打下這題目，想起上周末陪女兒去圖書(shū)館借的那本《沒(méi)頭腦和不高興》，是不是很像？?jī)?nèi)心偷笑十秒鐘。。。
言歸正傳。這篇是受群內(nèi)朋友之邀寫(xiě)的。剛好最近也忙，找不到好的選題。那就它吧。
剛見(jiàn)到這個(gè)問(wèn)題，當(dāng)時(shí)沒(méi)時(shí)間細(xì)查，第一感覺(jué)是這樣的：
default應(yīng)該是“未履行”。而breach則是較為一般的用法（形態(tài)較多？），或者說(shuō)有主動(dòng)違反的意思（與default相比）。
感覺(jué)歸感覺(jué)，還是得查字典確認(rèn)。來(lái)看布萊克的說(shuō)法。
default
The omission or failure to perform a legal or contractual duty; esp., the failure to pay a debt when due.
大致意思跟我的感覺(jué)差不多，omission或failure都是“應(yīng)做而未做”的意思。要做的事情可能是法定義務(wù)，也可能是合同義務(wù)；當(dāng)然，在合同背景下就是合同義務(wù)，也就是“未履行合同義務(wù)”，最典型的就是欠錢(qián)不還。
除了作名詞，它還可以作動(dòng)詞，相關(guān)意思如下：
1. To be neglectful; esp., to fail to perform a contractual obligation.
嗯，再次印證了上面的感覺(jué)。
再看breach：
A violation or infraction of a law, obligation, or agreement, esp., of an official duty or a legal obligation, whether by neglect, refusal, resistance, or inaction.
違反的對(duì)象也不限于合同，還包括法律、義務(wù)，尤其是違反職責(zé)或法定義務(wù)，而且形態(tài)多樣，包括：疏于履行、拒絕履行和未履行。這點(diǎn)好像跟我的感覺(jué)也差不多。另外，violation有“主動(dòng)”的意思在里邊。
再看一下Osborn's詞典：
default
To make default is to fail in some duty; e.g., to pay a sum due.
嗯，default是“未履行義務(wù)”，跟布萊克差不多。
美國(guó)《第二次合同法重述》的說(shuō)法：
A breach may be one by non-performance, or by repudiation, or by both.
也說(shuō)明breach的形態(tài)比default要多。
詞典的解釋大概就是這樣，我們看下例句吧。
Any dispute, controversy, difference or claim (each, a “Dispute”) arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the interpretation,breach, termination or validity hereof, shall be resolved at the first instance through consultation between the parties to such Dispute.
Confidential Information is in or becomes part of, the public domain other than through abreach of this agreement or an obligation of confidenceowed to the Disclosing Party.
Either party may terminate the Agreement by notice in writing to the other Party if the other Party isin material breach of the Agreementand theParty in breachfails to cure such breach within ten (10) business days following written notice of the relevant breach.
Each party recognises that itsbreach or threatened breach of this Agreementmay cause the other irreparable harm, and that the other may therefore be entitled to injunctive or other equitable relief.
Nothing in these terms will apply to the extent that its application would resultin a breach of applicable law or regulations.
Interest on Default
If the Subscriber does not pay an amount due under this agreement on time, it will bein default.
The failure to require performance of any provision will not affect our right to require performance at any other time after that, nor will a waiver by us of anybreach or default of these Terms, or any provision of these Terms, be a waiver of any subsequent breach or default or a waiver of the provision itself.
The Consenting Parties each acknowledge that nothing in this deed or any of the transactions contemplated by this deed constitutes (1) abreach of any term of the Shareholders Agreement, or (2)anevent of defaultunder the Shareholders Agreement.
Each of the events or circumstances set out in the following sub-clauses of this Clause 21(other than Clause 21.15(Acceleration)) is anEvent of Default.
No failure or delay on the part of Buyer to exercise any of its rights in respect of anydefault under the Contractby Supplier shall prejudice Buyer’s rights in connection with the same or any subsequent default.
The?Developer?shall?not?have?committed?an?act?of?Bankruptcy?prior?to?the?date?of?such?closing,?provided?Developer?is?alsoin?material default of?its obligationsunder?the?Development?Services?Agreement.
If BBB isin defaultfor any reason to make payment on time, AAA may demand immediate payment of the entire remaining unpaid loan amount.
Supplier has no knowledge of anyviolation or defaultwith respect to any order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or any governmental authority that may result in any such materially adverse effect or such impairment.
這些例句是我隨手從公司翻譯的文件中檢索來(lái)的，大致反映了兩個(gè)詞在實(shí)踐中的一些用法。初看起來(lái)好像很亂，兩個(gè)詞交替使用的場(chǎng)合較多。
除了上面列舉的之外，還有一些我沒(méi)放上來(lái)。從瀏覽的資料來(lái)看，我的感覺(jué)是：
(1) breach屬于較為一般的用語(yǔ)，動(dòng)作形態(tài)較多，且含有“主動(dòng)違反”的意思，與之相比，default帶有“消極不履行”的含義。
(2) default比較側(cè)重于不履行金錢(qián)債務(wù)的一面，因此有interest on default這種較為專門(mén)的說(shuō)法。
