本書內容分成兩部，前十章以宏觀角度介紹影響大陸法傳統的整體性因素，並討論上述因素對其法律職業的影響。第十一章至第十八章則具體而微，分就個別法領域細述；最後兩章進行回顧與展望，以收提綱挈領之效。約莫百頁的篇幅，初學法律之人已能對所身處的大陸法傳統大致掌握。



　　本書特色之一，是將盛行歐洲、拉丁美洲的大陸法傳統，細分為五個歷史脈絡進行梳理，同時以極富思辯性的筆觸，指出各自盲點的所在。而作者出身英美法傳統，卻能透過法律職業的穿針引線，以生動平易文字與普通法傳統對照比較，使非法律背景之讀者亦能進入其筆下所描繪的世界。本中譯版本更收錄多篇當今世界專家學者序文，以及原著作者的專文推薦，世代之間的經典對話，殊值細究體驗，品味再三。



　　The work divides itself into two parts. The first ten chapters introduce the structural elements of the civil law tradition from a holistic perspective. Chapter 11 to 18, in contrast, emphasizes the details on respective areas of law. With the last two chapters as retrospect and future speculations, beginners in law will soon acquire a general picture of the world of civil law tradition.



　　The book on the civil law tradition features its separate scenarios based on the division of five sub-traditions with critical views pointing to historical incidents leading to possible irrationalities. Despite their common-law background, the authors manage to take legal professions, weaving in and out between different legal traditions, presenting high readability with elegance and brevity. Additional prefaces to this translated version tends to offer dialogues among generations on everlasting worthwhile topics.

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