含章可貞，以時發也。

下文選自《法律英語：語句翻譯點睛》

https://www.angle.com.tw/book.asp?BKID=14101&bkid_1=&KindID3=&KindID4=

下面的例句有點兒繞，不過語法結構很清晰，把握句中幾個關鍵字，就可以理解句子的意思。另外，句中關於“天”的幾個詞，啟發我們在閱讀英文法律檔的時候要注意弄清詞彙的含義，對它們的微妙區別要了然於胸。

【例句23】

A reference herein to a “month” is a reference to a period starting on one day in a calendar month and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the next calendar month save where any such period would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day, it shall end on the next Business Day unless that day falls in the calendar month succeeding that in which it would otherwise have ended, in which case it shall end on the preceding Business Day, provided that if a period starts on the last Business Day in a calendar month or if there is no numerically corresponding day in the month in which that period ends, that period shall end on the last Business Day in that later month (and references to “months” shall be construed accordingly).  

【要點解析】

我們首先根據《元照英美法詞典》和布萊克法律詞典弄清下面幾個詞的含義。

business day  營業日

business day. A day that most institutions are open for business, usu. a day on which banks and major stock exchanges are open, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.  

calendar days  歷日；工作日

一個歷日〔a calendar day〕包括24個小時，但若以複數的形式出現，則類似於工作日〔working days〕。

calendar day.  A consecutive 24-hour day running from midnight to midnight. Also termed natural day. 

注意：calendar day比較嚴謹的譯法是“公曆日”或“自然日”。它其實就是國文中所說的“陽曆日”。calendar day不一定是工作日。

natural day. ① The 24-hour period from midnight to midnight. Also termed calendar day. ② The period between sunrise and sunset. Also termed artificial day. 

natural day 白晝

指日出至日落之間的時間。

注意：《元照英美法詞典》與布萊克法律詞典對natural day的解釋略有不同。

Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth edition): 

year. ① Twelve calendar months beginning January 1 and ending December 31. Also termed calendar year. ② A consecutive 365-day period beginning at any point; a span of twelve months. 

fiscal year. An accounting period of 12 consecutive months <the company’s fiscal year is October 1 to September 30>. A fiscal year is often different from the calendar year, esp. for tax purposes. Also termed fiscal period. 

注意：根據布萊克法律詞典的解釋，把calendar year 譯成“公曆年”比較妥當。

month. ①  One of the twelve periods of time in which the calendar is divided<the month of March>. Also termed calendar month; civil month. ② Any time period approximately 30 days<due one month from today>. ③ At common law, a period of 28 days; the period of one revolution of the moon<a lunar month>. Also termed lunar month. ④ One-twelfth of a tropical year; the time it takes the sun to pass through one sign of the zodiac, usu. approximately 30 days <a solar month>. Also termed solar month. 

calendar month   歷月

日曆上的一個月份，不同於太陰月〔lunar month〕。

注意：month這個詞在不同的語境下意思也有區別。我們閱讀和起草法律檔的時候一定要明確month的具體含義。例句中的calendar month就是布萊克法律詞典關於month的第一個義項。我們把它譯成“公曆月”。

副詞herein意思是“in this place, situation, document etc”，例句選自一份協議，所以譯成“在本協議中”。與herein相對的詞是therein，意思是“in that place, or in that piece of writing”。

save (or save for)是介詞，與except是同義詞。save後面可以接名詞或代詞，也可以接連詞、關係副詞或關係代詞引導的從句。save有時與except連用，即save and except，這時意思和單獨使用save或except時一樣。

第一個意群是A reference herein to a “month” is a reference to a period starting on one day in a calendar month and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the next calendar month

在法律檔中經常用到a reference herein to something is/shall be a reference to something這個句型，尤其是協定的定義和解釋部分（definition and interpretation）。它的意思是本協議/本檔/本法（視具體檔而定）中所稱某某是指某某。

主語是A reference herein to a “month”。表語a reference to a period starting on one day in a calendar month and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the next calendar month稍長。其中，分詞starting和ending分別作名詞period的定語。numerically corresponding day的意思是數字上對應的日子，比如七月十五日就是六月十五日的numerically corresponding day。

第二个意群是save where any such period would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day, it shall end on the next Business Day unless that day falls in the calendar month succeeding that in which it would otherwise have ended, in which case it shall end on the preceding Business Day,

这个意群稍显复杂，首先是关系副词where引导第一个条件状语从句，句中would otherwise是一种虚拟语气，意思是期间原本会在并非营业日的日子终止。代词it指这个期间。

連詞unless引導第二個條件從句，讀懂這句話，我們得弄清楚三個代詞具體所指。首先，分詞succeeding後面的代詞that是指什麼？其次，in which it would otherwise have ended這個定語從句中的代詞it 指代什麼？第三，in which case it shall end on the preceding Business Day這個定語從句中的代詞it指代什麼？

品味語義，介詞save表明where引導的條件狀語從句表示例外的情形，分詞succeeding後面的代詞that是指前一個calendar month，it would otherwise have ended是虛擬語氣，意思是原本應當結束，it顯然指前面提到的such period（期間），第三個人稱代詞it也指這個期間。這個意群的意思是假如期間從5月30日開始，到6月30日結束，但是如果6月30日不是營業日，而下一個營業日是7月1日，超出了6月份，這時候期間就提前到6月29日或6月28日（如果6月29日也是非營業日）結束。

第三个意群是provided that if a period starts on the last Business Day in a calendar month or if there is no numerically corresponding day in the month in which that period ends, that period shall end on the last Business Day in that later month (and references to “months” shall be construed accordingly).

在法律檔中，連詞provided往往引導條件從句。參見《元照英美法詞典》的解釋：provided  如果；假如；以…為條件；除非。

意群提到兩種情況，一是期間在公曆月的最後一個營業日開始，二是在期間終止的公曆月沒有數字對應日，那麼不論哪種情況，期間應在下一個公曆月的最後一個營業日終止。

【參考譯文】

本協議所稱的“一個月”是指從一個公曆月中的某一日開始，至下一個公曆月中的數字對應日終止的期間。但若上述期間的終止日不是營業日，則該期間應在下一個營業日終止。除非該期間本應在某一公曆月內終止，其終止日卻在下一個公曆月之內，如此則期間應提前至上一個營業日終止。如果期間在公曆月的最後一個營業日開始或者在期間終止的公曆月沒有數字對應日，那麼期間應在下一個公曆月的最後一個營業日終止（本協議所稱的“若干月份”亦作相應解釋）。