总体上讲，法律语言要求表达清晰，准确甚至精确，法律文书的撰稿人写作时要力求避免含糊其词或模棱两可。对法律文本翻译的要求也是如此。但是，为了实现法律语言达至精确地目的，在必要的情况下法律文书的撰写人又必须使用一些意义模糊、灵活的词语去准确表达法律概念或事实。这类词汇/短语数量相当可观，主要有：
about, abuse of discretion, adequate (如adequate cause/compensation/consideration/remedy, etc.), and/or, apparently, approximately, as soon as possible, available, average, care, clean and neat condition, clear and convincing, comparable, convenient, desire, doubtless, due (如due care/ process), excessive, existing, expenses, extraordinary (如extraordinary service), extreme cruelty, fair division, few, fixture, gross (如gross profit), habitual, improper, in regard to, inadequate, intention, intoxicated, large, lately, malice, mere, more or less, near, net profit, obvious, possible, promptly, proper, reasonable (如reasonable care/man/speed/time等等), regular, satisfaction, satisfy, serious(如serious illness/misconduct, crime, circumstances等等), similar, sound mind, sufficient, suitable, temporarily, things, transaction, try, under the influence of, understand, undue (如undue influence/interference/restraint等等). unreasonable, unsafe, unsound, unusual, usual, valuable, voluntary, worthless.
在翻译这些词汇、短语时，翻译人员不必担忧词汇本身的歧义或含糊性，而应该尽可能忠实于原词的含义，在译文中保留其歧义或含糊性。法律文书的译者只有忠实于原文的权利，没有将含糊的意义解释清楚的责任。具体模糊词翻译方法，可参见如何巧妙翻译模糊词语？一文
[DTDinfo id=”词汇分类”]