相比从事其他行业的写作人员，律师用词精确、表达细腻，是众人皆知的。律师用词含糊也是为了表达得精确。当然，用词精确更是为了表达得精确。为达此目的，很多普通人不常用的句式、格式（如句子的数字式、字母式排列、标记甚至逻辑符号）都被律师或法律撰写人员搬到了法律文化之中。试看下例：

例1

Appeal to Court of Appeal

1) If any party is dissatisfied with a decision of the High Court on an appeal under section 31, such party may, with leave to appeal granted by the Court of Appeal upon application, appeal to the Court of Appeal.

2) The Court of Appeal may grant leave to appeal under subsection 1) if it is satisfied that a question of law of general public importance is involved.

3) An application for leave to appeal under this section shall be –

a. in the form specified by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, setting out the question of law; and

b. lodged with the Registrar of the Supreme Court within –

i. 7 days after the date of the decision against which the appeal is made; or

ii. such time as may be extended by the Registrar of the Supreme Court on good cause.

4) A refusal by the Court of Appeal to grant leave to appeal shall be final.

除了这种复杂的句子格式以外，以下这些表示绝对概念的词汇、短语也是在法律文书中反复使用的：

all, impossible, irrevocable, last clear chance, never, none, outright, perpetuity, unavoidable, unbroken, uniform, wherever, whoever.

有些短语是为了使受限制的事物收到更明确的限制：

and no more, and no other purpose, shall not constitute a waiver, shall not be deemed a consent

有些短语则是为了使不受限制的事物包罗得更为广泛、全面：

including but not limit to…

… or other similar or dissimilar causes …

shall not be deemed to limit

without prejudice

nothing contained herein shall

总体上讲，法律语言要求表达清晰，准确甚至精确，法律文书的撰稿人写作时要力求避免含糊其词或模棱两可。对法律文本翻译的要求也是如此。但是，为了实现法律语言达至精确地目的，在必要的情况下法律文书的撰写人又必须使用一些意义模糊、灵活的词语去准确表达法律概念或事实。这类词汇/短语数量相当可观，主要有：

about, abuse of discretion, adequate (如adequate cause/compensation/consideration/remedy, etc.), and/or, apparently, approximately, as soon as possible, available, average, care, clean and neat condition, clear and convincing, comparable, convenient, desire, doubtless, due (如due care/ process), excessive, existing, expenses, extraordinary (如extraordinary service), extreme cruelty, fair division, few, fixture, gross (如gross profit), habitual, improper, in regard to, inadequate, intention, intoxicated, large, lately, malice, mere, more or less, near, net profit, obvious, possible, promptly, proper, reasonable (如reasonable care/man/speed/time等等), regular, satisfaction, satisfy, serious(如serious illness/misconduct, crime, circumstances等等), similar, sound mind, sufficient, suitable, temporarily, things, transaction, try, under the influence of, understand, undue (如undue influence/interference/restraint等等). unreasonable, unsafe, unsound, unusual, usual, valuable, voluntary, worthless.

在翻译这些词汇、短语时，翻译人员不必担忧词汇本身的歧义或含糊性，而应该尽可能忠实于原词的含义，在译文中保留其歧义或含糊性。法律文书的译者只有忠实于原文的权利，没有将含糊的意义解释清楚的责任。

（文章来源：实务法律英语公众号）