青荷人译法学名著霍姆斯《The Path of the Law》（法律的小路）（二）_青青河畔草

The means of the study are a body of reports, of treatises, and of statutes, in
学习或研究法律的手段，不外一卷案例，一卷论文，一卷法条，无论是这个国家的，还是
this country and in England, extending back for six hundred years, and now
英国的，或是回溯六百年的一切，以及现在以每年成百上千卷增加的材料。
increasing annually by hundreds. In these sibylline leaves are gathered the
这些承载美好女巫预言的树叶，被秋风卷集着，归为
scattered prophecies of the past upon the cases in which the axe will fall.
一类，其中蕴含神圣的先例原则，现在的新案将预以实现。
These are what properly have been called the oracles of the law. Far the most
这些无不是法律当尊守先例的神圣原则。 人们更感艰难和
important and pretty nearly the whole meaning of every new effort of legal
重要神圣的是，对这些先例神圣原则增加些什么的思想，
thought is to make these prophecies more precise, and to generalize them into a
这些新思想使前者更简洁，或将正义揉进先例的整个互联系统。
thoroughly connected system. The process is one, from a lawyer's statement of a
程序之一是，从律师对案件的声明，到律师的专业知识对
case, eliminating as it does all the dramatic elements with which his client's
当事人案件如雾的外衣脱下，
story has clothed it, and retaining only the facts of legal import, up to the
只留下司法案件最重要的元素，
final analyses and abstract universals of theoretic jurisprudence. The reason
以法律专业者引以为傲的抽象理论和广博法律知识。 理由是
why a lawyer does not mention that his client wore a white hat when he made a
律师不会明白他的当事人，在法律咨询或请其打官司时心里想什么，
contract, while Mrs. Quickly would be sure to dwell upon it along with the
而当事人白克利女士尽管深思自己案件，但总是对自己熟悉之处喋喋不休，
parcel gilt goblet and the sea-coal fire, is that he foresees that the public
专业律师有责任此时预测公共权力即司法
force will act in the same way whatever his client had upon his head. It is to
权将对当事人施压，并劫救当事人白克利女士，一个奢华的女士。
make the prophecies easier to be remembered and to be understood that the
专业律师此一责任心，使美丽女巫的尊循先例的预言，有所落实，也令人怀念，
teachings of the decisions of the past are put into general propositions and
专业律师即以自己方式，将自己之思想揉进神圣的先例中。
gathered into textbooks, or that statutes are passed in a general form. The
这份光荣，必将融入此后的教科书，和国家颁行的蕴含一般法理的法条中。
primary rights and duties with which jurisprudence busies itself again are
专业律师这分权力和责任，蕴含了法理，埋藏自己，照亮多疑的当事人，体现了神圣的先
nothing but prophecies. One of the many evil effects of the confusion between
例原则。 在既成法律与专业法律人的思想之间，令人迷惑不已的是，法
legal and moral ideas, about which I shall have something to say in a moment,
律专业人，欲将自己的法律思想，揉进圣神的案件先例原则中，正是我此段著作想说明深
is that theory is apt to get the cart before the horse, and consider the right
切的。法律专业者的法律思想，不易贯穿在当事人的案件，
or the duty as something existing apart from and independent of the
这一贯穿多半是违法而不得不做之事。
consequences of its breach, to which certain sanctions are added afterward.
此一违法，将会受到司法监督机构，或明或暗的处罚。
But, as I shall try to show, a legal duty so called is nothing but a prediction
便我还是想深入说明，法律专业者的司法任务，不是别的，正是作为预言的先例必遵原
that if a man does or omits certain things he will be made to suffer in this or
则，如果违反，法律专业者将受到法院的制裁或更多。
that way by judgment of the court; and so of a legal right.