一、 標(biāo)題的翻譯(The Translations of Headings)
公證書(shū)可譯作“Notarization”或“Notarial Certificate”。筆者認(rèn)為一旦某一特定公證處采用其中的一種譯法,一般不應(yīng)做改動(dòng)。
涉外公證翻譯工作量最多的往往是:畢業(yè)證公證書(shū)(Notarization of Diploma)、學(xué)位證公證書(shū)(Notarization of Degree Certificate)、成績(jī)單公證書(shū)(Notarization of Academic Transcription)、親屬關(guān)系公證書(shū)(Notarization of Family Relation)、婚姻狀況公證書(shū)(Notarization of Marital Status)、無(wú)刑事犯罪記錄公證書(shū)(Notarization of No Record of Criminal Offense)、及(涉外)收養(yǎng)公證書(shū)(Notarization of Adoption)等。當(dāng)然,在實(shí)踐工作中,以上各分類(lèi)標(biāo)題都可籠統(tǒng)地譯為:“Notarization”或“Notarial Certificate”。
翻譯標(biāo)題時(shí)應(yīng)注意以下問(wèn)題:
1. 標(biāo)題中不用引號(hào)(Quotation Marks)及句號(hào)(Periods);
2. 標(biāo)題要在公證書(shū)上方中央位置(Center Top);
3. 公證書(shū)標(biāo)題必須全部大寫(xiě)(Capitalize All Letters)或大寫(xiě)標(biāo)題中每個(gè)單詞的第一個(gè)字母(Capitalize the Very First Letter of Each Word);
但
4. 標(biāo)題中的冠詞(Articles)及少于5個(gè)字母的連詞(Conjunctions)、介詞(Prepositions)不應(yīng)大寫(xiě),除非位于句首;
受公證書(shū)類(lèi)型限制,在公證書(shū)標(biāo)題中一般不會(huì)出現(xiàn)象“Between”這樣長(zhǎng)的連詞或介詞。此外,公證書(shū)標(biāo)題的翻譯應(yīng)追求準(zhǔn)確、簡(jiǎn)潔。比如有的公證員將“親屬關(guān)系”譯為“Relationship”,但是筆者認(rèn)為用“Relationship”不如用“Domestic Relation ”或“Family Relation”準(zhǔn)確;
有的公證員將“畢業(yè)證”譯作“Graduation Certificate”,這就不如用“Diploma”簡(jiǎn)潔。
還有,在譯“學(xué)位證公證書(shū)”時(shí)如采用《英漢-漢英雙向法律字典》中“學(xué)位證書(shū)(Diploma)”的譯法顯然會(huì)造成與畢業(yè)證表達(dá)上的混亂[3]。
那么,能否區(qū)別對(duì)待?比如說(shuō)具體稱(chēng)之為“文科學(xué)士學(xué)位公證書(shū)”(Notarization of B.A. Degree)或“理工科碩士學(xué)位公證書(shū)”(Notarization of M.S. Degree)等等。
“婚姻狀況公證書(shū)”的翻譯也應(yīng)依據(jù)具體情況分別作“離婚公證書(shū)”(Notarization of Divorce)及“未婚公證書(shū)”(Notarization of Being Single)[4]。諸如此類(lèi)的細(xì)分。
二、 公證書(shū)正文即公證詞的翻譯(The Translations of the Body Part)
1. “茲證明”的翻譯 我國(guó)公證書(shū)公證詞多以“茲證明……”開(kāi)頭,其英文翻譯(English Equivalent)應(yīng)該是:“This is to certify that…”。
2. 公證詞翻譯應(yīng)忠實(shí)于原文(Conformity)
筆者曾在翻閱卷宗時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)如下譯文:This is to certify that Wang, who is male and was born on May 1, 1964, and Hao, who is female and was born on October 19, 1965, registered marriage on October 1,1992 at the registration office of Civil Affairs Department, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. 這篇譯文的缺陷之一在于時(shí)態(tài)。筆者認(rèn)為“Registered”一詞為動(dòng)詞的過(guò)去式,表明的是過(guò)去發(fā)生這一登記結(jié)婚的事實(shí)而不能證明現(xiàn)在的婚姻狀況是離異(Divorced)、喪偶(Widowed)還是分居(Separate)。這樣便不能滿(mǎn)足法言法語(yǔ)的周密性、準(zhǔn)確性要求。因此,筆者認(rèn)為將時(shí)態(tài)該為現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)態(tài),以表達(dá)“一直持續(xù)到現(xiàn)在的狀態(tài)”要妥一些。缺陷之二在于譯文不夠簡(jiǎn)潔。
建議該為:This is to certify that Wang (male, born on May 1, 1964) and Hao (female, born on October 19, 1965) have been married since on October 1, 1992 at the registration office of Civil Affairs Department, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. 還有,有的公證員在翻譯諸如畢業(yè)證公證書(shū)時(shí),將《畢業(yè)證》等按照中文的習(xí)慣在翻譯中加上書(shū)名號(hào),使人覺(jué)得十分滑稽。我們知道在英語(yǔ)中是沒(méi)有書(shū)名號(hào)的,在嚴(yán)肅的公證文書(shū)翻譯中出現(xiàn)這樣的錯(cuò)誤是很可笑的。正確的方法是將漢語(yǔ)中應(yīng)該加書(shū)名號(hào)的部分斜寫(xiě)(Italicized)、劃下劃線(xiàn)(Underlined)或大寫(xiě)(Capitalized)。
三、 涉外公證書(shū)的落款(Close)
涉外公證書(shū)譯文正下方須注明:
1. 公證員(Notary)姓名和簽名(Signature)或蓋章(Stamp);
2. 公證處名稱(chēng)及蓋章;
3. “中華人民共和國(guó)”(The People’s Republic of China)字樣;
4. 日期。日期的格式一般為月/日/年。
此外,在出國(guó)留學(xué)經(jīng)濟(jì)擔(dān)保(Affidavit of Financial Support)中通常有擔(dān)保人(Financial Sponsor)如下誓詞:I certify that I will provide tuition fees, living expenses for my son Lee during his stay in the United States. If he requires any further monetary assistance, I will provide this as well. 通常,公證處需要擔(dān)保人出具財(cái)產(chǎn)證明或銀行存款證明(Bank Savings Statement)。所有這些均附于公證材料后。在涉及財(cái)產(chǎn)證明時(shí),有時(shí)會(huì)遇到個(gè)體工商戶(hù)(Individual Business)的營(yíng)業(yè)執(zhí)照(Business License)。在逐項(xiàng)翻譯中會(huì)遇到如“某某市/縣工商行政管理局”印章。筆者認(rèn)為不應(yīng)譯作“Commercial and Industrial Administration Bureau of City (Prefecture)
/County x”,而應(yīng)譯為“x City (Prefecture)/County Administration of Industry and Commerce”。因?yàn)椋?ldquo;Administration”一詞本身便有“executive branch of a government”的意思[5],即“行政機(jī)關(guān)、局(署)等”。
有時(shí),公證機(jī)關(guān)還對(duì)材料的譯本的真實(shí)性和可靠性予以公證,即“翻譯件與原件一致公證”(Notarization of the Conformity of Translated Copy and the Original)。
最后一點(diǎn),在涉及“畢業(yè)證書(shū)公證”時(shí),最后一句通常是:“原件上的校長(zhǎng)某某某和畢業(yè)學(xué)校某某大學(xué)之印簽均屬實(shí)”。周幫友老師的實(shí)用英語(yǔ)應(yīng)用文大全中將“屬實(shí)”二字譯為“Genuine”。筆者認(rèn)為通譯該是“Authentic”。因?yàn)?ldquo;Authentic”一詞在法律英語(yǔ)中常用。比如:“作準(zhǔn)證書(shū)”是“Authentic Instrument”,“作準(zhǔn)文件”是“Authentic Document”[6]及〈麥克米倫字典〉中將“Authentic”一詞解釋為:“being what it purports to be”,并且給出了一個(gè)搭配例子即:“an authentic document”;而且,還有的書(shū)中,將“公證書(shū)”譯為:“Authentic Deed”或“Authentic Act”。由此可見(jiàn),用“Authentic”一詞更準(zhǔn)確一些,更與公證書(shū)語(yǔ)言靠近一些?,F(xiàn)將上面一句漢語(yǔ)譯出以供參考:“Both the signature of President xxx and the stamp of the graduation School yyy University are found to be authentic. ”