Chapter 8 Civil Liability

第八章 民事责任

Article 176

A person of the civil law shall perform civil-law obligations and bear civil liability in accordance with law or the agreement of the parties.

第一百七十六条

民事主体依照法律规定或者按照当事人约定，履行民事义务，承担民事责任。

Article 177

Where two or more persons assume shared liability in accordance with law, each person shall bear the liability in proportion to their respective share of fault if such share can be determined, or in equal share if such share cannot be determined.

第一百七十七条

二人以上依法承担按份责任，能够确定责任大小的，各自承担相应的责任;难以确定责任大小的，平均承担责任。

Article 178

Where two or more persons assume joint and several liability in accordance with law, the right holder has the right to request some or all of them to bear the liability.

The persons subjected to joint and several liability shall each bear the liability in proportion to their respective share of fault, or in equal share if such share cannot be determined. A person who has assumed the liability more than his share of fault has the right to contribution against the other person(s) subjected to the joint and several liability.

Joint and several liability shall be either provided by law or agreed upon by the parties.

第一百七十八条

二人以上依法承担连带责任的，权利人有权请求部分或者全部连带责任人承担责任。

连带责任人的责任份额根据各自责任大小确定;难以确定责任大小的，平均承担责任。实际承担责任超过自己责任份额的连带责任人，有权向其他连带责任人追偿。

连带责任，由法律规定或者当事人约定。

Article 179

The main forms of civil liability include:

(1) cessation of the infringement;

(2) removal of the nuisance;

(3) elimination of the danger;

(4) restitution;

(5) restoration;

(6) repair, redoing, or replacement;

(7) continuance of performance;

(8) compensation for losses;

(9) payment of liquidated damages;

(10) elimination of adverse effects and rehabilitation of reputation; and

(11) extension of apologies.

Where punitive damages are available as provided by law, such provisions shall be followed.

The forms of civil liability provided in this Article may be applied separately or concurrently.

第一百七十九条

承担民事责任的方式主要有：

(一)停止侵害;

(二)排除妨碍;

(三)消除危险;

(四)返还财产;

(五)恢复原状;

(六)修理、重作、更换;

(七)继续履行;

(八)赔偿损失;

(九)支付违约金;

(十)消除影响、恢复名誉;

(十一)赔礼道歉。

法律规定惩罚性赔偿的，依照其规定。

本条规定的承担民事责任的方式，可以单独适用，也可以合并适用。

Article 180

A person who is unable to perform his civil-law obligations due to force majeure bears no civil liability, unless otherwise provided by law.

“Force majeure” means objective conditions which are unforeseeable, unavoidable, and insurmountable.

第一百八十条

因不可抗力不能履行民事义务的，不承担民事责任。法律另有规定的，依照其规定。

不可抗力是不能预见、不能避免且不能克服的客观情况。

Article 181

A person who causes harm to the tort-feasor out of a justifiable defense bears no civil liability.

A person who, when acting out of justifiable defense, exceeds the necessary limit and thus causes undue harm to the tort-feasor shall bear appropriate civil liability

第一百八十一条

因正当防卫造成损害的，不承担民事责任。

正当防卫超过必要的限度，造成不应有的损害的，正当防卫人应当承担适当的民事责任。

Article 182

Where a person when seeking to avoid a peril in response to an emergency causes harm to others, the person who creates the peril shall bear civil liability.

Where the peril is caused by natural forces, the person who causes harm to others when seeking to avoid the peril bears no civil liability, but may make appropriate compensation.

Where the measures adopted by a person seeking to avoid a peril in response to an emergency are improper or exceed the necessary limit and thus cause undue harm to others, the person shall bear appropriate civil liability.

第一百八十二条

因紧急避险造成损害的，由引起险情发生的人承担民事责任。

危险由自然原因引起的，紧急避险人不承担民事责任，可以给予适当补偿。

紧急避险采取措施不当或者超过必要的限度，造成不应有的损害的，紧急避险人应当承担适当的民事责任。

Article 183

Where a party is injured for protecting the civil-law rights and interests of another person, the tortfeasor shall bear civil liability, and the beneficiary may make appropriate compensation to the injured person. In the absence of a tortfeasor, or if the tortfeasor flees or is incapable of assuming civil liability, upon request of the injured person, the beneficiary shall make appropriate compensation.

第一百八十三条

因保护他人民事权益使自己受到损害的，由侵权人承担民事责任，受益人可以给予适当补偿。没有侵权人、侵权人逃逸或者无力承担民事责任，受害人请求补偿的，受益人应当给予适当补偿。

Article 184

A person who voluntarily engages in rescuing another person in an emergency situation and thus causes harm to the latter person bears no civil liability.

第一百八十四条

因自愿实施紧急救助行为造成受助人损害的，救助人不承担民事责任。

Article 185

A person who infringes upon the name, likeness, reputation, or honor of a hero or a martyr and thus harms the social public interests shall bear civil liability.

第一百八十五条

侵害英雄烈士等的姓名、肖像、名誉、荣誉，损害社会公共利益的，应当承担民事责任。

Article 186

Where a party’s breach of contract causes harm to the other party’s personal or proprietary rights and interests, the latter party may elect to request the former to bear liability either for breach of contract or for commission of tort.

第一百八十六条

因当事人一方的违约行为，损害对方人身权益、财产权益的，受损害方有权选择请求其承担违约责任或者侵权责任。

Article 187

Where a person of the civil law has to concurrently bear civil, administrative, and criminal liabilities as a result of the same act performed by him, the assumption of administrative or criminal liabilities by the person may not affect the civil liability he should bear. If the assets of the person are insufficient to pay for all the liabilities, the civil liability shall be paid first.

第一百八十七条

民事主体因同一行为应当承担民事责任、行政责任和刑事责任的，承担行政责任或者刑事责任不影响承担民事责任;民事主体的财产不足以支付的，优先用于承担民事责任。

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perform civil-law obligation　履行民事义务

bear civil liability　承担民事责任

bear administrative liability　承担行政责任

bear criminal liability　承担刑事责任

assumption of liability　承担责任

★注：承担liability的前提正是违反了obligation、duty等。此外，obligation通常指因双方或多方之间的债权债务关系而产生的责任、义务;duty适用范围则更广，比如moral duty道德义务等。

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the right holder　权利人

beneficiary　受益人

tortfeasor　侵权人

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proprietary rights and interests　财产权益

personal rights and interests　人身权益

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force majeure　不可抗力

unforeseeable　不可预见

unavoidable　不可避免

insurmountable　不可克服

justifiable defense　正当防卫

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assume shared liability　按份责任

joint and several liability　连带责任

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restitution　返还财产

restoration　恢复原状

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liquidated damages　违约金