第一章  一般规定

第一条　为了保护合同当事人的合法权益，维护社会经济秩序，促进社会主         义现代化建设，制定本法。

第二条　本法所称合同是平等主体的自然人、法人、其他组织之间设立、变         更、终止民事权利义务关系的协议。婚姻、收养、监护等有关身份         关系的协议，适用其他法律的规定。

第三条　合同当事人的法律地位平等，一方不得将自己的意志强加给另一           方。

第四条　当事人依法享有自愿订立合同的权利，任何单位和个人不得非法干         预。

第五条　当事人应当遵循公平原则确定各方的权利和义务。

第六条　当事人行使权利、履行义务应当遵循诚实信用原则。

第七条　当事人订立、履行合同，应当遵守法律、行政法规，尊重社会公德，不得扰乱社会经济秩序，损害社会公共利益。

第八条　依法成立的合同，对当事人具有法律约束力。当事人应当按照约定履行自己的义务，不得擅自变更或者解除合同。依法成立的合同，受法律保护。

Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purpose of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the parties to contracts, maintaining the socio-economic order and promoting the socialist modernization.

Article 2  For the purpose of this Law, a contract means an agreement on the establishment, alteration or termination of a civil right-obligation relationship between natural persons, legal persons or other organizations as subjects with equal status.

Agreements on establishing such personal relationships as marriage, adoption and guardianship shall be governed by the provisions of other laws.

Article 3 The parties to the contract have equal legal status, and neither party may impose its will on the other.

Article 4 The parties shall, pursuant to law, have the right to enter into a contract on their own free will, and no unit or person may unlawfully interfere.

Article 5 The parties shall observe the principle of equity in defining each other's rights and obligations.

Article 6 The parties shall observe the principle of good faith  in exercising their rights and fulfilling their obligations.

Article 7 The parties shall, in making and fulfilling the contract, abide by laws and administrative regulations and respect social ethics, and may not disrupt the socio-economic order nor impair social and public interests.

Article 8 A legally executed contract has legal binding force on the parties. The parties shall fulfill their obligations as contracted, and may not arbitrarily modify or terminate the contract.

A legally executed contract is protected by law.

1.制定(法律)。可用make，formulate。而enact,    promulgate, adopt三个词汇则侧重表示立法机关“审议通过”(bring    a bill to law)法律或者“颁布”法律（make known to public）。

2.社会主义现代化建设。Socialist modernization drive.“drive”一词是亮点。

3.平等主体。Subjects with equal status 或者Subjects with equal footing。Footing means status with respect to the relations between people or groups。

4.设立、变更、解除、撤销、中止、终止（民事法律关系）。四者分别对应establish/create,    modify/alter, rescind/dissolute/discharge, cancel/avoid，suspend，terminate。

5.婚姻、收养、监护。Marriage/matrimony, adoption, guardianship。

6.身份关系、财产关系。Personal relation 和property relation。

7.自愿原则。The principle of voluntariness。（act on one’s freewill）

8.公平原则。The principle of fairness。

9.诚实信用原则 The principle of good faith。

10.订立合同，履行合同。订立常用enter into/conclude/made，履行可用fulfill（一方）/perform（双方）/implement/execute。

11.行使权利，履行义务，确定权利义务。Exercise one’s right, fulfill one’s obligation，define both party’s rights and obligation.

法有三要素：法律规则、法律概念、法律原则。《合同法》第1-8条主要确立了合同法的“平等原则”“自愿原则”“公平原则”“公序良俗原则”。