参考译文:除非本章程另有规定,公司或有权发出通知的人员可以将任何通知或文件通过专人递送、传真、预付邮资的邮件或被认可的专递服务机构(资费预付)寄至股东名册上登记的任何股东的地址,或者在所有相关法律法规允许的情况下,通过电子邮件发送至该股东提供给公司的任何电子号码、地址或网址,或发布于公司的网站。对于任何股份的联名持有人,所有通知应送达股东名册上登记在第一位的联名持有人,通过该方式送达的通知应视为已充分送达所有该等联名持有人。
讲解:"本段有两句话,第一句话结构稍微有一点复杂,主要在于修饰语、插入语成分比较多。翻译此类长难句时,我们可以采用以下三步法策略:1. 找句子主干(主要的句子成分);2. 添加修饰语及其他成分;3.译文优化,使译文更符合译入语的表达习惯。
1.找句子主干
【The Company shall have】a first and paramount【lien and charge on all shares】 (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but 【the Directors may】 at any time 【declare any share】 to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article.
第一句话是由连词but连接的两句话,去掉修饰语后,我们可以发现句子的主要结构相对来说是比较清楚的:The Company shall have lien and charge on all shares, but the Directors may declare any share exempt from the provisions 。公司对于所有股份有留置权和获得偿付权, 但董事可宣布股份免于执行规定。
2.添加修饰语
The Company shall have 【a first and paramount前置定语,修饰lien和charge】lien and charge on all shares (whether fully paid-up or not) 【registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate后置定语,修饰shares】, 【either alone or jointly with any other person 插入语,译文也做插入语处理即可】, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article.
3.译文优化,使译文更符合译入语的表达习惯。
接下来看一看本句涉及的法律翻译中的重难点词汇:
1.First and paramount
“First and paramount”是两个意义基本相同的词组成的,重叠在一起用以强调“首要”、“第一”的权利。
2.Lien and charge
“Lien”指的是留置权。留置权是指债权人因合法手段占有债务人的财物,在由此产生的债权未得到清偿前留置该项财物并在债务人逾期不履行债务时依法处置留置财物并从中优先受偿的权利。
“Charge”指的是担保;负担。为保证债务的清偿或义务的履行而在土地或其他财产上设定的抵押权(mortage)、Lien (留置权)或其他无特别名称的担保权利。(元照英美法词典),这里可以加以引申为获得偿付权。
3.debts, liabilities or engagements
Debt、liability和engagements,都有“债务,负债”的意思,engagements具体主要指的是约定的应偿付款项,而关于debt和liability之间的区别,则可以先通过引用某国外的网站中的一段话来理解一下:
“a debt is a subcategory of liabilities. so when you have a debt, you automatically have a liability..its like saying, i have a Toyota Camry therefore i have a car. and if you flip it around, it's the same idea...if you have a liability, you don't necessarily have a debt, just like if you have a car, you don't necessarily have a Toyota Camry”
大意是:debt是liabilities的一种。因此当你有debt,你自动就会有liability......就好比,我有一辆丰田佳美,因此我就有一辆汽车......而不能说,我有一辆车就相当于我有一辆丰田佳美。
这段话主要就是说:debt从属于liabilities。二者的关系很简单,区别如下:
debt一般指向外部借入实际金额而形成的债务,一般都是带息的,可简单理解为:有息负债。
Liability一般指法律上的责任、义务,如liability for breach of contract(违约责任),limitation of liability(责任限制)等,但是,其作负债、债务讲时,通常用复数形式,即liabilities,如current liabilities流动性负债、assets and liabilities资产与负债等等。在会计学中一般指总的负债,如应付票据、应付账款、应付债券、应付工资等,其中应付账款就是不带息的。
所以,在这里我们可以把debt和liabilities分别处理为债务、赔偿责任。
4.Operate
“Operate”的词义是have or produce an effect (起作用),如:
The new law operates to our advantage. 新法律对我们有利
但在上文中,operate应加以引申,处理为“构成”、“作为”更合适"