一方违背本合同的任何条款，并且在另一方发出书面通知后10日内不予补救，未违约方有权选择向违约方书面通知终止本合同。

2）把英语句中的某一状语转换为主语：在被动语态的状语与主语之间有包容关系时，为了使译文通顺，可将状语部分译成汉语的主语。

The establishment, remuneration and the expenses of the staff of the preparation and construction off ice, when agreed by both parties, shall be covered in the project budget.

经甲乙双方同意后，工程预算应包括筹建工作人员的编制、报酬及费用。

3）把英语句中的主语转换为宾语：如果原句中没有涉及合同的当事人，可将这样的英语被动句处理成汉语的无主语句，原句的主语被转换为宾语。

Upon the expiration of the duration or termination before the date of expiration of the joint venture, liquidation shall be carried out according to relevant law. The liquidate assets shall be distributed in accordance with the proportion of investment contributed by Party A and Party B.

合同期满或提前终止合营时，应依照有关法律进行结算，并根据甲、乙各方投资的比例分配结算后的财产。