词类的使用特点（二）：名词

法律英语的名词复数一般都是规则变化,很少出现不规则变化的名词复数。在法律条文中抽象名词居多。当名词用作主语或宾语的中心词时,其限定词语多。因而名词在法律英语中所出现的频率比其它任何词性所出现的频率都高,甚至在有些条文中不用动词,只用名词短语来表述其法律条文或法律概念。请看以下例句:

例句一：

Contract on usual terms at his own expense for the carriage of the goods to the agreed port of destination by the usual route, by the usual route, in a seagoing vessel (not being a sailing vessel) of the type normally used for the transport of goods of the contract description.

[参考译文]通常条件及常用航线的自费运输合同,将货物用通常类型可供装载该项货物之用的海船(非帆船),装运至约定目的港(这一概念里有9个短语来修饰名词contract,而没有出现谓语动词。

例句二：

Since it is a defense to the tort of malicious prosecution that the plaintiff was actually guilty of the crime charged, these tort cases of ten go into the question of whether the plaintiff actually committed the crime for which the defendant initiated prosecution.

[参考译文]因为原告人事实上犯有被指控的刑事罪可以为属于诬告的民事侵权行为辩护,这类民事侵权行为案件就要深入研究原告人实际上是犯有被告人反诉中提出来的刑事犯罪问题,(该句中名词出现了11次,其中名词的复数形式是呈规则变化的。