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@ 50660 中美法律體系的差異
A: 中國的法官怎麼都這麼年輕？在美國，法官可都是資歷深厚、德高望重的人物。
Zhōngguó de fǎguān zěnme dōu zhème niánqīng? zài Měiguó, fǎguān kě dōu shì zīlì shēnhòu、 dégāowàngzhòng de rénwù.
Why are Chinese judges so young? In America, judges are all very experienced people with great moral authority.
B: 這就跟兩個國家的法律體系有關了。中國的法律屬於大陸法系，也叫成文法。就是說，所有的法律都是通過法律條文一一寫出來的。美國的法律體系就完全不一樣了。它屬於英美法系，也叫案例法。它是根據法官或者陪審團的決議判定的。這樣一來，法官就具有比較大的自主權，能根據每個案件的實際情況來裁定。所以美國的法官一般都需要很深的資歷。
zhè jiù gēn liǎng ge guójiā de fǎlǜ tǐxì yǒuguān le. Zhōngguó de fǎlǜ shǔyú dàlù fǎxì, yě jiào chéngwénfǎ. jiùshì shuō, suǒyǒu de fǎlǜ dōu shì tōngguò fǎlǜ tiáowén yīyī xiě chūlai de. Měiguó de fǎlǜ tǐxì jiù wánquán bù yīyàng le. tā shǔyú yīngměi fǎxì, yě jiào ànlìfǎ. tā shì gēnjù fǎguān huòzhě péishěntuán de juéyì pàndìng de. zhèyàng yīlái, fǎguān jiù jùyǒu bǐjiào dà de zìzhǔquán, néng gēnjù měige ànjiàn de shíjì qíngkuàng lái cáidìng. suǒyǐ Měiguó de fǎguān yībān dōu xūyào hěn shēn de zīlì.
That has to do with the difference between the two countries' legal systems. Chinese law belongs to the mainland legal system. It's also known as ''statute law." It means that all the laws are written out, one by one. The American legal system is completely different. It belongs to the Anglo-American legal system. It's also called precedent law. It's decided according to judges' or juries' judgments. In this way, the judges' power is relatively great. They can rule according to the actual facts of each case. So American judges generally need a lot of experience.
A: 哦，原來是這樣。那中國有陪審團嗎？
ò, yuánlái shì zhèyàng. nà Zhōngguó yǒu péishěntuán ma?
Oh, so that's how it is. Does China have juries?
B: 中國也有陪審制度，叫人民陪審員。但是，他們的作用和美國的陪審團很不一樣。在美國，陪審團的作用是巨大的。他們能決定最後的判決。同時也是維持司法公正的重要保障。在英美法系裡，陪審團和法官分工明確。前者負責認定案件事實，後者負責適用法律。如果陪審團裁斷無罪，法官當即宣告被告人無罪，當庭釋放。如果裁斷有罪，法官則會依法量刑。
Zhōngguó yě yǒu péishěn zhìdù, jiào rénmín péishěnyuán. dànshì, tāmen de zuòyòng hé Měiguó de péishěntuán hěn bù yīyàng. zài Měiguó, péishěntuán de zuòyòng shì jùdà de. tāmen néng juédìng zuìhòu de pànjué. tóngshí yě shì wéichí sīfǎ gōngzhèng de zhòngyào bǎozhàng. zài yīngměi fǎxì lǐ, péishěntuán hé fǎguān fēngōng míngquè. qiánzhě fùzé rèndìng ànjiàn shìshí, hǒuzhě fùzé shìyòng fǎlǜ. rúguǒ péishěntuán cáiduàn wúzuì, fǎguān dāngjí xuāngào bèigàorén wúzuì, dāngtíng shìfàng. rúguǒ cáiduàn yǒuzuì, fǎguān zé huì yīfǎ liàngxíng.
China also has the jury system. It's called the People's jury. But their role is different from American juries. In America, the jury is really important. They can make the final judgment. And they are an important protection for maintaining the impartiality of the law. In the Anglo-American legal system, juries and judges have a clear division of labor. The former is responsible for confirming the real facts of the case, while the latter is responsible for applying the law. If the jury finds ''not guilty," the judge immediately announces that the defendant is not guilty, and releases him at once. If, on the other hand, they find him ''guilty," the judge sentences him according to the law.
A: 那中國的陪審員沒有這方面的作用嗎？
nà Zhōngguó de péishěnyuán méiyǒu zhè fāngmiàn de zuòyòng ma?
So do Chinese juries have this function?
B: 他們不能決定判決，而是與法官一起審判案件。中國的陪審員制度是從不同的角度分析案件，使法官聽取來自業外人士的意見，豐富思維判斷。同時對法官進行監督和約束。
tāmen bùnéng juédìng pànjué, érshì yǔ fǎguān yīqǐ shěnpàn ànjiàn. Zhōngguó de péishěnyuán zhìdù shì cóng bùtóng de jiǎodù fēnxī ànjiàn, shǐ fǎguān tīngqǔ láizì yèwài rénshì de yìjiàn, fēngfù sīwéi pànduàn. tóngshí duì fǎguān jìnxíng jiāndū hé yuēshù.
They can't decide cases, and they try cases together with the judge. The Chinese jury system analyzes cases from different perspectives, and makes judges hear views from outsiders with a lot of knowledge. At the same time, they observe and restrain the judges.
A: 聽你一說，我覺得中國的法律體系相信成文的規定，講究互相制衡。而美國更注重個人的權利。不過我很好奇律師的作用。既然在中國，法官和陪審員的作用不是很大，那麼律師可以派什麼用場呢？
tīng nǐ yī shuō, wǒ juéde Zhōngguó de fǎlǜ tǐxì xiāngxìn chéngwén de guīdìng, jiǎngjiù hùxiāng zhìhéng. ér Měiguó gēng zhùzhòng gèrén de quánlì. bùguò wǒ hěn hàoqí lǜshī de zuòyòng. jìrán zài Zhōngguó, fǎguān hé péishěnyuán de zuòyòng bù shì hěn dà, nàme lǜshī kěyǐ pài shénme yòngchǎng ne?
To hear you tell it, China's legal system believes in the rule of law, and puts a lot of value on mutual balance. America seems to pay more attention to individual rights. But I'm also very curious about the roles of lawyers. Since in China the role of the judges and the jury is not very important, what good are lawyers?
B: 我以前聽一個美國人說過：“你有一個好的律師，你就擁有了世界上最好的法律系統。”在美國，律師可以用過去的案例，法庭上的演示，振振有詞的辯護來說服陪審員。而中國的律師能做的就是把他學到的法律條文一一地說出來。然後從這些法律條文中查找可以減輕當事人罪行的可能性。因為所有的罪都規定好了，除非他能找出反駁的證據，不然他能做的真的很少。
wǒ yǐqián tīng yī ge měiguórén shuō guo：" nǐ yǒu yī ge hǎo de lǜshī, nǐ jiù yōngyǒu le shìjièshàng zuìhǎo de fǎlǜ xìtǒng.” zài Měiguó, lǜshī kěyǐ yòng guòqù de ànlì, fǎtíng shàng de yǎnshì, zhènzhènyǒucí de biànhù lái shuōfú péishěnyuán. ér Zhōngguó de lǜshī néng zuò de jiùshì bǎ tā xuédào de fǎlǜ tiáowén yīyī de shuō chūlai. ránhòu cóng zhèxiē fǎlǜ tiáowén zhōng cházhǎo kěyǐ jiǎnqīng dāngshìrén zuìxíng de kěnéngxìng. yīnwèi suǒyǒu de zuì dōu guīdìng hǎo le, chúfēi tā néng zhǎochū fǎnbó de zhèngjù, bùrán tā néng zuò de zhēnde hěn shǎo.
I heard an American say once ''Having a good lawyer means you have the best legal system in the world." In America, lawyers can use previous cases and courtroom performance to eloquently plead their case and convince the jury. But in China a lawyer can just recite each of the laws he has studied one by one. Then, he can use these to try to find a way to reduce the suspect's sentence. Because all the crimes are well established in law, unless he can find opposing proof, there is really very little he can do.
A: 這麼看來，兩種法律體系真是大相徑庭。哎呀，時間不早了，我得趕緊走了。下次有機會，我再向你討教法律方面的知識。我對這方面蠻感興趣的。
zhème kànlai, liǎng zhǒng fǎlǜ tǐxì zhēnshì dàxiāngjìngtíng. āiyā, shíjiān bù zǎo le, wǒ děi gǎnjǐn zǒu le. xiàcì yǒu jīhuì, wǒ zài xiàng nǐ tǎojiào fǎlǜ fāngmiàn de zhīshi. wǒ duì zhè fāngmiàn mán gǎn xìngqù de.
Looking at them in this way, there really is a lot of difference between the two legal systems. Oh, it's getting late, I have to hurry back. Next time I get a chance, I'll ask you to explain some more stuff about the law. I'm really interested in this stuff.
B: 你饒了我吧。 我就這兩把刷子，今天都亮給你看了。
nǐ ráo le wǒ ba. wǒ jiù zhè liǎng bǎ shuāzi, jīntiān dōu liàng gěi nǐ kàn le.
You're being too polite. I really know very little, and today I've shown off all my knowledge.
Key Vocabulary
法官 fǎguān judge
資歷 zīlì record of service and qualifications
德高望重 dégāowàngzhòng to have good character and fame
大陸法系 dàlù fǎxì mainland legal system
成文法 chéngwénfǎ written law
英美法系 Yīng-Měi fǎxì British and American legal system
案例法 ànlìfǎ precedent
陪審團 péishěntuán jury
裁斷 cáiduàn to deliberate
被告人 bèigàorén defendent
量刑 liàngxíng to assign a penalty to fit the crime
制衡 zhìhéng to check and balance
派用場 pài yòngchǎng to put to use
振振有詞 zhènzhènyǒucí to speak convincingly
辯護 biànhù to speak in defense
反駁 fǎnbó to refute
大相徑庭 dàxiāngjìngtíng widely divergent
Supplementary Vocabulary
公訴人 gōngsùrén public prosecutor
原告 yuángào plaintiff
證人 zhèngrén witness
開庭 kāitíng to open a court session
刑事案件 xíngshì ànjiàn criminal case
民事案件 mínshì ànjiàn civil case
坦白從寬 tǎnbáicóngkuān tell the truth for a lighter sentence
抗拒從嚴 kàngjùcóngyán refusal to tell the truth brings a harsher punishment
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