剛開(kāi)始肯定是查deposit咯
Deposit含義多，與定金有關(guān)的是里面的security deposit。
Money placed with a person as earnest money or security for the performance of a contract. ? The money will be forfeited if the depositor fails to perform.? — Also termed security deposit.
用earnest money來(lái)解釋，于是去查它
A deposit paid (often in escrow) by a prospective buyer (esp. of real estate) to show a good-faith intention to complete the transaction, and ordinarily forfeited if the buyer defaults.
有點(diǎn)循環(huán)定義的感覺(jué)……
都是為了擔(dān)保交易/合同的履行，違約都會(huì)被沒(méi)收。
詞義來(lái)看，earnest是serious的意思，earnest money就是serious money，不是鬧著玩了。
deposit則是“交給別人”，用作擔(dān)保，類似“押金”。韋氏詞典的解釋就體現(xiàn)這個(gè)意思：
money that you pay when you buy or rent something and that you can get back if you return the thing or leave it in good condition
Earnest money還有比例限制，與我們的定金（20%）有點(diǎn)像
“The amount of earnest money deposited rarely exceeds 10 percent of the purchase price, and its primary purpose is to serve as a source of payment of damages should the buyer default.”John W. Reilly, The Language of Real Estate 131 (4th ed. 1993).
布萊克還讓我們?nèi)⒖剂硗庖粋€(gè)詞：binder
Loosely, the buyer's initial payment in the sale of real property. Cf. EARNEST MONEY.
意思和前兩個(gè)差不多
元照給了兩個(gè)含義：
(2)(不動(dòng)產(chǎn)轉(zhuǎn)讓的)定金收據(jù)；(3)(廣義上指)不動(dòng)產(chǎn)轉(zhuǎn)讓的首付款
用deposit或earnest money翻譯定金似乎都可以
再來(lái)看“押金”
押金似乎不是法定概念，不像定金，是一種法定擔(dān)保形式
押金的規(guī)則取決于當(dāng)事人的約定，一般的概念是，支付押金的一方違約，押金會(huì)被扣留
若有雙倍返還約定，則押金變成定金。估計(jì)單純的押金，是沒(méi)有順倍返還的
從這些特征來(lái)看，押金倒是有點(diǎn)“現(xiàn)金質(zhì)押”的性質(zhì)
所以，實(shí)踐中有cash pledge這種譯法，從這個(gè)角度來(lái)看，還頗為貼切
不過(guò)，英美法中的deposit和earnest也沒(méi)有法定的雙倍返還規(guī)定，所以用來(lái)翻譯押金也沒(méi)有障礙，而且好多這種用法。
所以，我們找不到定金和押金的固定用法，也沒(méi)法固定，一切有待上下文和定義。
