21. Don’t say things like "active termites and organisms". Avoid ambiguity by writing either "active termites and active organisms" or "organisms and active termites." When adding a modifier like "active" before a compound of nouns like "termites and organisms", be sure to clarify whether you intend the modifier to apply to both nouns or just the first one. If you intend it to apply to both, use parallel construction and write the modifier in front of each noun. If you intend it to apply to just one noun, place that one noun at the end of the list and the modifier directly in front of it.
不要说"活动着的白蚁和有机体"之类的话,为了避免模棱两可,最好这样写:“活动着的白蚁和活动着的有机体”或是“白蚁和活动着的有机体”。当一组名词(如"白蚁和有机体")前有一个修饰语(如"活动着的")时,你一定要弄清楚这个修饰语是修饰两个名词还是仅仅修饰第一个名词。如果是修饰两个词,可以用排比的手法分别在这两个词之前加上修饰语,如果你只想修饰一个名词,那么你就应该把这个词放在这组词的最后,然后在它的前面加上修饰语。
22. Don’t say "Lessor" and "Lessee." These are bad nicknames for a lease because they are easily reversed or mistyped. Use "Landlord" and "Tenant" instead. The same applies to lienor and lienee, mortgagor and mortgagee, grantor and grantee, licensor and licensee, party A and party B. This is where you can use your creativity to come up with a different nickname for a party, as long as you use it consistently throughout the contract.
不要说“出租人”和“承租人”。这对一个租赁合同来说是些不好的别称,因为他们容易被颠倒或者出现打印错误。可以用“房东”和“房客”来代替他们。同样,在合同中也不要说留置权人和留置人,抵押权人和抵押人,保证人和被保证人,许可人和被许可人,当事人A和当事人B......到底怎么说,这就要看你驾驭语言的能力了,不过,要把握的一条原则,即在整个合同中,对合同一方只能用一个别称。
23. Watch out when using "herein." Does "wherever used herein" mean anywhere in the contract or anywhere in the paragraph? Clarify this ambiguity if it matters.
使用术语“本文(herein,也可译为”“在这里”)时要当心。为了避免含糊不清,使用“本文”时最好特别申明一下“本文”是指整个合同,还是指其所在的某一段落。