-
如何撰写发给非专业人士的律师函
(
中英文对照
)
HOW TO WRITE
LETTERS NON-LAWYERS WILL READ
作者：
译者：胡清平
Note: This article is for
background purposes only and is not intended as
legal advice.
作者注：本文仅供参考，并不旨在提供法律意见
译者注：翻译本文并未得到原作者同意，故译文仅供学习和研究使用
---------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---
Why do people hate to
get letters from lawyers? They carry bad news.
They mean serious business.
They're
hard to understand. They use strange words. They
carry the inherent threat of suit.
人们为什
么讨厌收到律师的来信呢？因为它们不是带来坏消息，
就意味着生意上出现了严重
的问题。而且，这些信让人理解起来有些难度
,
因为其中有一些生僻的专业术语，还有
,
在收
到律师的来信之后，往往随之而来的是诉讼的威胁。
Why do lawyers send such letters? They
mean serious business, and they intend to sue.
那为什么律师们还要发出这些信件呢？因为交易出现了问题，也因为他们想提起诉讼。
But
must
they
use
those
ancient,
strange
words
and
be
so
hard
to
understand,
or
can
lawyers
express serious business and imminent
suit using words everyone knows?
是不是在律师
函中一定要用一些生僻古怪的术语而让人费解呢？换句话说，
律师能不能用大
家都熟悉的词语来表述生意上的问题或即将来临的诉讼呢？
Whether writing a demand
letter to a contract breacher, an advice letter to
a client, or a cover letter
to a court
clerk, the letter fails if the person receiving it
cannot understand what it says.
其实，
不管是给违约者的正式请求书、给客户的意见书，
还是给法院书记员的说
明书，
只要
收信人不能理解其说了些什么，那这样的律师函是不
合格的。
All of
these letters have one thing in common: They are
not great literature. They will not be read
in a hundred years and analyzed for
their wit, charm or flowery words. With any luck
they will be
read
just
once
by
a
few
people,
followed
quickly
by
their
intended
result,
whether
that
be
compliance, understanding or agreement.
所有的律师函都有一个共同的特点：
它们不需要有太强的文学色
彩，
它们在若干年以后也不
可能再被阅读，
而且人们也不会对它们所包含的智慧、
对它们的吸引力、
对
其中的华丽词语
而给予关注。实际上，不论这些律师函上载明的是默许、意向，还是协议
，再幸运的话也只
会被少数人为了特定的目的而阅读一次。
Lawyers write many, many
letters. An average for me might be five letters a
day. This includes
advice letters,
cover letters, demand letters, all sorts of
letters. Some days have more, some have
less, but five is a fairly conservative
average, I would think. Five letters a day for
five days a week
for
fifty
weeks
a
year
is
1,250
letters
a
year.
This
is
my
25th
year
in
practice,
so
it
is
quite
conceivable that I
have written 31,250 letters so far.
律师会撰写很多很多的信函。拿我来说，平均每天要写
5
封信函（包括意见书，说明书，正
式请求书
以及其他各式各样的信函）
，有时候一天书写得多些，有时候一天书写得少些，不
过，我认为每天
5
封还是一个保守的数字。每
天
5
封，每周
5
天，每年
50
周，累计起来，
每年就
有
1250
封，不可想象，在我
25<
/p>
年的执业生涯中，我撰写的信函达
31250
封之多。
Why do
lawyers write so many letters? A primary reason
lies within the ethics of our profession.
Florida Bar Rules of Professional
Conduct Rule 4-1.4 says:
lawyer
shall
keep
a
client
reasonably
informed
about
the
status
of
a
matter
and
promptly
comply with reasonable requests for
information.
informed
decisions regarding the representation.
律师们为什么要写这么多的信函呢？答案在我们的职业规范和职业道德中。
美国佛罗里达
州
的律师条例之职业行为规则中第
4-1.4
< br>款说道：
一个律师应向客户报
告事件的现状并负有根据客户的合理要求而给予通知的义务。
<
/p>
一个律师应在适当的范围之内向客户解释事由，以便客户对代理事项做出决定。
While
clients
can
be
kept
informed
and
given
explanations
orally,
lawyers
certainly
know
the
value
of
the
printed
word
over
the
spoken
word:
it
is
not
as
easily
forgotten
or
misunderstood.
Letters also
create a record of advice given, which is useful
to both the lawyer and the client. That
is
why
letters
are
the
preferred
method
of
keeping
clients
informed
and
giving
clients
explanations.
既然客户们都知道要保存那些口头上的报告和解释，
那律师们就更明白书面文
字比口头话语
更可靠：它们不容易被忘记或被误解
.
信函能够保存法律意见的记录，这对律师和其客户都
是有利的。所以，我们
说信函是保存对客户的报告和向客户解释事由的最好工具。
Some Things To Do Before Writing
撰写信函之前需要做的事情
Before you start writing the letter it
makes sense to do some preliminary background
work.
在动笔起草信函之前要注意做好一些基础性的准备工作。
Find a letter form. Find a
similar letter you have sent in the past, or see
the Appendix to this article
for sample
engagement, cover, demand, contract negotiation,
contract advice, and fax letters.
查找信函范
本。
您可以在以前起草的信函中寻找类似的范本，
也可以参考一
下此文附录中所
列的范本（包括预约书，说明书，正式请求书，合同谈判备忘录，合同意
见书及传真函等）
。
Review prior letters to this recipient.
In a busy world, it is easy to forget. Review
prior letters to
remind yourself where
you are in the work process, what has already been
said, and what remains
to be said. This
will give your letter direction and purpose.
参考一下那些以前发给该收信人的信函。
在这个繁忙的世界上，
好多事情容易忘记。
回顾以
前的信函可以提醒您在
工作流程中走到了哪一步，写了些什么，还需要说些什么，所以说，
这样做可以让您把握
信函的方向和要旨。
Do not
send a letter to another lawyer's client without
that lawyer's consent. Before sending the
letter, find
out if the nonlawyer is represented by someone
else. Start by asking your client. Florida
Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Rule
4-4.2 says:
with
a
person
the
lawyer
knows
to
be
represented
by
another
lawyer
in
the
matter,
unless
the
lawyer
has the consent of the other lawyer.
未经允
许，
不要发函给另一个律师的客户。
在发送之前，
要确认收信人是否已经有代理律师
了。所以，在这之前，最好问一问您的客户
。佛罗里达州的律师条例之职业行为规则的第
4-4.2
款有这
样的规定：
在为客户进行代理活动中
，如果一位律师知道当事人已经有另一位律师在为其代理，除非
得到该代理律师的同意，
他就不得再同该当事人交流有关代理之事项。
Outline your thoughts in a checklist.
Before turning on your computer or dictating
machine, pull
out a yellow pad and jot
down the main points for your letter. List what
you want the letter to say.
Write the
points in any order; write them as they come into
your mind. You can rearrange them
when
you write the letter. Right now you're just making
a checklist for writing the letter.
列出您
的构思提纲。
在打开电脑或录音机前，
拿出一个黄色的小便笺簿
略记下信函的大纲并
列出您将在信函中要写此什么，
记录这些要
点时不要考虑什么顺序，
想到什么就写什么，
因
为你可以在真正撰写信函时重新安排顺序，而现在，您要做的仅仅是为信函准备提纲。
< br>
Keep the legal pad
close at hand. When you run out of ideas for the
checklist, put the pad at the
side of
your desk. New ideas always spring forth when
writing. Jot these down on the pad as you
write the letter; they are easily
forgotten.
随时将上述小便笺簿放在手边。当您不需要所构思提纲清单时，
也要将小便笺簿放在桌上。
因为在写作过程中随时可能涌现出新思路，
< br>要及时记下这些新的思路，
稍不注意，
它们就会
被忘了。
Simple Stuff That Will Make You Look
Dumb If It's Wrong
一些错误的小细节常常会欺骗您的眼睛
Letters begin with boring
things like the date and recipient's name and
address, but if any of these
are
missing or wrong the letter writer will look
pretty careless, to say the least. So be careful
when
starting the letter, and you can
even include some extra things that will make the
letter even better
than the regular
letters the recipient receives.
信函的页首常常
要注明时间、
收信人姓名、
住址等繁琐事项。
< br>如果这些事项有错误或是被疏
漏，说得严重一点，
会让人
觉得书写者有些粗心大意。所以，
从一开始起草信函时就要小心
谨慎，注意那些特别事项，让收信人觉得律师函比一般信函确实要好。
Date your letter. Date your
letter the day you write it, and send it the same
day. Undated letters are
difficult to
reply to. I usually reply to them by saying,
undated letter
that
I received in the mail on 24 June
1999.
注明日期
.
在信函上注明
撰写的日期，并在当日发出信函。未注明日期的信函回复起来有些
困难，遇到这样的难题
，我常常是这样写的，
兹对
1999<
/p>
年
6
月
24
日收到之未注明日期函
做出答复。
Consider
using
the
international
dating
convention
of
day-month-year
rather
than
the
U.S.
convention of month-
day-year. As reported in the 1 June 1999 Wall
Street Journal:
world.
... Both the MLA style guide and the
Chicago Manual of Style support the day-first
format. 'You
get rid of the comma that
way,' says Joseph Gibaldi, director of book
acquisition for the MLA in
New York.
在注明日期时，
最好用国际通用格式：
日
-
月
-
年
（
day-month-year
）
，
而不是美国通用的格式：
月
-
日
-
年（
month-day-year
）
.
正如华尔街日报在
1999
年
6
月
1
日中所报道的那样：
有点古
怪的美国时间格式正在让位于世界通用的日期在先的
时间格式
......
现代语言学会（
MLA
）文
体和芝加哥手册文体都支持这种日期在先的时间格式
，美国纽约州现代语言学会（
MLA
）
的图书采购部主任
i
也说
'
你们必须抛弃那些使用了逗号的时间格式
'
。
If you are sending
a fax or email, then type the time next to the
date. While letters
mail
如果您是
以传真或电子邮件的形式发送信函，
应在信函上印上日期和具体时间。
< br>因为传统邮
件传递可能要几天，但传真和电子杂志的传递则只需要几个小时或几分
钟。
Remind your
client to preserve attorney-client
confidentiality. Sometimes clients show your
letters
to others without realizing
they can lose the attorney-client privilege of
that communication. Add
this phrase at
the top of the letter to remind them not to do
this:
CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY-
CLIENT COMMUNICATION
DO NOT COPY OR
DISCLOSE TO ANYONE ELSE
If the letter
is written during or in anticipation of
litigation, the following phrase can be used:
CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT
COMMUNICA
TION
AND WORK
PRODUCT
DO NOT COPY OR DISCLOSE TO
ANYONE ELSE
提醒客户对其与律师之间的交流沟
通负有保密义务。
有时候，
客户们将收到的律师函拿给第
三方阅读，
因为他们不知道他们不能将其与律师之间沟通的内容披露给
他方，
所以，
应该在
信函的首部写上一
些话来提醒客户：
律师与客户之间的
沟通交流为秘密信息，未经允许，不得复制或披露给第三方
如果
信函是发生在诉讼之中或是诉讼的准备阶段，那最好用下面这段话：
< br>
律师与客户之间的沟通交流和律师的工作成果为秘密信息，未经允许，不得复制或
披露给
第三方
Be sure to use the recipient's correct
legal name and address. Your letter may be relied
upon for its
accuracy, so be accurate.
Verification of names can be obtained from the
public records, the phone
book, or the
webset. And when it comes to middle initials,
never rely on your memory or guess at
it because most of the time you'll be
wrong.
写清收信人的法定名称和住址。
只有信函的内容
准确，
才能让人觉得它是可以信赖的。
您可
以利用公共档案、电话本、互联网等工具来核对这些名称的准确性，特别是，如果这些名称
< br>中出现了中间名字
(middle
initials)
，千万不要凭想象和猜测，因为想来的和猜来的东西常常
都不可
靠。
Indicate
the
method
of
delivery
if
other
than
mail.
If
being
faxed,
include
the
fax
number
and
telephone number. If being sent by
FedEx, state whether it is by overnight or second
day. If being
sent by email, state the
email address. This will make it easy for your
staff person to send it to the
correct
place, and it will document for your file how it
was sent.
不使用传统邮件送交信函，
就要特别说明
送交的方式。
如果是用传真发送，
就要注明传真号
码和电话号码
;
如果是用联邦快递送交，就要说明送
交的时间是否会超过一天
;
如果是以电子
邮件的形式发送，就要注明电子邮件的地址
;
如果是让您的同
事送交到某个地点，那只需在
信函上注明送交的方式即可。
Include a fax notice. When
sending by fax, include a notice in case it is
sent to the wrong number.
Here is the
notice I use at the top of my letterhead when
sending a fax:
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
NOTICE
: This is
privileged and confidential and intended only for
the person named below. If
you
are
not
that
person,
then
any
use,
dissemination,
distribution
or
copying
of
this
is
strictly
prohibited, and you are requested to
notify us immediately by calling or faxing us
collect at the
numbers above.
Date Sent ________ Time Sent ________
Number of Pages ________
Person Who
Conf'd Receipt _________
传真
通知。
在发传真的时候，
最好附一个传真通知以防发错了号码。
这里有一个我经常放在
传真信函抬头的通知样本：
注意：
本传真欲发送给下述之收件人，
该接收人享有专用权并负有保密义务。
若您非下文所
述之收件人，请不要使用、分发、发送、复制本传真件，并应尽快通过电话或传真通知我们
更改上文所述之号码。
发送日期
_______
发送时间
________
页数
_______
特定收件人
_____________
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。<
/p>
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
。
..
After sending a fax, call
the recipient to confirm receipt and write that
person's name in the space
provided.
Never rely on the fax machine itself to confirm a
fax transmission; fax machines do not
yet have the credibility of a human
witness.
发完传真后，
要打电话给收件人确认其已经
收到传真，
并在有空余的地方记下收件人的名字。
千万不要相信
传真机显示的发送成功的信息
,
因为传真机终究是机器，不具有
类似人类智慧
的可信度。
The Corpus of the Litterae
信函格式
The
body
of
the
letter
is
why
you
are
writing
it.
You
succeed
by
leaving
the
reader
with
full
knowledge
of
why
you
wrote
the
letter
and
what
it
means.
You
fail
by
leaving
the
reader
dumbfound and clueless as to why
you sent such a letter. While most
letters fall somewhere in
between these two extremes, following
these suggestions will keep your letters on the
successful
end of the scale.
信函的主体是书写信函的目的之所在。您必须让读者清楚地知道您想要表达的意思和目的。
如果您的信函让读者一头雾水，
让他们不知道您要说些什么的话，
那这样的信函是不合格的。
大多数的信函常常会在某些地方步入这两个极端，
但遵从下述建议却可以让您的信函走上
成
功之路。
Identify your client. It is important
to let others know who is your client at the
earliest opportunity.
This accomplishes
a great deal. First, it tells the reader that your
client has a lawyer. This makes
your
client happy because most clients want the world
to know they have a lawyer. Second, it tells
the reader that you are not the
reader's lawyer. This makes your malpractice
carrier happy because
it's
one
less
person
who's
going
to
sue
you
claiming
they
thought
you
were
representing
them
when, in fact, you were
not.
Identifying your
client is an ethical concern, as well. Florida Bar
Rules of Professional Conduct
Rule
4-4.3 says:
not
state or imply that the lawyer is
disinterested.
Therefore,
the
first
time
you
write
someone
a
letter,
the
letter
should
open
with
the
following
sentence:
you represent by referring to your
client by name and as
明确你和客
户之间的关系
.
让其他人尽快地了解到谁是您的客户，这样做很
重要，也会带来
意想不到的效果。首先，
这会告诉读者您的客户
有律师。
其实，大多数的客户都希望满世界
的人知道他们是有律
师的，
所以这会令您的客户感到高兴和自豪。
其次，
这还让读者知道您
不是他的律师。
如果不这样做，
会让那些实际上和你没有代理关系而自认为和你有代理关系
的人
起诉你，所以这样做，也会让那些不负责任的送交者感到有些轻松。
< br>明确你和客户之间的关系真的很重要。佛罗里达州律师条例之职业行为规则中的第
4-4.3
款
也规定：
在处理自己代理的客户和一个没有代理人的当事人之间的事务时，一个律师不
得声称或者
暗示自己的处理是公正无私的。
因此，您在起草信函的第一时间、第一部分应该写道
:
我代
表
____
。
自此以后每次撰写信
函，您都应该再次证实您所代理的客户并称之为
我的客户
。
State the purpose of the
letter. Why leave the reader guessing? Go ahead
and say right up front
why you are
writing the letter. Here are some opening
sentences:
陈述信函的要旨。为什么要让读者自己猜测呢？您应
该直截了当地说出您为什么要写这封
信。这里有一些此种表达法的例句：
本文旨在
______
。
本文通知您
_______
。
我的客户指示我
____
。
本文确认
___________
。
本文证实我们今天在电话中交流的内容为
_____
。
If
there
are
any
enclosures,
list
them
first.
Listing
enclosures
at
the
beginning
of
the
letter
will
make
it
easier
for
your
staff
to
assemble
them
and
for
the
reader
to
check
to
be
sure
all
was
received.
This
is
much
easier
than
having
to
read
an
entire,
perhaps
lengthy,
letter
to
ascertain
what are the
enclosures.
如果有随信附件，
首先要列出他们的
清单。
附件清单应该放在信函的首部，
这既可以让您的
工作人员轻松地收集这些附件，
也可以让读者确认这些附件是否已经全部
收到。
另外，
这样
做，
读者就不需要到信函的全文中去寻找哪些是随信附件了，
特别是信函过长时，<
/p>
这样做就
更省事了。
The enclosures should be
described with specificity so that there is later
no question as to what
was enclosed. At
a minimum, the title and date of each document
should be listed. If the document
was
recorded,
then
the
recording
information
should
be
included.
Whether
the
document
is
an
original or a copy should also be
specified. The following is an example:
are
the
following
documents
from
your
closing
held
on
___/___/1999
in
which
you
purchased the home at _________, St.
Petersburg, Florida, from ___sb______:
Warranty Deed dated ___/___/1999 and
recorded on ___/___/1999 at O.R. Book ____, Page
____,
_________, County, Florida
(original)
Title
Insurance
Policy
issued
on
___/___/1999
by
_________
on
_________
as
policy
number
_________ (original)
HUD-1
Settlement Statement dated ___/___/1999 (original)
为了避免将来引起关于附件的争议，
对这些随信附件需进行详细
地说明，
至少，
这些附件的
名称和时间
应该被列出。如果某附件已经被登记存档，那存档记录信息也要被列出。另外，
不管附件
文档是正本还是副本，都应该被说明。具体做法请参考下面这个例子：
下列附件来源于您在
1999
年
__
月
___
日的交易，在该交易日中，你从
____<
/p>
处购买了一座住
宅，该住宅位于
____
_,
彼得斯堡大街，佛罗里达州：
房
产担保契约
,
订立于
1999
年
__
月
___
日，
于
1999
年<
/p>
__
月
___
日
登记存档在佛罗里达州
___
县
的公共
档案中第
__
卷第
___
页上
(
正本
)
产权保险单
,
由
____
_
于
1999
年
__
月
___
日在
< br>_______
签发
,
单号为<
/p>
____(
正本
)
住房和城市发展部第
1
号授与声明，发布于
1999
年
__
月
___
日
(
正本
)
Outline the letter
as separately numbered paragraphs. Each paragraph
of the letter should state a
separate
thought,
comment,
point
or
concept.
No
paragraph
should
be
longer
than
four
or
five
short
sentences.
If
the
paragraph
is
longer,
then
separate
it
into
subparagraphs.
The
paragraphs
should flow in
logical, organized fashion. It is not necessary to
write them all at once; you can
write
them
as
you
think
of
them.
Try
to
group
related
concepts
in
the
same
paragraphs
or
in
adjacent paragraphs. See the Appendix
for sample letters.
用一些相互独立的段落来描绘出信函的轮廓。信函的每个段落最好只表达一个独立的意思、
意见、
观点或概念。
每个段落最多也只用四个或五
个短句组成。如果某个段落过长，则应分
成几个小分段。
段落之
间应该按逻辑顺序有条理地组织起来。
当然，
不需要一下子把它
们都
写出来，
可以边想边写。
另外，<
/p>
要力图在一个段落或在邻近的几个段落中将相关的概念解释
清楚。
本文的附录中有几个这样的例子可供参考。
Give each paragraph a title and
underline that title. Think of this as the
headline for a newspaper
article. This
makes it easy for the reader to scan the letter
and choose how to more fully read and
digest its contents. This also makes it
easier for you later when you see the letter in
your file and
try to remember why you
wrote it.
给每个段落加上一个标题并在该标题的下面划上下划线，这就像给
一篇新闻注上标题一样，
作用是既可以让读者轻易地浏览信函全文并决定怎样继续精读和
消化信函的内容，
还可以让
您以后在文件中很容易地查找信函的
内容并回想起当时为什么要这么写。
Complete each paragraph by writing what
applies to that paragraph. This is simple. You
learned
this
in
elementary
school.
Just
explain
in
words
what
you
want
to
say
about
each
concept
or
comment you placed in your outline.
每个段落只能围绕一个中心来展开论述。
这个道理很简单，
您在小学的时候就应该学过。
根
据这个道理，您应
集中笔墨论述您在提纲中安排的概念或观点。
If this is a letter to your client,
include ideas that occur to you as you write. Many
ideas will occur
to you as you write:
things that could go wrong with a business deal,
things that might happen in
the future,
things that happened in the past, ways to
structure things better. Write these in
your
letter even if
they are not strictly legal advice.
Florida
Bar Rules of
Professional Conduct Rule
4-2.1 says:
economic,
social, and political factors that may be relevant
to the client's situation.
如果该信函是发给客户的，<
/p>
那么在书写过程涌现的一些想法也要写上。
是的，
在书写过程中，
常常会有很多好的想法浮现在你的脑海里，
比如：
交易中可能出现的一些障碍，
将来可能会
发生的一些事情，过去已经发生了的一些事情，让事情往好的方向发展的方法，等等。
尽管
这些想法从严格意义上讲算不上法律意见，
但最
好还是写在信函中。
佛罗里达州律师条例之
职业行为规则中的第
4-2.1
款也有这样的要求：
在为客户提供意见时，一个律师不能仅仅只提供法律层面上的意见，
而且还根据客户的现
实情况考虑到道德、经济、社会以及政治等相关因素。
If this is a letter to
a nonclient, do not offer any advice. The letter
should accomplish its purpose of
providing information, making a demand,
etc., without giving legal advice to the
recipient. The
comment to Florida Bar
Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 4-4.3 says:
unrepresented person other
than the advice to obtain counsel.
如果该信函
是寄给非客户的，
那就不要提供任何意见。
该类信函只需达到提
供信息、
提出要
求等目的即可。
换句说
，
不要给收信者提供任何法律上的意见。
佛罗里达州律师条例之
职业
行为规则第
4-2.1
款的评述中
说：
<
/p>
在为客户代理的过程中，一个律师不得向非客户方提供任何意见，但建议其聘请律师的意<
/p>
见除外。
State your assumptions. Whether or not
this is an opinion letter, set forth the factual
assumptions
and statutes you rely upon
in giving your opinion or advice. It is customary
for opinion letters to
recite
the
facts
upon
which
the
opinion
is
based
and
the
statutes
and
case
law,
as
well.
This
is
something
that
every
letter
providing
advice
or
opinion
can
include
in
order
to
avoid
future
misunderstanding.
Every
opinion
and
all
advice
is
predicated
upon
facts
and
law.
Stating
the
assumed facts and applicable law in the
letter merely makes known to the reader what the
writer
understands to be true. This
then places an obligation on the reader to inform
the writer if any of
the assumed facts
is not accurate, which might change the opinion or
advice.
陈述您的设想和依据。
不管是意见书还是非意见书，
都要详细说明有事实根据的设想并给出
相关意见和建议所依据的法律。
对意见书来说，
常规是
要详细陈述意见所依据的事实以及相
关的成文法和判例法。
为了
避免将来引起误解，
所以每封信函在提供意见或建议时都会提供
相关的依据。
陈述假设的事实或相应的准据法不仅可以使读者知道作者是如何得出这些正
确
结论的，而且还能让读者在发现这些假设事实不正确之后通知作者改正。
Place instructions to
clients in bold type. This will make it easier for
the client to follow up on
your letter
and do as advised.
给客户的指示要用粗体字母。这样做可以让客
户容易地理解您的信函并按您的建议去做。
Close the letter with a final
paragraph. The last paragraph will be one of the
following:
Summary of advice:
To do list:
Demand:
Simple close:
在信函的末尾加上一个结束段落。下面有一些结束段落的样本：
总结意见的：
总之，我建议您
......
采取措施的：
因此，请采取下列措施
......
提出要求的：
于是，我的客户要求您立即停止并终止
....
..
一般性结尾：
如有任何问题，请给
我来电。
Playing with
the Words
玩点文字游戏
Why
does
it
take
lawyers
so
long
to
write
letters?
Because
we
play
with
the
words.
We
write,
rewrite, move around,
delete, cut and paste the words over and over and
over again until we are
happy
with
the
way
it
sounds.
That's
the
art
of
legal
writing.
It's
like
Picasso
painting
over
the
same
canvas
again
and
again,
transforming
it
from
one
painting
to
another
and
then
to
another
until finally he is satisfied with the
result. Not always 100% satisfied, but good enough
for it to go
out the door and into the
world. That's why writing is an art. And that's
also why more copies of
WordPerfect
were sold to lawyers than any other industry. So
here are some things to play with.
为什么律师们经常要花很长的时间
来书写信函呢？答案是我们总是喜欢玩点文字游戏。
我们
一而再
，再而三地书写、重写，推敲、删除、剪贴文字，直到我们满意为止，这也许就是法
律写
作的艺术，
也有点像画家毕家索，
在一块油画布上一遍又一遍地
画着相同的油画，
然后
到另一块油画布上画这幅画，再到第三块
油画布上画这幅画
...
直到他满意为止，当然，不可
能总是百分之百地满意，
只要作品好得能够向外公布即可。所以说，写作
也是一门艺术。说
回来，
这也就是为什么那文字处理软件在律师
行里要比其他行业里卖得好的原因。
下面我们
来谈一谈一些文字
处理技巧。
Write
in
short
sentences.
Short
sentences
are
easier
to
understand
than
long
ones.
crisp
sentences
in a language accessible to lay
people.
writing style of the late Lord
Alfred Thompson Denning, who was one of Britain's
longest-serving
appeals judges when he
died at the age of 100 in March 1999. The same
style Lord Denning used
in writing
appellate opinions should be used in writing
letters to nonlawyers.
用短句子撰写。短句子比长句子更让
人容易理解。
那些简短的、干净利落的句子更容易让
非专业人士接受。
这是已故阿尔弗高德·汤普森·
丹宁爵士在为美联社描述写作方式时所
说的一句话。阿尔弗高德·汤普森·丹宁爵士在<
/p>
1999
年
3
月
去逝，享年
100
岁，是英国在
位时间
最长的上诉法官之一。当然，
阿尔弗高德·汤普森·
丹宁爵士在
撰写上诉意见时用的
文字规则同样也适用于律师们发给非专业人士的律师函。
It's okay to use
jargon; just explain it. We hear all the time that
lawyers use too much jargon. But
some
concepts
need
the
jargon.
Like
nunc
pro tunc
(which
means
now
for
then
and
is
a
wonderful concept that
recognizes the inherent power of a court to
correct its records by entering
an
order
effective
as
of
a
prior
date)
and
per
stirpes
(which
means
through
representation
and
indicates a manner of
taking title from a decedent).
Every profession has its jargon. That's
not bad. It's part of our identity. It's a form of
shorthand. It's
a
form
of
common
knowledge
among
professionals.
If
my
physician
failed
to
use
jargon
in
describing
a
medical
condition,
I
would
probably
wonder
if
I
had
the
right
expert.
A
good
professional not only knows the jargon,
but can also explain it to a layman. Therefore,
show your
expertise. Use the jargon
when necessary, but explain it when you use it.
在信函中可以使用专业术语，但要对其进行解释。我们总是听
到律师们说太多的专业术语，
有时候他们也是没有办法，因为说明某些概念需要用专业术
语。比如：
nunc pro tunc(
意思是
事后补正，
令人兴奋的是这个术语可以用来准确地描述出法院拥有的一种专有
的权力，
即法
院可以在事后补发一个有效的命令
)
和
per
stirpes
(
意思是指按家系继承，也指一种从被继承
人那里接受遗产的方
式
).
每个行业都有它的专业术语，
这并不是一件坏事情。
专业术语不仅是我们身份的象征，
而且<
/p>
还是一种速记简写的工具。其实，专业人士使用专业术语是再正常不过了，
比如，
我的医生
如果不用专业术语来描述我的身体状况
，
我甚至会怀疑我是否找到了一个好的医学专家。
一
个好的专业人士不但要会使用专业术语，还应该将这些专业术语解释给非专业人士。因此，
要显示您的专业技能，就要在需要的时候使用专业术语并解释它们。
Repeat
yourself
only
when
repetition
is
necessary
to
improve
clarity
or
to
emphasize
a
point.
Ambiguity can created by saying the
same thing more than once; it is almost impossible
to say it
twice
without creating ambiguity.
除非是为了进一步说清或
是强调某个要点，
否则就不要重复陈述相同的内容。
将一件事情
重
复地说多次反而会让人觉得模棱两可；
所以在多数情况下，<
/p>
如果不想弄得含糊不请，
就不要
将一件事
情重复地再说一次。
When
explaining a difficult concept, describe it from
three directions. The only time repetition is
helpful is when explaining a difficult
concept. Each time you explain it you can make it
a little
more clear if you describe it
from a different direction, perspective or point
of view.
要解释一个比较难的概念，
尝试着从三个方
面下手。
对解释一个比较难的概念来说，
重复一
次还是有帮助的。
当然，
如果您每次解释都从不同的角
度、
用不同的方法、
提出不同的观点，
那会让人对这个概念理解得越来越清晰。
Write
in
active
tense,
rather
than
passive.
Active
tense
is
interesting;
passive
is
boring.
Active
tense sentences are shorter and use
words more efficiently, and their meaning is more
apparent.
用主动语态而不用被动语态。
主动语态招
人喜欢，
被动语态惹人讨厌。
主动语态的句子精练、
有效，意思也更明了。
Watch where you place modifiers. When
adding a modifier like
nouns
like
both nouns or just the first one.
If you intend it to apply to both, use parallel
construction and write
the modifier in
front of each noun. If you intend it to apply to
just one noun, place that one noun at
the end of the list and the modifier
directly in front of it.
使用修饰语时要小心。
当您将一个修饰语
（如
活动的
）
放在一组名语
（如
白蚁和有机体
）
之前时，
一定要弄请这个修饰语是修饰两个名词
还是仅仅修饰第一个名词。
如果修饰两个名
词，那就用排比结构
，即在两个名词前都放上该修饰语；
如果只修饰一个名词，那就在该名
< br>词的前面加上修饰语并将它们一起放的这组名词的最后。
Write numbers as both words
and numerals: ten (10). This will reduce the
chance for errors. The
Associated Press
reported on 18 June 1999, that a comma in the
wrong place of a sales contract
cost
Lockheed Martin Corp. $$70 million:
group's
C-130J
Hercules
had
the
comma
misplaced
by
one
decimal
point
in
the
equation
that
adjusted the sales price for changes to
the inflation rate.
have saved the day.
写数字时要大小写并用，比如：十
(10)
。这样做能减少出错的机会。据美联社
1999
年
6
月
18
日的报道，一
个逗号放错了地方让洛克希德马丁
(Lockheed
Mar
tin)
公司损失了七千万美
元：
在一个标的为美国宇航集团的
大力神
型军用运输机的国际合同中，有一个针
对通货
膨胀而调整销售价格的方程式，
但不幸的是，一个逗号被弄成了小数点
< br>......
其实，
如
果当初写
数字时能大小写并用，这个不幸就可以避免了。
When you write
all-
inclusive, you had better clarify your intent that
it is merely an example.
使用
<
/p>
包括
（
incl
uding
）时就要考虑在后面加上
但
不限于
（
but not
limited to
）
。除非您想列
出所有的包括项，否则您最好让人知道您仅仅是举个例子。
Don't
be
creative
with
words.
Legal
letter
writing
is
not
creative
writing
and
is
not
meant
to
provoke
reflective
thoughts
or
controversies
about
nuances
of
meaning.
Legal
writing
is
clear,
direct and precise. Therefore, use
common words and common meanings.
不要自己造
词。
法律信函的写作不是创造性的写作，
它的目的既不是为了分
析一个意思的细
微差别，也不是为了引起读者的沉思或争论。法律写作就是要清晰、直接
、简洁。所以，还
是使用常用的词语、常用的表达法为妙。
Be consistent in using
words. If you refer to the subject matter of a
sales contract as
that
term
throughout
the
letter;
do
not
alternately
call
them
and
Maintaining
consistency is more important than
avoiding repetition.
用词一致。
如果
您在信函中说明一个销售合同的标的时用
货物
< br>
，
那么在整个信函中都应该
用这
个词来表达这个意思，千万不要一会儿用
货物
< br>
，一会又用
产品
。是的，保持用词的
一致性比避免重复更重要。
Be
consistent
in
grammar
and
punctuation.
Don't
rely
on
the
rules
of
grammar.
The
rules
of
grammar that you learned in school are
not universal. The readers of your letter may have
learned
different
rules.
Write
the
letter
so
that
no
matter
what
rules
they
learned
the
letter
is
clear
and
unambiguous.
保持文法和标点符号的一致性。
不要过份依赖文法。
您在学校学
的那些文法规则并不是放之
四海而皆准的。
信函的读者们学到的
文法规则可能和您学到的不同，
但不管他们学到的是什
么文法规
则，只要信函清晰明了，他们就能理解。
Be consistent in
your use of
grammar. Be aware of such things as where
you put ending quote
marks,
whether
you
place
commas
after
years
and
states,
and
similar
variations
in
style.
Many
rules
of grammar are a matter of choice, but your choice
should be internally consistent within the
letter.
保持文法一致。
要特
别注意下面这些情况：在哪里放后缀的双引号，在年份，州名之后是否
应该加上逗号，<
/p>
等等类似的细节。
有好多文法规则可以供选择，
< br>原则是应在信函的全文中保
持文法的一致性。
Define a word by
capitalizing it and putting it in quotes.
Capitalizing a word indicates that you
intend it to have a special meaning.
The following is a sample clause for defining a
term:
Wherever
used
in
this
letter
,
the
word
shall
mean
the
goods
that
___sb______
agreed to purchase from ____sb_____
under the Contract.
定义一个词语时要用大写字母并用引号引用起
来。
带大写字母的词语意味着它在文中有特别
的意思。下面有一
个定义概念的样本条款：
在本文中，
货物
是指根据
合同
______
同意向
_____<
/p>
购买的货物。
Define words when first used. Instead
of writing a section of definitions at the
beginning or end of
a long letter,
consider defining terms and concepts as they
appear in the letter. This will make it
easier for the reader to follow.
第一次使用特定词语时就要定义它。
如果在信函的开头或在长信的末尾没有专
门的一部分来
解释这些概念，
那在第一次使用特定的词语时就要
定义它。
这样做能让读者更容易理解信函。
Avoid needless
and flowery words. Think of elementary school when
you had to reduce fractions
to the
lowest
common
denominator
is
understood
by
every
reader.
Eliminate
needless
words.
Avoid
flowery words.
不要用那些垃圾词语和华丽的
词藻。您应该还记得在小学简化分数时用到的
最小公分母
定律吧。
好的写作定律也和这类似。
将最小公分母定律用在写作上，
就能让每个读者理解起
< br>来非常容易。还是去掉那些垃圾词语、删除那些华丽的词藻吧。
Be direct and frank. There
is no sense beating around the bush in legal
letter writing. Just say what
you
mean.
If
you
leave
the
reader
wondering
what
you
mean,
your
letter
will
only
stir
the
imagination instead of prompting some
action.
要坦诚，要直接。在法律信函的写作中拐弯抹角是没有意义的。想说就
直说，如果您的读者
疑惑您究竟说了些什么，那么信函发出后随之而来的不是讯速的行动
而是无尽的想象。
Study
The Elements of Style. The full text of the 1918
classic by William Strunk is now available
on Columbia's Internet site at
/acis/bartleby/strunk. This means that even
if you left your copy on your bedstand
at home, you can quickly go online and search the
full text
of The Elements of Style,
where you will find these simple rules among
others (as you can see, I
am a old
student of this text):
学习
《文体入门》
（
El
ements of Style
）
。
威廉·
斯特伦克在
1918
年创作的经
典著作
（
Elements
of <
/p>
Style
）的全文已经放在哥伦比亚大学的互联网站上了，网址
是
.
这就是说，您即使将这个
经典著作
忘在家里的床头上，
也可以上网查看到这个经典著作的全文了，
而且，
您还可以在
文中搜索到这些比较简单的规则了（让您见笑
，我也是这个著作的老学生了）
：
<
/p>
将一个段落看成是一个书写单元
:
即一个
段落一个主题。
有一条规则为：以一个
中心句来开始一个段落，结尾的时候再和这个中心句呼应。
使用主动语态。
用
肯定语气陈述。
去掉那些垃圾文字。<
/p>
不要将那些松散的句子连为一体。
用类似的格式表达并列的意思。
将有关联的文字放在一起
.
在总结中，只用一种时态陈述。
将一个句子中的重点文字放在句末。
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
上一篇：英语动词、名词、形容词变化规则
下一篇：动词转换成名词