合同专用词汇

英语合同专用词汇也就是合同术语，这里单独拿出来详细讲述，有助于理解许多合同的基本用词习惯。

1．whereas“鉴于”“就……而论”

Whereas一般用于合同的前言部分的“鉴于条款”，用于引导和介绍合同背景、合同目的等，相当于considering，in consideration of或that being the case等。

例如：

WHEREAS, this Agreement is supplemental to an agreement dated 5 December 2009 between the parties (the Principal Agreement) under which the Purchaser agreed to buy certain assets of the Vendor for an aggregate sum of $3 million.（本合同系为补充双方当事人此前于2009年12月5日业已缔结之合同（以下简称“主合同”），主合同中买方同意从卖方购买总价值300万美元的资产。）

Whereas the Seller agrees to sell and the Buyer agrees to buy the following materials on the following specific terms and conditions:（买卖双方同意按下列规格和条款购买以下物料：）

Whereas the Bank has agreed to extend a short-term credit loan for the purpose of providing general working capital to the Company, the Parties thereto do hereby agree as follows:（鉴于该银行同意向该公司提供短期贷款作为其周转资金之用，双方同意以下各点：）

2．envisage“预见”

envisage含义和用法与expect和imagine类似，表示“预见”、“假设”。

例如：

Consult someone immediately if any alternation to the supplementary conditions is envisaged.（如果补充规定有变更，请立即咨询某人。）

3．In Witness Whereof“以此为证”“特立此证”

在英语合同的“证明部分”，通常由In Witness Whereof来引导出“证明部分”，其意为“以此为证”“特立此证”，起到声明、证明、承诺的作用。

例如：

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by duly authorized representatives of both parties on the date and year first written above.（本协议由双方当事人代表于本协议上述所记载日期缔结生效，特此为证。）

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Contract in duplicate by their duly authorized representatives on the date first above written.（作为协议事项的证据，双方授权代表于上述日期正式签订本协议，一式两份。）

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this agreement to be executed by duly authorized representatives on the date first written above. The effective date of this contract shall commence upon the date of signature and seal by parties hereto, which shall terminate on end and conclusion of guarantee period by original manufacturer.（本合同由双方授权代表在上述日期代表各方签署订立，特此为证。本合同于双方签字盖章之日起生效，至原厂提供的质保期结束时终止。）

4．Known All Men by These Presents“根据本文件，兹宣布”

Known All Men by These Presents一般接whereas之后，常用来引出具体协议事项，可译成“兹”，“特此”。与Now Therefore“特此，因此”近似。

例如：

Known All Men by these presents that we, the Bank of China having our registered office at Fu Chenmen (hereinafter called the Bank) will be bound to the Employer in the Sum of________for which payment shall well and truly be made to the Employer.（根据合同文件，兹宣布，中国银行（注册地点：北京阜成门）（以下简称：“银行”）向业主立约担保支付金额________的保证金。）

例如：

And Whereas we have agreed to give the Contractor such Bank Guarantee; Now Therefore we hereby affirm that we are the Guarantor and responsible to you, on behalf of the Contractor, up to a total of________(amount of guarantee) (in words), such sum being payable in types and proportions of currencies in which the Contract is payable, and we undertake to pay you, upon your first written demand and without cavil or argument, any sum or sums within the limits of________(amount of guarantee) as aforesaid without your needing to prove or to show grounds or reasons for your demand for the sum specified therein.（本银行（或金融机构）已同意为承包人出具保证函，我们在此同意作为保证人，并代表承包人以支付合同价款所规定的货币种类和比例，向你方担保总额为________（大写）的保证金。银行在收到第一次书面付款要求后，在上述担保金范围内，毫无异议地向你方支付________（保证金额），你方无须出具证明或陈述提款理由。）

5．execute“签署”“履行”

execute在英语商务合同中，通常用作“签署”的意思，相当于sign，较少用作“执行”。比如，The contract is executed on December 12,2008，应当理解为“本合同签订于2008年12月12日”。有时，execute也可以用来表示“履行合同”等，如in the course of the execution of the contract（在合同履行过程中），因此，要决定execute在法律英语中的含义，还要联系上下文的意思。

例如：

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the authorized representatives of the parties hereto have caused these presents to be executed the 1st day of February 2007.（本协议于2007年2月1日各方代表签字后生效。）

6．frustration“合同落空”“合同受挫”

frustration在英语合同里是一种专业用语，意思是“合同落空”“合同受挫”，其另外的英语表达是frustration of contract或frustration of purpose。

例如：

The Parties to a contract may be discharged from the necessity of further performance if the contract becomes frustrated. A contract may become frustrated where, before property and risk have passed, it becomes impossible to perform the contract legally, or the circumstance so change that performance would be radically different from what was contemplated in the contract. The frustrating event must occur without the fault of either party. Examples of frustrating events are the outbreak of war or a supervening illegality, i. e. where performance becomes illegal by law after the contract is made.（合同落空，当事人可不再继续履行合同。合同无法依法履行或因情势变更，合同的履行与合同规定大相径庭，在财产与风险转移之前，合同可以落空。发生合同落空事项，当事人均不得有过错。合同落空的情况如战争爆发或合同订立后随即发生非法行为，即合同于订立后其履行即为非法。）

7．supersede“取代”“使……无效”

supersede在合同英语中意为“取代”，相当于replace，supplant,在英语合同中，supersede较为常用。

例如：

Party B is commissioned by the manufacturers to buy steel plates and this contract shall supersede all previous commitments.（乙方受制造厂家的委托购买钢板，本合同将取代以前的一切承诺。）

This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties on the issues set forth herein and shall supersede any and all agreements made between the Parties regarding the issues prior to the date hereof.（本协议是双方之间就事项所达成的全部协议，并代替双方在本协议日之前达成的任何及全部协议。）

8．unless otherwise“除非另……”

在合同英语中一般用unless otherwise表示“除非另……”，后面一般跟动词，比“if not”和“otherwise”正式。比如“除非信用证另有规定”可以说“unless otherwise specified in the Letter of Credit”。

例如：

The contractor shall make his own arrangements for the engagement of all labor, local or otherwise, and save insofar as the contract otherwise provides, for the transport, housing, feeding and payment thereof.（承包人必须自行安排雇佣所有当地和外地的劳工，并负责劳工的交通、食宿和工资，本合同另有规定的除外。）

Unless otherwise expressly provided for in this Contract, the Agent shall have no obligations to account to any Bank for any amount received in respect of any loan maintained by the Agent or any of its affiliates or for the profits related to the loan. The Agent and its affiliates may make loans to, accept deposits from and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower as though the Agent in question were not as an Agent.（除本合同另有明确规定外，代理行没有义务向任何银行说明它或它的附属机构的贷款金额或其利润。代理行及其附属机构可以向借款人贷款，接受借款人存款，并与借款人进行各种经营活动，如同不是代理行一样。）