英语经贸合同支付条款中表示“支付〞意思的惯用词组的理解与翻译
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1. 引言
在英语经贸合同中，支付条款〔Clause of Payment/Article of Payment〕“指合同中有关买方支付货款的各个条文〞〔刘敢生等，1995：7〕，是合同中至关重要的条款之一，它详尽地规定了付款的方式、条件和时间等内容。英语合同支付条款中表示“支付〞意思的惯用词组尤其值得关注，例如：“available by、payment by、payable to、paid or payable、due to, in favor of/or the benefit of、for one’s account〞等，因为它们不仅意思微妙，而且结构复杂，往往与一些介词搭配使用而成为英语合同支付条款中的惯用法。正确理解这些英语合同支付条款中表示“支付〞等惯用词组确实切含义和使用场合，有助于准确地理解和翻译英语中相关的合同条款，也有助于做好其他经贸合同条款的汉译英，因为在汉译英时也可采用“借用〔Borrowing〕或回译〔Back translation〕的方法〔陈小慰，2001：41〕。以下笔者将重点论述这些惯用词组的含义、用法与翻译策略。
2. 英语经贸合同支付条款中表示“支付〞意思惯用词组的理解与翻译
2.1 available by〔凭……付款，按……付款〕
“available by〞是由“available〞的一般意思“可获得的、可购得的、可到的〞〔Wehmeier, 2004: 97〕引申而来，常与介词“by〞连用，“by〞在这里的英语意思相当于“in accordance with〞、“according to〞或“as per〞。该短语常用在经贸合同的信用证〔A Letter of Credit〕支付条款中。
例1 By Irrevocable Letter of Credit available by seller’s documentary draft at sight, to be valid for negotiation in China until 15 days after date of shipment. The L/C must reach the Seller 30 days before the contracted month of shipment.
以不可撤销的信用证，凭卖方即期跟单汇票议付，有效期应为装运期后15天在中国到期。该信用证须于合同规定的装运月份前30天送抵卖方。
“available by〞用在“letter of credit〞〔信用证〕条款中，常作“payable〞或“to be paid〞解，也可将此用法看作一种惯用法，习惯地将其译作“凭……付款，按……付款〞。请再看一例类似的用法。
例2 Payment shall be available by draft drawn under letter of Credit payable not longer than 180 (one hundred and eighty) days after presentation of documents to the negotiating bank of the L/C, together with an interest of 8.5% (eight and half percent) per annum for Buyer’s
account.
凭信用证开据汇票，向议付行提示单证后180天内付款，利息为年利8.5%，由买方负担。
2.2 payment by〔由谁支付，凭……支付〕和payment for 〔支付……货物〕
“payment by〞也常用在英语合同信用证支付条款中，通常是由“payment may/shall be made/effected/borne by〞省略而来。假设“payment by〞后接动作的执行者，那么应理解和翻译为“由某某人支付〞；假设后接付款方式，就应理解为“凭某某方式支付〞的意思。
例3 Payment by a prime banke r’s irrevocable, transferable letter of Credit confirmed by a first-class bank in the key currency country, covering full value of the contracted goods, in favor of the Seller, available by draft at sight for 100% invoice value, accompanied by the following documents.〔武振山，1987: 52〕
凭一流银行开立的以卖方为受益人，不可撤销，可转让，由主要货币国家一流银行保兑，含全部合同货物100%发票金额的即期信用证汇票，连同以下单据支付。
例4 The Engineer’s Representative shall have no authority to relieve the contractor of any of his duties or obligations under the contract nor, except as expressly
provided hereunder or elsewhere in the contract, to order any work involving delay or any extra payme
nt by the Employer, nor to make any variation of or in the works.
工程师代表无权解除合同规定的承包人的任何职责和义务。除在下文中或在合同的其他地方有明确的规定者除外，他亦无权命令任何工程延期或增加需由雇主支付的任何额外费用，亦无权对工程或工程某局部作任何变更。
以上第3例中的“payment by〞后引出支付工具，第4例中“payment by〞后那么引出动作的执行者“employer〞。假设“payment〞一词后接货物，那么应用“payment for〞这一短语，如：“All payment for Machines sold to the Buyer shall be made by an irrevocable letter of credit.〞〔出售给买方的机器全部要以不可撤销的信用证方式付款。〕
2.3 payable to〔支付给谁〕和payable at〔在何时支付〕
以上两个词组都频繁地使用在合同的支付条款之中。“payable to〞应理解和翻译为“应付给谁……款项〞；而“payable at〞那么应理解和翻译为“在某某时间支付〞。请看以下例子：
例5 The contractor shall then be entitled to receive only such sum or sums, if any, as the engineer may certify would have been payable to him upon due completion by him after deducting the said amount. If such amount shall
exceed the sum which would have been payable to the contractor on due completion by him, then the contractor shall, upon demand, pay to the Employer the amount of such excess and it shall be deemed a debt due by the contractor to the Employer and shall be coverable accordingly.
此后，承包人仅能有权得到可由工程师证明如承包人合格完工时原应支付给他并扣除了上述款项之后的一笔或数笔款项。如果该项款额超过承包人合格地完工时原应支付给他的款项，那么根据要求，承包人应将此超出局部付给雇主，并应被视为承包人欠雇主而应予归还的债务。
eight是什么意思该条款中两处都用到了“payable to contractor〞，其意思相当于“due or which may become due to the contractor〞〔应付给或可能应付给承包人〕。
例6 Payment by draft payable at 90 days after date, documents against payment.
凭90天后付款的汇票支付，付款交单。
“payable at〞之后常接一个具体的付款时间，这也是一种习惯用法。
这里需要补充的是，本句中的“documents against payment 〔D/A〕〞是一个国际贸易付款条件中的惯用语，介词“against〞是“凭据……〞之意，通常译作“付款交单〞，其英文意思是：“Documents be tendered to importer subject to

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