上述單詞均有法律或法規(guī)的含義。act主要是指由立法機(jī)關(guān)所制定的法律(the formal product of a legislative body [1]),該單詞常用作單一的法律的名稱,翻譯時可譯為x x法,如Criminal Law Act (《刑法》)、Anti-competitive Act (《反不當(dāng)競爭法》) 等。相比之下,law可用作指單部法律或法規(guī),如:a law或 laws,又可用作表示一般和抽象的含義(the law),但它一般不用作某個特定的法律命令的名稱,如Uniform Law on the International Sale of Good則不應(yīng)譯為《統(tǒng)一國際商品銷售法》,而只能譯為《國際商品銷售統(tǒng)一法規(guī)編纂》,這樣可避免人們將其誤認(rèn)為是一部具體的法規(guī)(事實上,它是歐共體的一部示范性法典)。同理,如《中華人民共和國婚姻法》不應(yīng)翻譯為Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China (此種譯法容易被人誤認(rèn)為其是一部論述我國的婚姻法的論著,或一部涵蓋所有有關(guān)婚姻的法律法規(guī)的法規(guī)匯纂),而應(yīng)譯為Marriage Act of the People's Republic of China。statute主要指“制定法”,與判例法相對,因而,作為立法機(jī)關(guān)制定的act既可稱作a law,也可成為a statute。bill除有時可指“頒布的成文法”(an enacted statute[2])之外(如在Bill of Rights中),其主要指提交議會審議的“議案”或“法案”,一般情況下,a bill經(jīng)議會通過生效后,即成為an act (a legislative proposal offered for debate before its enacted[3]),因而,act只能譯為“法”、“法律”、“法令”等,而決不能譯為本應(yīng)由bill表示的“法案”。legislation主要指“立法”,即具有立法權(quán)力的機(jī)關(guān)或人所頒布的法律[4],從這個意義上講,它與statute相似,一般說來, legislation又可分為本位立法和次位立法兩種(primary and secondary legislations ) 。
[1] Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D. , Meniam Webster's Dictionary of Law, at p. 10, Merriam -Webster, Incorporated (1996).
[2] Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 157,West Group (1999).
[3] Id. at p. 157.
[4]“The enactment of statue of a legislature. " Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law t at p. 268,Random House (2000).