英汉句法上的差异影响法律文件的翻译。从很多法律文件的翻译文本中我们可以看出，译者用的表达方式与句式与原英文文本有着很大的不同。 试比较下面两个法律条款。例1出自香港法律，例2出自中 国内地法律。
例1
Any person who unlawfully and maliciously causes by any explosive substance an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property shall, whether any injury to person or property has been actually caused or not，be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction upon indictment to imprisonment for life. (Laws of Hong Kong, Cap. 200，Crimes Ordinance, Art. 53)
例2
Whoever sets fires, breaches, dikes，causes explosions, spreads poisons，or uses other dangerous means that lead to people's serious injuries or death or cause public or private property to suffer major losses is to be sentenced to not less than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment or death.
Whoever commits the crimes in the preceding paragraph negligently is to be sentenced to not more than seven years of fixed-term imprisonment or criminal detention. (Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China , Art. 106)
通过比较我们可以得出以下关于句法结构及措词的几点不同：
(1) Any person who... shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction (upon indictment)(to a fine of X dollars and) to imprisonment for X year(s). 这是香港法律中判处罪犯的一个基本句式。中国内地法律中相对应的表达为“凡是/任何人……即属犯罪，一经定罪(一经公诉判决），可处(罚款......和)监禁......年。”
中文法律条款的英译中，用来表达此概念的句式“Whoever......is to be sentenced to not more /less than X year(s) of fixed-term imprisonment /life imprisonment/death”。但是在原中文文本中，使用的是客观句式“……的，处……年以下/以上有期徒刑/无期徒刑/死刑”。上面所引法条意思如下：
“放火、放水、爆炸、投毒或者以其他危险方法致人重伤、死亡或者使公私财产遭受重大损失的，处10年以上有期徒刑、无期徒刑或者死刑。
过失犯前款罪的，处7年以下有期徒刑或者拘役。”
(2)相同概念的不同表达
宣判有罪时，香港法律使用的表达方式为“shall be liable to...”，而内地的英文翻译为“ shall be sentenced to... ”或者“ is (are) to be sentenced to …”。
宣判监禁处罚时，香港使用“...imprisonment for...year(s)/ imprisonment for life”而内地的英文翻译为“...year(s) of fixed- term imprisonment/life imprisonment”。
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