防患于未然的“不婚協議”

在這個分分合合司空見慣的時代，很多人覺得非婚同居也是一種不錯的生活方式，唯一的不足就是不受法律保護，于是有些短期內不打算結婚的同居者會選擇簽一份no-nup agreement（不婚協議）。

No-nup agreement is a legal agreement made by two people who intend to live in a committed relationship but not to marry that defines the terms of their living arrangement and the disposition of their sole or shared property in the event of their parting or death.

不婚協議是兩個想忠于感情關系但并不打算步入婚姻的人之間簽署的法律協議。這份協議規定了他們同居生活的各種條款以及萬一分手或死亡的財產分配。

By agreeing to a no-nup, it is clear that they are sure that they share the lifestyle choice to live together and not to marry. But they don't trust one another enough to feel secure about the last chapter of their relationship.

顯然，同意簽署不婚協議的兩個人確定他們愿意選擇同居的生活方式但并不打算結婚。他們對彼此的信任還不足以步入更深一層關系。

For these younger couples who want to know what their personal futures will look like, a "no-nup" is a way of planning in these times of uncertainty. For older couples, many of whom are choosing to live with a new partner after a failed first or even second marriage, a contract serves another purpose. At later stages of life, the need to protect yourself and preserve assets for your kids is just good planning.

對于那些想知道自己未來模樣的年輕情侶來說，不婚協議是一種應付不確定性的籌劃方法。而對于那些老年情侶來說，他們當中很多人都是在一段或兩段失敗的婚姻后選擇和一個新的愛人住在一起，而這份協議也另有他意。在生命的晚年，他們需要保護自己以及給孩子留下財產，因而簽訂不婚協議對這些人來說是很不錯的主意。

（中國日報網英語點津 實習生馬歅卓 編輯：陳丹妮）