一、Drawing up Marine Bills of Lading 海运提单的起草(考试重点)
1-1 课文：A marine bill of lading can be drawn up in a variety of ways, but it is nearly always prepared on a pre-printed form. This form may relate to a specific or to a general cargo trade.
注释：draw up: 草拟，起草 variety: 变化，多样性，种类 nearly: 几乎，密切地 prepare:准备 pre-printed: 预先印好的 relate to: 涉及
课文意思：一份海运提单可以以多种方式起草，但是几乎都采用预定格式。这些格式可能涉及到特殊或者一般货物贸易。
1-2 课文：Whatever its form, a bill of lading may contain some main elements, such as quantity of cargo, accurate cargo description and condition, date of the bill of lading, names of shipper and consignee, ports of loading and discharging, ship’s name, terms and conditions of carriage and payment of freight.
注释：whatever: 无论怎样的，无论哪一种的 contain: 包含 element: 要素，元素，成分 accurate: 正确的，精确的 description：描述，形容 condition:状态，情形 payment of freight:运费的支付
课文意思：无论格式如何，提单所包含的内容大同小异，例如货物的数量，货物确切的品名和状态，提单签发的日期，托运人和收货人的名称，装货港和卸货港，船名，货物运输的条款和条件，以及运费的支付。
提单通常包括正面记载事项和背面条款两个部分，正面的事项包括：
1. 船名(Ship’s name)
2. 承运人(Carrier)
3. 托运人(Shipper)
4. 收货人(Consignee)
5. 通知方(Notify Party)
6. 装货港 (Port of Loading)
7. 卸货港 (Port of Discharging)
8. 货物的名称 (Description)
9. 标志 (Marks)
10. 包件的数量和种类(Number and kind of Packages)
11. 重量和体积 (Weight or Measurement)
12. 运费和其他费用 (Freight and other Charges)
13. 货物外表状态 (Cargo’s Apparent Order and Condition)
1-3 课文：The ship’s port agent, in fact, may be given the task of drawing up bills of lading. If these are subsequently required for letter of credit transactions, it is useful that the agent be supplied with appropriate details of that letter of credit so that all relevant material can be included in wording.
注释：port agent: 港口代理 task: 任务，作业 subsequently: 后来，随后 letter of credit: 信用证 transaction: 办理，处理，交易 useful: 有用的，有益的 supply: 提供，供给 appropriate: 适当的 relevant: 有关的，相应的 material: 资料，素材 wording: 措词
课文意思：实际上，承运人可委托港口代理来制作提单。如果以后的信用证交易也需要使用提单，应给代理适当提供有关信用证的消息资料，这样在提单的措词中就可以包含所有的相关资料。
1-4 课文：The main parties on a bill of lading are Shipper, Consignee, Notify Party and Carrier.
提单上主要的当事人包括：托运人，收货人，通知方和承运人。
1.托运人：
课文：The shipper is the person, usually the exporter, who sends the goods. 托运人一般为出口商，即发送货物的一方。
2.收货人
课文：Consignee refers to the person entitled to take delivery of the goods. 收货人是指有权接受货物的一方。
3.承运人
课文：Carrier is the person or company who has conclude a contract with the shipper for carriage of goods. 承运人即与托运人就货物运输事宜订立合同的人或公司 (conclude a contract: 订立合同)
4. 通知方
课文：Notify Party is the party that the carrier must notify when the goods arrive at the port of destination. 通知方即在货物到达目的港后需要承运人告知货物已到港的一方。(注释：notify party: 通知方)
1-5 课文：The carrier issues an Arrival Notice informing the Notify Party about the cargo discharge point, number of packages and other information.
注释：arrival notice: 到货通知 inform: 通知，告知 discharge point: 卸货地点 package:包，包裹
课文意思：承运人签发货物到港通知为通知方提供有关卸货地点，包数和其他方面的信息。
1-6 课文：It is important to date bills of lading correctly, and as per the date on which the cargo is actually loaded.
注释：important: 重要的，重大的 date: 注明…的日期 correctly: 恰当地，正确地
课文意思：正确注明提单的日期是很重要的，并且每个日期应为货物实际装载的日期
1-7 课文：Cargo quantity and condition should also be adequately and correctly described in the bills of lading.
注释：adequately: 充分地 describe: 描述，记述
课文意思：货物的数量和状况也应当充分正确地在提单上载明。
1-8 课文：Relevant comments should be entered in either tally or mate’s receipts, and thereafter in bills of lading.
注释：relevant: 有关的，相应的 comment: 注释，评论，意见 enter in: 录入，进入 either … or … : 不是…就是…，…或… tally: 理货 thereafter: 其后，从那时以后
课文意思：有关的批注应当记入理货或者大副收据，并且也应在随后的提单中注明。