第33解

conversation

【英文】Suits for criminal conversation reached their height in late 18th and early 19th-century England，where large sums，often between ￡10,000 and ￡20,000， could be demanded by the plaintiff，for “debauching” his wife.

【译文】在18世纪末和19世纪初的英国，刑事通奸诉讼案达到顶峰。原告对诱惑其妻的被告的赔偿要求可达10,000至20,000英镑。

【解释】conversation在法律语言中指“通奸”或“通奸罪”，相当于adultery。不过，意为“通奸”的conversation只在文艺复兴时期比较流行，在现代法律中通常用criminal conversation（一般缩写为crim.con.）指“通奸”或“通奸罪”。英国于1857年废除“通奸罪”，但美国部分州现在仍有“通奸”罪名。

与之相近的是sexual assault（“强奸罪”）。assault 本来指“攻击”、“袭击”，美国部分司法管辖区二十世纪八十年代废止rape一词，采用sexual assault（有的州采用indecent assault）指“强奸”或“强奸罪”。

再如：

A person who has sexual contact with another not his spouse，or causes such other to have sexual contact with him without that person’s consent，is guilty of sexual assault... If he knows that the contact is offensive to the other person...〔译文：如果一个男子明知其行为会对另一人造成伤害而与其配偶以外的人发生性接触，或者未经此人同意使之与其发生性关系，那么此人就犯有强奸罪。〕