在英文合同中我们常看到表示合同某一部分的“article”和“clause”，那么这二者究竟有什么区别呢，以下就二者的区别和用法做具体介绍。

Article通常出现在法律英语中，具体常指【法律文本、合同、合约或契约】中单独的部分。通常是一段话。比如：The country appears to be violating several articles of the convention. 该国看来正在违反该公约中的数个条款。Article 10 of the European Convention guarantees free speech. 《欧洲公约》第10条保障言论自由。这两个例子中article 均指的是“公约”中的条款。

Clause常指【遗嘱、合同或条约等法律文件】中陈述具体义务、条件等的某条某款。可能是一段话也可能是一句话。比如：• He has a clause in his contract which entitles him to a percentage of the profits. 他在他的合同里有一项条款保证他享有一定比例的利润。a compromise document sprinkled with escape clauses. 一份满是免责条款的妥协性文件。

双语参考例句：

①The Working Group recommended that the Committee: (a) refrain from setting up a permanent follow-up mechanism for the time being and instead, in conformity with rule 73 of its rules of procedure, continue to undertake follow-up on an ad hoc basis; (b) entrust the Working Group with follow-up activities for the time being; (c) continue to appoint two rapporteurs on follow-up to views, preferably the Case Rapporteur, when feasible, and a member of the Working Group; and (d) once it has deemed that satisfactory follow-up information has been received from the State party concerned, and in accordance with article 7, paragraph 5, of the Optional Protocol, invite that State party to submit further information about any measures taken in its subsequent reports under article 18 of the Convention, and relieve the follow-up rapporteurs of their duties and reflect such action in its annual report

工作组建议委员会：(a) 避免在目前阶段建立常设后续行动机制，而应依照其议事规则第 73 条，继续临时性地采取后续行动；(b) 暂时把后续活动付托给工作组；(c) 继续任命两名负责落实意见的后续行动报告员，有可能的话最好能任命案件报告员，此外任命工作组一名成员；(d) 一旦它认为有关缔约国提交的后续行动资料令人满意，即按照《任择议定书》第 7 条第 5 款的规定，邀请该缔约国提交有关其后来报告中按照《公约》第 18 条采取的任何措施的进一步资料，解除后续行动报告员的任务，并在其年度报告中反映此项行动。

②A marriage may not be contracted between persons of whom at least one is already married, between direct ascendants and descendants, brothers and sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters, adoptive parents and adopted children, or between children adopted by the same person, and between persons of whom at least one has been placed under guardianship due to his or her restricted active legal capacity (§ 4 clause 1–3 of the Act)

婚姻不可在至少有一方已经结婚的两人之间、直接亲属长幼之间、兄弟姐妹之间、同父异母或同母异父兄弟姐妹之间、养父母和养子女之间、同一人收养的子女之间以及至少有一方因为有限的实际行为能力而一直受到监护的两人之间缔结（该法第 4 节第 1-3 条）。