不像合伙制和独资经营的方式，股份公司是有限责任制的。 这意味着股东不必以个人的名义对公司的债务负责。

Unlike partnerships and soleproprietorships, corporations have limited liability, which means thatstockholders cannot be held personally responsible for the firm’s debts.

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有限责任的概念可以追溯到古罗马时期。 在有限责任制中作为底线，股东们不必为他们公司的债务负责。

The concept of limited liability, whereby the shareholders are not liable, in the last resort, for the debts of their company, can be traced back to the Romans.

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在有限责任制出现之前，如果公司破产，股东们也就有破产的风险，甚至会被投入债权人的私牢。

Before limited liability, shareholders risked going bust, even into a debtors' prison maybe, if their company did.

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