下面的例句選自一份合規文件，句式雖不複雜，部分詞句理解卻要花一番心思。閱讀措辭嚴謹的法律文件當然對提高英文水準有幫助。有時候，閱讀病句或不夠嚴謹的語句，可以提高解析問題的能力。

【例句29】

23.16 Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism

For so long as The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited or any of its Affiliates is the Agent, the Agent may take and instruct any delegate to take any action which it in its sole discretion considers appropriate so as to comply with any applicable law, regulation, request of a public or regulatory authority or any HSBC Group policy which relates to the prevention of fraud, money laundering, terrorism or other criminal activities or the provision of financial and other services to sanctioned persons or entities. Such action may include but is not limited to the interception and investigation of transactions on accounts (particularly those involving the international transfer of funds) including the source of the intended recipient of fund paid into or out of accounts. In certain circumstances, such action may delay or prevent the processing of instructions, the settlement of transactions over the accounts or the Agent's performance of its obligations under the Finance Documents. Where possible, the Agent will use reasonable endeavours to notify the relevant parties of the existence of such circumstances. Neither the Agent nor any delegate of the Agent will be liable for any loss (whether direct or consequential and including, without limitation, loss of profit or interest) caused in whole or in part by any actions which are taken by the Agent or any delegate of the Agent pursuant to this clause. For the purposes of this clause, the "HSBC Group" means HSBC Holdings plc, its subsidiaries and associated companies."

【要點解析】

（一）so long as 只要

so long as亦作as long as，用於引導條件狀語從句。關於so long as的含義，參見《科林斯詞典》的解釋：If you say that something is the case as long as or so long as something else is the case, you mean that it is only the case if the second thing is the case.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/as-long-as

（二）delegate 代表

參見《元照英美法詞典》：delegate (1) (得到委託授權的)代表；代理人

另見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition):  delegate.  n.  One who represents or acts for another person or a group.

（三）代詞it所指不明

品味文义，下面的语句中代詞it似乎分指the Agent和any delegate。

the Agent may take and instruct any delegate to take any action which it in its sole discretion considers appropriate

倘若原文本意是代詞it仅指the Agent，這句話可以改寫成：the Agent may take any action which it in its sole discretion considers appropriate and may instruct any delegate to take suchaction

（四）in its sole discretion 自由決定

in one’s sole discretion意思是“由……全權酌情決定”。譯文根據文義譯為“自由決定”。

參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition):  sole discretion. An individual’s power to make decisions without anyone else’s advice or consent.

（五）comply with something 遵守；遵從

我們也經常用到comply的同源名詞compliance構成的短語in compliance with 符合……，遵守……，遵從……

（六）a public or regulatory authority 公共機構或監管機構

參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition)關於authority的第三項釋義：A governmental agency or corporation that administers a public enterprise <transit authority>. Also termed public authority.

（七）money laundering 洗錢

參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition)關於洗錢的解釋：The act of transferring illegally obtained money through legitimate people or accounts so that its original source cannot be traced. 

（八）sanctioned persons or entities 受制裁的人或實體

動詞sanction有兩個相去甚遠的義項：批准；制裁。根據文義，這裡顯然是“制裁”的意思。

（九）intercept  截取，攔截

注意intercept的另一個義項：竊聽。參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition): intercept. To covertly receive or listen to (a communication). The term usu. refers to covert reception by a law-enforcement agency.

（十）intended recipient  預定接收人

（十一）the processing of instructions 對指令的處理

process  v.t.  to deal with an official document, request etc in the usual way  

參見https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/process

（十二）Where possible, the Agent will use reasonable endeavours to notify the relevant parties of the existence of such circumstances. 凡有可能，代理行應盡到合理的努力向相關當事人通報存在上述情況。

where possible充當狀語，意思是“在可能的情況下”。

另外，use reasonable endeavours通常用於表示一種義務，所以will是情態動詞，譯為“應當”較妥。

（十三）use reasonable endeavours 盡到合理的努力

參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition): endeavor.  n.  A systematic or continuous effort to attain some goal.  

endeavor.  v.t.  To exert physical or intellectual strength toward the attainment of an object or goal.

（十四）notify 通報

notify是及物動詞，可以帶有複合賓語，構成短語notify somebody of something或notify somebody that + 賓語從句。

參見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition): notify. v.t.  To inform (a person or group) in writing or by any method that is understood <I notified the court of the change in address>.

（十五）consequential loss 間接損失

參見《元照英美法詞典》：consequential loss  間接損失

由損害行為的後果所致的損失，而非由該行為直接所致的損失。

另見Black’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition):  consequential loss. A loss arising from the results of damage rather than from the damage itself. A consequential loss is proximate when the natural and probable effect of the wrongful conduct, under the circumstances, is to set in operation the intervening cause from which the loss directly results. When the loss is not the natural and probable effect of the wrongful conduct, the loss is remote. Also termed indirect loss; consequential injury.  

應當注意：consequential有兩個義項，除表示“間接”外，還表示“重要”。表示“間接”時，它的反義詞是direct；表示“重要”時，它的反義詞是inconsequential。

consequential  [ˌkɒnsɪˈkwenʃəl]  adj. [usually before noun]    

① happening as a direct result of a particular event or situation  

② important

參見https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/consequential

inconsequential [ɪnˌkɒnsəˈkwenʃəl]  adj.   not important

同義詞是insignificant

參見https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/inconsequential

【參考譯文】

23.16 打擊洗錢和恐怖主義

只要香港上海滙豐銀行有限公司或者它的任何關聯公司擔任代理行，代理行即可自由決定採取它認為合適的行動並且指令任何代表採取這樣的行動，以便遵守任何可以適用的與防止欺詐、洗錢、恐怖主義或其他犯罪活動或者防止向受制裁的人或實體提供金融服務或其他服務有關的法律、規章、公共機構或監管機構的要求或者滙豐集團政策。上述行動可以包括（但是不限於）攔截和調查帳戶交易（特別是涉及國際資金調撥的帳戶），包括匯入或匯出帳戶的資金的預定接收人的來源。在某些情況下，上述行動可以推遲或阻止對指令的處理，推遲或阻止帳戶交易結算，或者推遲或阻止代理行履行它根據融資檔負擔的義務。凡有可能，代理行應盡到合理的努力向相關當事人通報存在上述情況。凡全部或部分地由代理行或者代理行的代表依照本條規定採取的行動所導致的損失（無論是直接損失還是間接損失，包括但是不限於利潤或利息的損失），無論代理行抑或代理行的代表均不承擔責任。就本條而言，“滙豐集團”是指滙豐控股有限公司、滙豐控股有限公司的子公司和關聯公司。