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What is law?
什么是法律？
How we define law depends on how we look at its purposes or functions. A basic purpose of law in our society is to maintain order and to resolve disputes. In this connection we must bear in mind that law is not simply a set of rules of conduct. It is also the means to impose responsibility and to enforce social justice. Law has also been defined as a command from a superior to an inferior. The tax law fits in well with this concept of law.
对法律的定义取决于我们如何理解它的目的或作用。法律在我们社会中的一个基本作用就是维持秩序，解决争端。从这个意义上讲，我们必须牢记：法律不仅仅是一系列的行为准则，更是强调责任和保证社会公正的途径。法律也可以定义为上级对夏季的命令，税法就是这样一种法律。
Laws can be classified in many ways too. Laws are sometimes referred to as substantive or procedural. Substantive law defines rights, and procedural law establishes the procedures by which rights are protected and enforced.
法律有多种分类。法律可以分为实体法和程序法。实体法规定了公民的权利，而程序法则规定了保护和享有这些权利的各项程序。
Law is also frequently classified into areas of public and private law. Public law includes laws that affect the public generally. It can be further divided into constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law. Private law deals with the relationships between individuals in an organized society. It covers contracts, torts and property, each of which can be subdivided into several aspects.
法律也经常分为公法和私法。公法包括涉及公众的各项法律，公法可以细分为宪法，行政法和刑法。私法涉及有组织的社会中个人之见的关系，具体包括合同法，侵权法和财产法，这三方面又可以细分出许多分支。
The phrase "sources of law" is used here to describe methods and procedures by which law is created and developed. American law comes from four basic sources: constitutions, legislation, judicial decisions, and administrative rules and regulations.
“法律溯源”这个短语经常用来描述立法和完善法律体系的各种方法和程序。美国的法律有四个溯源：宪法，国会立法，司法决定和行政法律法规。
Judicial decisions as part of law is a unique characteristic of American law. This concept of decided cases as a source of law is often referred to as the common law system, which must be contrasted with the civil law system developed in continental Europe. The civil law countries have codified their law so that the main source of law in those countries is to be found in the statutes rather than in the cases. Under the common law system, statutes as well as cases are sources of law.
英国和美国法律的一个独特特征是把司法决定华为法律范畴。英美法系，有别于欧洲的大陆法系，把已判决的案例作为法的一个渊源、使用大陆法系的国家中，主要的法律渊源来自法典中的条文，各种案例并不能成为法律依据。然而在英美法系中，法律条文和已定案例都可以作为法律渊源。
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发表于 2017-5-31 21:28:56
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发表于 2018-8-31 12:49:43
