法律行为汉字术语的日本翻译与中国传播史  

The Translation History of the Term Rechtsgeschaft in Japan and Its Spread in China

作　　者：吴奇琦 Ng Keikei

机构地区：[1]澳门大学法学院,中国澳门 [2]澳门大学人文社科高等研究院,中国澳门

出　　处：《法学研究》2025年第1期95-117,共23页Chinese Journal of Law

基　　金：澳门大学科研资助项目“Research and Publication Project on Jurisprudence/Macao Positive law/Legal History”(SRG2021-00021-FLL)的研究成果。

摘　　要：“法律行为”一词乃日本明治时期法学家所创造。根据立法会议记录,日本德式新民法草案最初采用的术语是“法律上的行为”,后来才改采“法律行为”。“行为”一译,是沿用了日本法式旧民法中“acte”的译法。然而,起草委员们未注意到德国学说上“Rechtsgeschaft”与“Rechtshandlung”之分,故“Rechtsgeschaft”“Rechtshandlung”“acte juridique”曾被当时日本文献视作同义。因立法后术语难再改动,起草委员们只能以学说之名,将“法律行为”分为广狭二义,广义者指“Rechtshandlung”,狭义者指“Rechtsgeschaft”,而“acte juridique”可作广狭二用,至于“法律上的行为”,则专指“Rechtshandlung”。因“行为”同被用于“Geschaft”“Handlung”甚至“Akt”等,使汉字术语相当混乱。这一混乱随着清末留日学生翻译的日本著作与讲义传入我国。译本的不理想,使我国错失改译的良机。本文发现了两部从未被引用的文献:1917年,余棨昌对“法律行为”译语提出了批评,这一发现可将学界认知前推90年;1977年,刘世民首次提出改译方案,主张将“法律行为”改译为“法律事务”。虽然21世纪又出现了各家改译方案,但将“Rechtsgeschaft”与“Rechtshandlung”分别译为“法律行为”与“法律上的行为”仍是主流。The term“法律行为”was coined by Japanese jurists during the Meiji period.According to the legislative minutes at that time,the terminology initially adopted in the draft of the new German-style Japanese civil law was“法律上的行为”,and was later changed to“法律行为”The translation of“Geschaft”into“行为”follows the translation of“acte"in the old French-style Japanese civil law.However,the drafters did not take into account the distinction between Rechtsgeschaft and Rechtshandlung in German doctrine.Therefore,Rechtsgeschaft,Rechtshandlung,and acte juridique were considered synonymous in Japanese literature at the time.Since it was difficult to change the legislative expression,the drafters had no choice but to divide“法律行为”into two senses,broad and narrow,in the name of doctrine.In the broad sense,it refers to Rechtshandlung,and in the narrow sense,it refers to Rechtsgeschaft.Acte juridique can be used in both broad and narrow senses.“法律上的行为”only refers to Rechtshandlung.Since“行为”was used to translate Geschaft,Handlung and even Akt,the Kanji terminology is very confusing.This chaos was introduced into China through Japanese textbooks and lectures translated by Chinese students studied in Japan in the late Qing Dynasty.As a result of the unsatisfactory translation of these textbooks and lectures,China missed the opportunity to revise the translation.This paper discovers two documents that have never been cited.Firstly,the translation“法律行为”was already criticized by Yu Qichang in 1917,ninety years earlier than currently known by the academia.Secondly,Liu Shihmin proposed a translation change for the first time in history,changing“法律行为”to“法律事务”(which means legal business lato sensu).In this century,various opinions on re-translation have emerged in China.Nonetheless,“法律行为”and“法律上的行为”remain the mainstream terminology to this day.

关 键 词：法律行为 法律上的行为 法律事务 准法律行为 事实行为 

分 类 号：H36[语言文字—日语] D90-055[政治法律—法学理论]