通常情況下，damage和其復數(shù)形式damages的區(qū)別應當較大。一般說來，單數(shù)形式的damage為損害，指對人身、財產(chǎn)或名譽等的傷害[1]；而damages則為損害賠償（金），指在民事訴訟中法院判處的責令侵權人等對一受害當事人所受損害的金錢補償[2] 。但逐漸地，damages也經(jīng)常在英文詞典或著述中被用作當“損失”或“滅失”，即可望得到損害賠償金補償?shù)膿p失或滅失，其等同 losses for which damages are recoverable，盡管“Black's Law Dictionary”仍對damages作有較嚴格界定，說其是“compensation in money for a loss or damage"，但就在該詞典內(nèi)， 仍有諸如“diminution of damages”和“mitigation of damages”等詞組，其中的damages均為“損失”或“損害”[3]。筆者認為，盡管很多英、美人士將這兩個術語混用，但讀者在做漢譯英時， 還是應遵循其區(qū)別原則⑷。
[1] "Loss or harm resulting from injury to person, property, or reputation. ”Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D.，Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law, at p. 119, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (1996).
[2]“ The money awarded to a party in a civil suit as reputation for the loss or injury for which another is liable. Id. at p. 119.
[3] 這兩術語同義，它們具有兩種定義：一是“減輕損失責任學說”，在此含義中， damage的含義為“損失”；另一定義為“減少對仿害人懲處的損害金”，在此含義中，的含義是“損害賠償金”。Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition，at p. 693，West Publishing Co. (1991).
[4 ] "The word damage，meaning loss，injury，or deterioration, is to be distinguished from its plural, . . . damages. . . which means a compensation in money for a loss or damage. " Cf. American Stevedores, Inc. v. Porello, 530 U. S. 446，450 n. 6 (1947) (quoting Blacks).