近日，香港中文大学（深圳）人文社科学院陈可欣教授与第二作者湛树基律师，在上月出版的国际术语学权威书籍Handbook of Terminology（《术语学手册》）第三卷（Volume 3. Legal Terminology《法律术语》），发表 “Bilingual legal terminology in Hong Kong: Past, present and future”（〈香港双语法律术语的过去、现在和未来〉）一文，探讨香港地区英汉法律术语翻译现有的问题，并建议可行的政策，对整个中文世界有启示作用。
 

新书简介

Handbook of Terminology 《术语学手册》
Volume 3. Legal Terminology 
第3卷 《法律术语》2023.  vii, 622 pp.

法律术语乃法律语言的核心组成部分，用于起草、执行并实施法律，数百年来一直为律师、语言学家和术语学家所醉心研究。本法律术语手册是术语学手册系列的第三部，全面总汇当前学术界中法律术语的知识。手册首次尝试将术语学、翻译研究、语言学、法律及信息科技领域的观点汇聚一起。本跨学科的手册包含多篇系统回顾、案例研究和研究论文，内容综述法律术语和概念的关键属性、术语工具和资源、人才培训、以及各国和多语种组织中的翻译。手册证明法律术语复杂多面的性质，表现其在不同法律体系中文化、交际、认知和社会语境的面貌。手册为学者、从业人员、培训人员和学生提供丰富的研习资源，帮助他们了解法律术语领域生气勃勃的研究和实践现況。

书籍链接：
https://benjamins.com/catalog/hot.3
https://doi.org/10.1075/hot.3

文章简介

题目 Title

Bilingual legal terminology in Hong Kong: Past, present and future
〈香港双语法律术语的过去、现在和未来〉

作者 Authors

陈可欣（Clara Ho-yan Chan）香港中文大学（深圳）
湛树基（Edmund Cham）香港大学

关键词 Keywords

Hong Kong, bilingual legal terminology, common law system, Chinese, translation theory and practice
香港、双语法律术语、普通法法系、中文、翻译理论和实践

摘要 Abstract

The aims of this chapter are to describe the development of bilingual legal terminology in Hong Kong, to identify current issues and to explore future directions, including finding appropriate strategies to translate English legal terms into Chinese, based on key recent examples. Having been under the British rule for more than 150 years, Hong Kong is for the first time in history translating the entire common law system into Chinese. This process of “legal bilingualism” started at the legislative level and then extended to the judicial level, with the first bilingual law enacted in 1989 and the first English judgment translated into Chinese in 1995. However, there has been criticism of some newly coined Chinese legal terms. It is hoped that while the translation of case law continues, more suitable methods will be adopted to translate English legal terms into Chinese, that meet both the local needs of this post-colonial city and the needs of the Chinese world at large.

本章旨在描述香港双语法律术语的发展，梳理当前的问题，探索未来的发展方向，包括根据多个近年的重要实例，寻找适当的策略汉译英文法律术语。香港历英国殖民地统治逾150载，1997年回归前，首次于史上将整个普通法法系翻译中文。该 “法律双语化”进程始于立法层面，随后延至司法层面，首条双语法例于1989年颁布，首份英文判决书于1995年翻译中文版本。然而，一些新造中文法律术语备受批评。在普通法法系，案例法的翻译工作持续不断，英汉法律术语翻译将采用更为合适之法，以满足香港作为后殖民城市以至整个中文世界的种种需要。

以下摘自手册的导言（页6-7）Below is taken from the Introduction of the Handbook (pp.6-7)

Clara H-Y Chan and Edmund Cham submitted a chapter entitled “Bilingual legal terminology in Hong Kong: Past, present and future”. They describe the development of bilingual legal terminology in Hong Kong, which occupies a unique position as the only jurisdiction in the world to implement the common law system in English and Chinese. Logically, the authors analyze the translation of common law terminology into English and Chinese with a view to identifying current problems and exploring future directions. In particular, they look for appropriate strategies and methods for translating English legal terms into Chinese equivalents. The authors begin their journey through history by highlighting some milestones in how independent Hong Kong translated the common law system into Chinese. This process of ‘legal bilingualism’ began at the legislative level and was extended to the judicial level, resulting in the first bilingual law being enacted in 1989 and the first English judgment translated into Chinese in 1995. The authors argue for a sustainable translation and terminology management of case law, supported by appropriate methods for translating English legal terms into Chinese, ready to meet the local needs of post-colonial Hong Kong and the needs of the Chinese world at large. They conclude by emphasizing the importance of improving the accessibility of Hong Kong’s bilingual legal system through understandable legal language and terminology.

陈可欣和湛树基提交题为〈香港的双语法律术语：过去、现在和未来〉一章。两位作者描述香港双语法律术语的发展，指出香港乃世上唯一用中英语文实施普通法法系的司法管辖区，占据独特的位置。作者分析普通法术语的英汉翻译方法，条理分明，以期辨识当前的问题并探索未来发展方向，尤其关注将英文法律术语翻译中文对应术语适当的方略。作者的研究之旅从历史出发，首先概览在地位独特的香港，汉译英普通法法系历程发生的关键事件。“法律双语化”进程始于立法层面，后至司法层面，即于1989年颁布第一部双语法律，1995年翻译第一份英文判决书为中文。作者主张对案例法实施可持续的翻译及术语管理，并辅以恰到好处的方法汉译英文法律术语，以满足后殖民时代香港本地以至整个中文世界的需要。最后，作者强调，政府可采用浅白易懂的法律语言和术语，让市民大众更容易理解香港所奉行的双语法律制度。

教授简介

陈可欣教授是澳大利亚昆士兰大学博士，现任香港中文大学（深圳）副教授，主要研究领域包括翻译理论与实践、专业翻译、语言与法律、翻译教学法等。发表数十篇论文于Babel 、 Perspectives、  Multilingua、 Computer Assisted Language Learning、Terminology、 Chinese Language and Discourse、 Translation & Interpreting等国际权威学术期刊上，并出版Legal Translation and Bilingual Law Drafting in Hong Kong: Challenges and Interactions in Chinese Regions等八部专著。