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A notary is someone the law trusts to watch a person sign a paper and then mark that paper as official. In American English the full name is often notary public.
A notary是notary is someone the law trusts法律信任的人 to watch a person sign a paper負責見證某人簽署文件 and then mark that paper as official然後把文件標記為正式文件。In American English在美式英文中 the full name is often完整名稱通常是 notary publicnotary public。
dictionaries often say “especially a lawyer”, and in some countries that is true. Though actually, in the United States many notaries are not lawyers at all: they may work in a bank, a shop, or an office after a short training.
Learner dictionaries often say學習型字典常說 “especially a lawyer”「尤其指律師」, and在某些國家 in some countries that is true這確實沒錯。Though actually不過其實, in the United States在美國 many notaries are not lawyers at all許多notary根本不是律師：they may work in a bank, a shop, or an office他們可能在銀行、商店或辦公室工作, after a short training經過短期訓練後。
In Taiwan a 公證人 is a real legal professional with an office, which is closer to Europe than to the US. The English word covers both, so American films make “getting it ” look quick and cheap, while 公證 here feels more serious.
In Taiwan在台灣, a 公證人公證人 is a real legal professional with an office是擁有事務所的正式法律專業人士, which is closer to Europe than to the US這比較接近歐洲而不是美國。The English word covers both notary這個英文字兩種都涵蓋, so所以 American films make “getting it notarized” look quick and cheap美國電影讓「getting it notarized」看起來又快又便宜, while而 公證 here feels more serious這裡的公證感覺更正式嚴肅。
It is a formal, legal word — you meet it on papers, not in chat.
It is a formal, legal word這是一個正式的法律用詞——you meet it on papers你會在文件上看到它, not in chat而不是在聊天中。
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
notarynoun/ˈnoʊtəɹi/
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lawA lawyer of noncontentious private civil law who drafts, takes, and records legal instruments for private parties, and provides legal advice, but does not appear in court on his or her clients' behalf.
- Originally an official of the medieval European ecclesiastical courts, the notary developed into a noncontentious secular legal professional in France. In England, partly because the canon and secular laws were not on speaking terms, "the notarial system never took deep root." For one thing, an important aspect of the notary’s duties, his authority to "authenticate" documents, was of little use to the English. The whole notion of a state-sanctioned authenticator of private acts was entirely foreign to English common law; whereas in France we see notaries "making" and "passing" contracts, the common law left that to the parties.
- Unlike the United States, where a notary public is often a clerk you find working in a bank or real estate office, a Mexican notary has a higher ranking than an ordinary attorney who is not a notary. (In Mexico all notaries are attorneys, but not all attorneys are notaries.)
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lawA public notary, a legal practitioner who prepares, attests to, and certifies documents, witnesses affidavits, and administers oaths.
- Coordinate term: commissioner of oaths
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lawA notary public, a public officer who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents, but who is not authorised to practise law.
- The giving of legal advice by notaries and others who are not admitted to practice law is, in its opinion, dangerous to the welfare of the community, because such persons have not demonstrated their capacity [...]
- Although signed by a notary in New York, it lacked a physical description or documentation. It could have been issued to anyone, or resold to anyone willing to change his name.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。