法律英语中表示“某某人(者)”,往往用由动词派生的“-ed”型名词如“the accused ” (被告人), “the accused”(被保险人)、“the insured”(被保险人)、“the deceased”(死者)……这些词固然可以用通常的手段构成其所有格,如:
1. 死者的遗产 the deceased's estate
2. 被告人的自白 the accused's confession
3. 为被保险人的利益 for the insured's interest 等等,但是这种用法从修辞角度来看,就显得尴尬(awkward)了。
4. From a stylistic point of view, accused becomes awkward in the possessive case …
—DoMLU
要打破这种(由动词派生的)“-ed”型名词所有格所造成的僵局,有两种办法。其一是,变换词汇,如不用“deceased”、“accused”、“insured”而改用“decedent”...:
5. Appellant was under no duty to speak or inquire concerning detail of decedent's [而不用 deceased's] wealth.
—ibid.
6. The accused person's [而不用 accused's] silence may generate a reasonable inference that …,
—Ibid.
7. for the decedent [而不用 insured's] interest
一Ibid.
但是,变换词汇未必都可行。比如说“insurant”此词不如 “insured”常用,“decedent”又不如 “deceased”婉转,且在英国英语中已经“obsolete”。于兹场合,就要采用第二个办法了一一把“—eds” 改为“of...-ed”:
8. 死者的遗产 the estate of the deceased
9. 被告人的自白 the confession of the accused
10. 被保险人的利益 the interest of the insured
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