文 / 李 健
Conditions of Contract for Construction, FIDIC, 1999 現(xiàn)場(chǎng)進(jìn)入權(quán)條款(2.1 Right of Access to the Site)對(duì) FIDIC 權(quán)利義務(wù)的表達(dá)如下。
2.1 Right of Access to the Site
The Employer 1 shall give the Contractor right of access to, and possession of, all parts of the Site within the time( or times) stated in the Appendix to Tender. The right and possession may not be exclusive to the Contractor. If, under the Contract, the Employer is required to give( tothe Contractor) possession of any foundation, structure, plant or means of access, the Employer 2 shall do so in the time and manner stated in theSpecification. However, the Employer may withhold any such right or possession until the Performance Security has been received.
If no such time is stated in the Appendix to Tender, the Employer 3 shall give the Contractor right of access to, and possession of, the Site within such times as may be required to enable the Contractor to proceed in accordance with the programme submitted under Sub-Clause 8.3[ Programme].
If the Contractor suffers delay and/or incurs Cost as a result of a failure by the Employer to give any such right or possession within suchtime, the Contractor 4 shall give notice to the Engineer and 5 shall be entitled subject to Sub-Clause 20.1[ Contractor’s Claims] to:
(a) an extension of time for any such, delay, if completion is or will be delayed, under Sub-Clause 8.4[ Extension of Time for Completion], and
(b) payment of any such Cost plus reasonable profit, which 6 shall be included in the Contract Price.
After receiving this notice, the Engineer 7 shall proceed in accordance with Sub-Clause 3.5[ Determinations] to agree or determinethese matters.
However, if and to the extent that the Employer’s failure was caused by any error or delay by the Contractor, including an error in, or delay in the submission of, any of the Contractor’s documents, the Contractor 8 shall not be entitled to such extension of time, Cost or profit.
首先,我們看到FIDIC文本中采用了shall,表明FIDIC并沒(méi)有采用 ABC Rules。
其次,是否采用了AmericanRules則需要具體分析了。上述文字中,編號(hào)為1、2、3、4、7的shall,都是對(duì)作為法律關(guān)系主體的句子主語(yǔ)設(shè)置義務(wù),符合AmericanRules關(guān)于shall限于對(duì)法律關(guān)系主體設(shè)置義務(wù)的規(guī)定。前述情境中,根據(jù)不同主體(也就是句子主語(yǔ))可以相應(yīng)翻譯為:業(yè)主必須……,承包商必須……,工程師必須……。編號(hào)為 5 的 shall,即 :the Contractor…… 5 shall be entitled subject to Sub-Clause20.1[Contractor’s Claims]to……,按照字面意思,應(yīng)當(dāng)翻譯為:承包商必須按照條款20.1[承包商索賠]獲得授權(quán)……。此處的shall的用法無(wú)法得到合理解釋:一方面,從上下文看,這一句本來(lái)的意思是要表達(dá)承包商有權(quán)得到……;另一方面,從句子本身看,shall卻對(duì)承包商設(shè)置了義務(wù);兩方面合在一起,便成了“承包商有義務(wù)得到……權(quán)利”。這是什么話?大家讀起來(lái)或者聽(tīng)起來(lái),一定感覺(jué)到非常別扭,且不合邏輯!本文認(rèn)為,改為the Contractor……will be entitled subject to Sub-Clause 20.1[ Contractor’s Claims] to……更準(zhǔn)確,無(wú)歧義。編號(hào)為 6 的 shall,即 :payment……,which 6 shall be included in the Contract Price,這里 shall的主語(yǔ)為 payment,不能成為法律關(guān)系的主體,使用shall,其意思便難以確定;作為一項(xiàng)“要求”,使用 must更合適。編號(hào)為 8 的 shall,即 :the Contractor 8 shall not be entitled to such extension of time, Cost or profit. 與not 連用,在American Rules之下,替換成 must not或者 may not更合適 ;或者干脆改成 the Contractor will have no right to such extension of time, Cost or profit.承包商無(wú)權(quán)獲得此類延長(zhǎng)期、成本或利潤(rùn)。
再次,再來(lái)看看 may 的使用。The right and possession may not be exclusive to the Contractor..通常情況下,may not應(yīng)當(dāng)是“不得”的意思,那這句話就應(yīng)當(dāng)這樣理解“此類進(jìn)入和占用權(quán)不得為承包商獨(dú)享”,也就是,The right and possession must not be exclusive to the Contractor.承包商無(wú)權(quán)要求獨(dú)享??墒牵簧僦形奈墨I(xiàn)將這一句翻譯為“此類進(jìn)入和占用權(quán)可不為承包商獨(dú)享”,注意這里使用的是“可不”,也就是說(shuō),在適當(dāng)條件下,承包商可以要求獨(dú)享。此刻,回譯應(yīng)當(dāng)是,The right and possession is permitted not to be exclusive to the Contractor.上文中另外兩處may的使用無(wú)歧義。
最后,我們總結(jié)一下。FIDIC合同文本中有關(guān)權(quán)利義務(wù)的表達(dá),既沒(méi)有采用ABC Rules也沒(méi)有采用American Rules;特別是其廣泛使用的shall等存在多義性,雖然可以借助文本的體系解釋技術(shù)進(jìn)行一致性解釋,但仍然無(wú)法做到清晰、準(zhǔn)確、無(wú)歧義、前后一貫地表達(dá)權(quán)利義務(wù)。這也告訴我們,沒(méi)有必要把FIDIC合同文本奉為不可更易的圭臬,我們完全可以在合同談判中發(fā)揮我們的能動(dòng)性。