statute n.
①制定法 ( a written law passed by a legislative body)
②章程
③规约
statute主要指“制定法”,指由立法机关所制定的法律,表现为正式的法律文件;有时也被译为“章程”。
例As noted in paragraph 25.23 of the proposed programme budget, in accordance with paragraph 20 of the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), no expenditure other than administrative expenditures relating to the functioning of UNHCR shall be borne by the regular budget of the United Nations and all other expenditures relating to the activities of UNHCR shall be financed by voluntary contributions.
【参考译文】正如拟议方案预算第 25.23 段所指出的那样,根据联合国难民事务高级专员办事处(难民署)《章程》第 20 段的规定,联合国经常预算只承担与难民署运作有关的行政支出,而与难民署活动有关的所有其他支出均由自愿捐助供资。
例 Workers' Compensation insurance in the amount required by statute for all states in which the project or work is to be performed, and Professional Liability insurance with limits of not less than US $ 1,000,000 per claim.
【参考译文】工人赔偿保险,保险额应达到开展项目或工作所在州的法定要求;职业责任保险,每项赔付限额不少于 1,000,000 美元。
除了被翻译为“制定法”外,statute还可以被翻译为“规约”,指建立机构并规定其权限范围的国际性文件,比如《欧洲中央银行规约》(the Statute of the European Central Bank)、《国际法院规约》(the Statute of the International Court of Justice)、《国际刑事法院罗马规约》(the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court)。
例 Subject to article 8.3 of the statute of the Dispute Tribunal, the President, or the judge or panel hearing a case, may shorten or extend a time limit fixed by the rules of procedure or waive any rule when the interests of justice so require.
【参考译文】如果出于司法正义所需,在遵守《争议法庭规约》 第八条第三款的情况下, 庭长或审理某个案件的法官或分庭可缩短或延长《程序规则》规定的时限,亦可放弃任何规则。
辨析
在法律英语中有很多词汇都可以用来表示“法规”,此处,笔者作简单说明。
Act :the formal product of a legislative body
主要是指由立法机关所制定的法律,该单词常用作单一的法律的名称,翻译时可译为xx法。如《刑法法》 Criminal Law Act
Law :the set of rules or principles dealing with a specific area of a legal system.
可指单部法律或法规,又可表示一般和抽象的含义,但它一般不用作某个特定的法律命令的名称。如《合同法》 Law of Contract
Statute :A law passed by a legislation body; Legislation enacted by any lawmaking body. Act or legislation is sometimes substituted for statute.
Statute 主要指“制定法”,与判例法相对。作为立法机关制定的act既可称作a law,也可成为a statute。如《林肯法令》 Statute of Lincoln
参考
《元照英美法词典》
《英汉法律翻译教程》(孙万彪)
《法律英语核心术语:实务基础》(屈文生)
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