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When American Law Meets Chinese Law Eye to Eye: How Two Legal Systems Approach the Duty to Protect 《当美国法直面中国法：二法有关保护义务规定的异同》
Abstract
This essay investigates some of the similarities and differences between United States and Chinese law through a series of discussions between a fictional U.S. lawyer (Mr. West) and his Chinese colleague (Ms. Zhong). It derives inspiration from the memorable fictional dialogue between Professor Comparovich and his inquiring friends in Schlesinger’s classic Comparative Law. The discussions begin with the analysis of two cases litigated in the United States and in China. They both raised the issue of the existence and scope of the duty of owners of premises to protect their tenants or guests from the risk of being injured by a third person who is, in most cases, an intruder. This topic is chosen as it provides an instructive occasion to understand the oddities and similarities in one legal system from the perspective of the other legal system.
The essay does not aim to provide encyclopedic coverage of the duty to protect under either U.S. or Chinese law. Rather, it creates an interactive exchange between the two legal systems and thus promotes a better mutual understanding of both legal systems.
The U.S. case is Kline v. 1500 Massachusetts Avenue Realty Corporation, 141 U.S. App. D.C. 370; 439 F.2d 477 (U.S. App. 1970). Tenant Kline sued her landlord after an intruder assaulted her in the common hallway of her apartment building late at night. The Chinese case is Wang Liyi & Zhang Lixia v. Galaxy Hotel (2000). In this case an intruder robbed and murdered a guest in a Shanghai hotel. The victim’s parents sued the hotel for an apology and compensation.
Recommended Citation
Hu, Xiaoqian (2010) “When American Law Meets Chinese Law Eye to Eye: How Two Legal Systems Approach the Duty to Protect,”Global Jurist: Vol. 10 : Iss. 2 (Advances), Article 5.
DOI: 10.2202/1934-2640.1363
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/gj/vol10/iss2/art5
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车行随记
从上海出发的时候，是四月底的晚春，花事大都过了，唯有杜鹃还在盛放。风是暖的，日是明的。
火车离开市区，途经苏州、无锡、南京、蚌埠，一直北上。窗外是碧绿的江南。绿的山，绿的水，绿的田禾，绿的纤道。盈盈的绿意，柔波似的绽满人眼。
薄暮时分入了山东境。天空是低灰的，投下大地一层灰蒙的影，近乎成黑色。到得夜晚，天空似漆黑的隆，稀疏地点几粒星子，却不是明亮的。
清晨四点，在邻床婴儿的啼哭中醒来，窗外仍是黑洞洞的天地。凭着隐约的车光，偶见一两排树影，立在静寂的夜里。五点钟，天地似开了缝儿，渐渐地亮了。到达山海关已是清晨八点钟。这座古老的兵城，与长城结下不解之缘。而一位诗人，也在这里，将生命和诗情付与银色铁轨。扭头车外，只见几座低山卧在野里，山树矮小零碎，似褴褛的衣。看不见山海关，亦看不见渤海。火车仍在行，身下的铁轨，亦仍在默默承着新的重量——无论机械的，抑或肉体的。
山海关过后，一路便是完全的北国风致。蓝灰的天，褐黄的地。树木是一株一株的，不似南方的一群一群；树身大多是光秃的，不似南方的胀满了叶子；也有长了叶的，但叶面似蒙了土，绿中带黄，不似南方的绿得鲜妍。这里有柳树，但大多是旱柳，向着天，抽出尺把长的枝，不似南方的长绦弄水；也间或植些垂柳，但枝条是散开的，宛如邻家的蓬头丫头，不似南方的端秀婉丽。
北国与南地的另一不同，在于乡下人家。南方的人家，多白墙黛瓦，星罗棋布地偎着，周围青山环绕，碧水掩映。北方的人家，多灰墙黄瓦，横竖整齐的列着，周围原野平阔，黄土延绵。
这样一番评词，似乎对北国颇为不公。因为美有万千种。南地是水汇的，是明秀的美；北国是土积的，是苍壮的美。南地是红葩绿柳的园子，是精巧的美；北国是黄天褐土的旷野，是广袤的美。
这里，也有南方寻不到的生机。火车一路行来，时见一两抹杏粉桃红，这是南方早已逝了的。原上遍植梨树，白白的朵儿溢满枝头，似大片的雪海，也是南方不曾见的。在南方，迎春是早开过了的，在这里却正逢盛时。沟渠旁、井栏边、花坛里，尽是丛丛簇簇的明黄。柔长的花枝，宛若水柳，迎风摇曳，煞是轻盈。还有一种树，是南方不常见、这里却分外旺盛的，那便是白杨。高高的枝干，或碗口粗细，或手腕粗细，战士般一行行地立着。嫩绿的枝叶，在阳光和风里变幻着迷离的光，令人眼亮神弛。即使是光秃的树木，也自有一番蹊巧：枯瘦的梢上，参差落着大大小小的鸟窝，由枝子叠成，远望去，一篷篷的灰褐，仿佛碉堡，踞在高枝，睥天睨地。南树多茂叶，出入不自由，垒巢自是辛苦。许是因这，枯枝鸟窝只能是北方的画吧。但枯枝不永远是枯的，待得风清日暖，也会抽芽、生叶，而与南树一样的茂密了。
下午四点，车抵大连。一天一夜的火车旅程，在这座三面环海的城市结束。出了车站，坐上出租，沿途走马观花，浮光掠影。视目所及，皆是城市的繁华与旖丽。未及细领，已至理工大学的姐家。而我的旅行，也在这座闻名而宁静的校园划上了句点。
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云之态
下午在屋里看书，因为日光的原因，将窗帘拉上了。约摸四点钟的时候，室内已一片昏暗。将窗帘撩开，竟被窗外的天空震住了。
这是深秋的天空。中天处，洁白的云朵大片地铺展开来，云朵与云朵的缝隙中隐约可见浅蓝色的高天。天的尽处，云层渐变得厚了，颜色也变成苍灰，似一堆堆苍茫的山峦。太阳就在那里消隐了。苍灰的云层的顶端也因而被阳光镀上一道道金黄，近乎亮白了，那是天空中最耀眼的景色。
天空是宁谧的，似深邃的海，一任大片大片的云朵绽满自己的心怀。而云朵也没有舒卷开阖之势，只静静地偎着。西落的日头仿佛天空的笑靥，悠远而温暖，把天空的面颜染成明亮的色调，白得纯洁，蓝得温馨。
浮云下，偶见点点灰褐色的鸟儿，扑楞双翼，款款自云底飞过。定睛看时，竟还有一只风筝，红绿的带子，随风轻扬。
然而天空也于精细处悄悄变幻着。初时不察，愈久便觉其异样了。云之间的缝隙时宽时窄，边缘的薄云时聚时散。甚至大片的云朵也发生着变化，先前似团团的白絮，一忽儿变成了滑滑的白绸。
日暮将至，远处的云朵慢慢聚合，颜色也愈发厚重，蓝天被这云的穹空倾盖，而完全消隐了。这茫茫的铅灰，却不是空无一物，而像种下了什么神奇的种子——许是视觉生的幻象——竟能看见山川河流，楼船岸浦，似乎天地万物都被包纳进去了。我甚至看见了我的家乡，那山，那水，那树木，那屋宇。历历在眼，清晰分明。
渐渐的，中天的云朵亦变成淡灰色，模样也更朦胧，像被浪花冲洗过的沙滩，蓝天也愈发窄小了。天空变得柔和起来，竟成一幅水墨画了。如水墨画一般的云，这是第一次识见呵。心底生出一股未有过的愉悦来。
低头一看，已是五点钟了。
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