Relational contract theory holds that the interpretation of a contract must take full account of the context and surrounding circumstances of the parties’ bargain so as to give effect to their respective intentions. This paper argues that if a relational treatment of contracts is to be institutionalised, in the sense of being utilised in a contract dispute to determine and give effect to the parties’ intentions, then it must operate at an abstract level. That is to say, rather than using relevant context to determine what the actual parties intended in the circumstances at hand, the contextualist enquiry should ascertain the relevant context by reference to what the parties would have agreed to in the circumstances, had they properly reflected on what their self-interest requires. I discuss the merits of this proposition by reference to a number of appellate judgments, which already endorse contextualism as a response to contractual ambiguity, and I ultimately apply it to the Supreme Court's judgment in Rainy Sky SA v Kookmin Bank.

中文翻译：

---

发展合同关系法：在抽象和语境主义之间取得平衡

关系合同理论认为，合同的解释必须充分考虑当事人交易的上下文和周围环境，以实现各自的意图。本文认为，如果合同的关系处理要制度化，即在合同纠纷中被用来确定当事人的意图并使其生效，那么它必须在抽象的层面上运作。也就是说，不是使用相关上下文来确定当事人在手头情况下的实际意图，而是通过参考当事人在当时情况下会同意的内容来确定相关上下文，如果他们适当地反映了他们的自身利益需要什么。Rainy Sky SA v 国民银行。