Мы, профессиональные переводчики, привыкли к тому, что в переводимых текстах, особенно когда речь идет о
переводе юридических документов, к выражениям на латыни. Кроме того в устных выступлениях также могут проскакивать подобные латинские словечки. Всем переводчикам рекомендуется знать базовые латинские выражения, но если сравнить вероятность их использования с временем, затраченным на их изучение, то и учить уже ничего не хочется. Тем не менее, полезно иметь под рукой этакий латинский словарик, где бы объяснялось, какое выражение в каком случае следует использовать.
Конечно же, всего знать невозможно, но уж если вы столкнулись при переводе с незнакомым латинизмом, то лучше оставить его без изменений, поскольку предполагаемая целевая аудитория, для которой готовится перевод уж наверняка будет знать значение. Ниже приведен словарик основных латинских выражений, с которыми Вы можете столкнуться:
• ab absurdo – by reduction to absurdity
• ab initio – from the beginning
• absente reo – the defendant being absent
• Abusus non tollit usum. – Abuse is no argument against proper use.
• Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea. – The act does not make the doer guilty unless his mind is guilty.
• actus reus – criminal act
• ad damnum – the amount of damages demanded
• ad hoc – for a special purpose
• ad hominem – against the person (not on the issue)
• ad infinitum – forever
• ad interim – meanwhile, temporary
• ad litem – for the suit (as in “guardian ad litem”)
• ad nauseam – to a sickening degree
• ad nutum – by inherent authority at any time
• ad usum – according to custom
• ad valorem – according to value (as in “ad valorem tax”)
• a fortiori – with even stronger reason
• alieni juris – not possessing full legal power (e.g. a minor)
• alter ego – another self
• amicus curiae – friend of the court
• a minima – reduced to a minimum
• Anno Domini (AD) – year of Our Lord
• ante bellum – before the war
• a posteriori – after the fact
• apsit omen – “knock on wood”
• arguendo – for the sake of argument
• Ars longa, vita brevis. – Art is long and time is short.
• assumpsit – he promised (name of an action at common law)
• audi alteram partem – hear the other side
• aut dedere, aut judicare – “extradite or prosecute”
• bona fide – in good faith, genuine
• bona vacantia – goods of unknown ownership
• Carpe diem. – Seize the day.
• casus belli – cause of war
• causa mortis – by reason of death
• Caveat emptor. – Let the buyer beware.
• cestui que trust (Anglo-French) – he who benefits by the trust
• Communis error facit jus. – Popular prejudices become law.
• contra bonos mores – against good morals
• contra pacem – against the peace
• corpus delicti – the basic elements of the offense
• corpus juris – a body of law
• Credo ut intelligam. – I believe in order that I may understand.
• damnosa hereditas – an inheritance carrying obligations
• damnum absque injuria – harm caused without violation of law
• de facto – in fact, actually
• de jure – as a matter of law, as of right
• de jure gestionis – relating to commercial acts by a state
• de jure imperii – relating to sovereign acts of a state
• de lege ferenda – law in the making
• de lege lata – settled law
• de minimis – insignificant
• De minimis non curat lex. – Law does not deal with trifles.
• de novo – afresh, anew
• desiderata – things desirable, ideals, aims
• deus ex machina – the god from the machine (a suddenly intervening force that sets things aright)
• dies irae – the wrath of the gods
• divortium aquarum – watershed (used in border demarcation)
• dixit – says
• doli capax – capable of crime
• doli incapax – incapable of crime
• duces tecum – bring with you (as in subpoena duces tecum, a court order that a person must bring evidence into court)
• ejusdem generis – of the same kind
• erga omnes – toward everyone (e.g. an obligation erga omnes)
• ergo – therefore
• et sequentes / et seq. – and the following
• Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur. – Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
• ex aequo et bono – based on equity and right
• ex delicto – arising from a tort
• ex gratia – as a gift
• ex mero motu – of one’s own free will, without compulsion
• ex nihilo – out of nothing
• ex officio – by virtue of his office
• ex parte – on one side or for one party only
• ex post facto – after the fact (as in “an ex post facto law”)
• Expressio unius est exclusio alterius. – A thing expressly listed implies that other things not expressly listed are meant to be excluded (a rule of statutory interpretation).
• ex profeso – on purpose, for the purpose
• ex relatione / ex rel. – upon relation or report of
• ex testamento – by will
• Fiat justitia, ruat coelum. – Let justice be done even if the sky should fall.
• forum non conveniens – inconvenient court (doctrine under which a court with jurisdiction may defer to another better suited to try a case)
• forum prorogatum – extension of a court’s normal jurisdiction to a case by the consent of the litigants
• habeas corpus – you have the body (name of a writ)
• honoris causa – honorary
• hostis humani generis – enemy of humankind
• Ignorantia legis non excusat. – Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
• in extremis – in extremity, in the last illness
• in fine – specifically
• in flagrante delicto – in the act of committing an offense
• in forma pauperis – as a poor person
• infra – below
• in fraudem legis – in circumvention of the law
• in loco parentis – in the place of a parent
• in medias res – in the midst of things
• in pari delicto – in equal fault
• in pari materia – on like subject matter
• in personam – relating to the person (by contrast with in rem)
• in re – in the matter of
• in rem – relating to a thing
• in rerum natura – in nature
• in situ – in its original position
• in statu quo – in the condition in which it was
• in sua causa – in one’s own cause
• in terrorem – in terror
• inter se – among themselves
• inter vivos – between living persons
• in toto – completely
• in vitro – within glass, as in a test tube
• ipse jure (jurisdiction) – (jurisdiction) by law
• ipso facto – by the fact itself
• ipso jure – by operation of law
• jus gentium / iure gentium – the law of nations
• jus sanguinis – a doctrine of nationality based on descent
• jus soli – a doctrine of nationality based on place of birth
• jus tertii – the right of a third person
• lapsus calami – error committed in writing
• lapsus linguae – error in language
• lex loci – the law of the place
• lex loci delicti – the law of the place of the offense
• lex mercatoria – the law merchant
• lex talionis – the law of retribution (“an eye for an eye”)
• lis pendens – litigation on a pending suit
• litera legis – the literal wording of the statute
• locus delicti – the place of a crime or tort
• locus standi – legal grounds to be heard
• malum in se – evil in itself
• mea culpa – my fault, an admission of guilt
• mens rea – guilty mind, criminal intent (required, together with actus reus, to constitute a crime)
• mirabile dictu – marvelous to say
• mobile vulgus – the changing crowd
• modus operandi – manner of operation
• mortis causa – by reason of death
• mutatis mutandis – all other necessary changes being made
• nec plus ultra – the very best, the ultimate
• nolle prosequi – (decision) not to prosecute
• nolo contendere – I will not contest it (name of a plea)
• non bis in idem – rule against double jeopardy
• non compos mentis – not of sound mind, mentally deficient
• Non est factum. – a plea alleging that one was mistaken about the character of a document
• non obstante veredicto / NOV – notwithstanding the jury verdict
• non sequitur – it does not follow
• non sui juris – not by one’s own authority or legal right
• Noscitur a sociis. – A word is known by the company it keeps (i.e. a word is to be understood by its context) (rule of statutory interpretation).
• Nullum crimen sine lege. – There is no crime without a law.
• nunc pro tunc – now for then (an action taken in the present that should have been taken before)
• obiter dictum – remark by the way
• opinio juris sive necessitatis – the belief by a nation that a rule of international law must be followed by it
• Pacta sunt servanda. – Agreements are binding.
• parens patriae – (acting as) parent to the community
• pari delicto – in equal guilt
• Par in parem imperium non habet. – Sovereigns have no jurisdiction over each other.
• pari passu – at the same pace, in parallel
• passim – here and there
• pax Romana – the peace of Rome (by analogy: pax Americana, etc.)
• pendente lite – pending the suit
• per capita – per person
• per curiam – by the court
• per stirpes – by representation (in distribution of an estate)
• pleno jure – with full authority
• post hoc – after the fact
• post mortem – after death
• post partum – after birth
• prima facie – at first sight
• primus inter pares – first among one’s peers
• pro bono publico – for the public good
• pro hac vice – for this occasion
• pro rata – in proportion
• pro se – for oneself
• pro tempore – for the time being
• quantum meruit – as much as deserved
• quare clausum fregit – wherefore he broke the close (a form of trespass)
• quid pro quo – something in exchange for something
• Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? – Who will guard the guards?
• qui tam – (suit) brought by private citizen on behalf of the government
• Quod erat demonstrandum. – that which was to be demonstrated
• ratio decidendi – the reason for the decision, the principle which the case establishes
• ratio legis – the spirit or purpose of the statute
• rebus sic stantibus – as matters stand
• reductio ad absurdum – reducing to absurdity (a way to disprove)
• Rem tene, verba sequentur. – Grasp the facts, and the words will follow.
• requiescat in pace – rest in peace
• res – the thing, the subject matter
• res ipsa loquitur – the thing speaks for itself (a theory of tort liability)
• res judicata – a matter adjudicated, an issue previously decided
• respondeat superior – doctrine that an employer is responsible for acts of the employee
• sanctum sanctorum – the holy of holies
• satisfecit – approval, endorsement
• Scripta manent, verba volant. – Writing remains, spoken words fly.
• secundum artem – according to the rules of the art
• sedes materiae – the substantive basis
• seriatim – severally, separately
• Sic semper transit. – So it always happens.
• Sic utere tuo in alienum non laedas. – Use your property in such a way as not to damage that of others.
• sine die – without a day appointed, indefinitely
• sine qua non – prerequisite
• stare decisis – to abide by decided cases
• sua sponte – on one’s own initiative
• sub judice – under consideration
• sub silentio – under silence
• sui generis – unique
• sui juris – of his own right
• supra – above
• Tempus fugit. – Time flies.
• terra incognita – unexplored land
• terra nullius – land belonging to no one
• tu quoque – you too
• ultra vires – beyond the powers of
• uti possidetis – as you possess, state of present possession (one of the theories used to define a nation’s territory)
• Vade in pace. – Go in peace.
• vade mecum – a handbook
• vel non – or not
• via media – middle course
• voir dire (Anglo-Norman) – to speak the truth (name of preliminary
examination to determine competency of jurors)
• vox populi – the voice of the people
