“Legalese is language a lawyer might use in drafting a contract or a pleading but would not use in ordinary conversation. In short, legalese is distinct from human talk; it is law talk.”(1)
在法律英语的发展历史上，法语对其影响重大。公元1066年1月，征服者威廉（William the Conqueror）占领英格兰。从此，政界、法庭、军队、教育等领域被讲法语的诺曼人控制，学校用法语上课，贵族官吏等人士理所当然地使用法语。法语词汇大量进入英语，法语持久深刻的影响已使英语的语音、词汇、语法烙上了鲜明的法语印记。(7)在法律英语中，存在着大量的来源于法语的词汇，代表性的词汇有：
（1）The Employer hereby covenants to pay the Contractor in the manner prescribed by the Contract.（业主特立此约保证按合同规定的方式向承包人支付合同价。）
（2）I hereby resign the office of the President of the Unites States.（本人特此辞去美利坚合众国总统职务。）
2. hereof
例如，合同中常出现此类条款：
The terms, conditions and provisions hereof.（本合同的条件和条款。）
This decision shall apply to the crimes committed against Article 9, Article 10 and Article 11 hereof by the staff and workers of enterprises other than limited liability companies(8) and companies limited by shares(9).（有限责任公司和股份有限公司以外的企业职工有本决定第9条、第10条和第11条规定的犯罪行为的，适用本决定。）
3. herein
The term “company” mentioned herein refers to such a limited liability company or such a company limited by shares as are established within the territory of China in accordance with this Law.（本法所称公司是指依照本法在中国境内设立的有限责任公司和股份有限公司。）
4. hereinafter
该词一般与to be referred to as, referred to as, called 等词组连用，以避免重复。
When existing Chineseforeign equity joint ventures(10), Chinese-foreign cooperative joint ventures(11) and wholly foreign-owned enterprises(12)(hereinafter referred to as “enterprise with foreign investment”) apply to reorganize themselves into a company, the enterprises with foreign investment shall have a record of making profits for the recent three consecutive years.［已设立的中外合资企业、中外合作企业和外商独自企业（以下简称“外商投资企业”），如申请转变为公司的，应有最近连续3年的盈利记录。］
In Testimony Whereof, this Contract shall come into effect after the Contract in question is made and signed by the Parties hereto in duplicate, and either Party will hold one copy.（本合同由双方代表签字后生效，一式两份，双方各执一份。特此为证。）
（1）It is a formal sworn statement of fact, signed by the author, who is called the affiant or deponent, and witnessed as to the authenticity of the fact.
（2）Someone who is not a party to a case volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it.
（3）It is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas.
（4）It is a type of defense found in legal proceedings by demonstrating that the defendant was not in the place where an alleged offense was committed.
（5）It is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention.
2．请将下列汉语句子翻译成英文，注意其中专门术语的表达。
（1）法人以它的主要办事机构所在地为住所。
（2）1994年《行政诉讼法》允许公民对滥用职权或渎职的官员提起诉讼。
（3）委托他人代为诉讼，必须向人民法院提交由委托人签名或者盖章的授权委托书。
（4）无效的合同或者被撤销的合同自始没有法律约束力。
（5）离婚案件有诉讼代理人的，本人除不能表达意志的以外，仍应出庭。
3．请将下列英文句子翻译成汉语，注意其中专门术语的表达。
（1）We the people of the United States do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
（2）I do nominate my husband, Black Smith as Executor of this my Last Will and Testament.
（3）An appeal is a request to a higher(appellate) court for that court to review and change the decision of a lower court.
（4）The terms punitive damages or exemplary damages refer to money damages awarded to punish the other's conduct, as well as to deter others from such conduct in the future.
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(1) Laurel Currie Oates: The Legal Writing Handbook, Little, Brown & Company, 1993, p.669.
(2) 陈卫佐：《拉丁语法律用语和法律格言词典》，法律出版社2009年版，前言第2页。
(3) ad hoc arbitration, 特别仲裁，专项仲裁，指仲裁事项是特定的争议。ad hoc officer指特别官员；ad hoc court,特别法庭；专门法庭。
(4) de jure ownership，法律上的所有权。
(5) de facto marriage，事实婚姻。
(6) An issue that has been definitely settled by judicial decision.
(18) limitation of prosecution：追溯时效；statute of limitations：诉讼时效法、追诉时效法；limitation of action：诉讼时效。时效还可用prescription一词，如取得时效：positive prescription/acquisitive prescription；消灭时效：negative prescription/extinctive prescription。