常见常用法律英语词汇笺注（修订稿）.doc

常见常用法律英语词汇笺注（修订稿） 1、 a fortiori更加 Prep. Latin for with even stronger reason, which applies to a situation in which if one thing is true then it can be inferred that a second thing is even more certainly true. Thus, if Abel is too young to serve as administrator, then his younger brother Cain certainly is too young. 【注】 a fortiori（更加），系拉丁语，意为“有更充分的理由”。 2、A mensa et thoro法定分居 A Mensa et thoro is a Latin term meaning from table and bed which became used in English as from bed and board.A kind of divorce which does not dissolve the marriage bond, but merely authorizes a separate life of the husband and wife. Neither spouse has the right to remarry where there is a divorce a mensa et thoro; only parties who have been awarded a divorce a vinculo matrimonii, the more common type of divorce, can do so. 【注】 即一种不解散婚姻关系的离婚。处于此种状态的配偶均不得再婚。 3、A vinculo matrimonii解除婚姻、离婚literally from the bond of marriage. Such a divorce generally enables the parties to marry again. 【注】 意为“解除婚姻关系”。 4、Ab initio自始无效 Latin, From the beginning; from the first act; from the inception.。An agreement is said to be “void ab initio（自始无效）” if it has at no time had any legal validity. The illegality of the conduct or the revelation of the real facts makes the entire situation illegal ab initio (from the beginning), not just from the time the wrongful behavior occurs. 【注】 形容事件由开始时的状态，例如合约从开始便已经无效，称为“The contract was void ab initio”。 笺 “自始无效”（void ab initio）是一项合同法律关系中广泛运用的制度，它的意义在于，一旦某个合同或某项合同条款因违反法律或公共秩序而被宣告无效，那么宣告无效的效力将上溯到合同签订的那一刻起，即合同自始都是无效的。如果合同已部分履行，那么被宣告自始无效的合同的已履行部分将被恢复原状，回到合同履行前的状态。自始无效是一项古老的法律制度，它对于保护无效合同中善意当事人一方的利益具有极其现实的意义。 一般而言，合同的无效都是指自始无效。合同的无效要和合同的“撤销”区别开来，“撤销”指的是合同自撤销一刻起丧失效力，而“无效”则是自始无效，经撤销的合同在撤销前的履行行为依然有效。在英美法系国家，不论在以判例形式出现的普遍法中，还是以制定法形式出现的成文法中，也都贯穿着“自始无效”的原则。 5、Aberemurder故意杀人犯 obsolete：An apparent, plain, or downright murder. It was used to distinguish a wilful murder, from a chance-medley, or manslaughter. （Source: Bouviers Law Dictionary 1856 Edition） 【注】 它通常指别于过失杀人、无过失杀人。 6、Abet教唆、唆使、煽动 To approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on. To urge, encourage, or help (a person): abetted the thief in robbing the bank. This word is usually applied to aiding in the commission of a crime. The word abet is most commonly used as part of the comprehensive phrase aid and abet. 【注】 指鼓动、煽动或怂恿别人做某事，特指实施犯罪。经常用在“怂恿并教唆”短语中。这种行为称之为教唆或实施教唆,实施这种行为的人称为教唆犯。教唆犯不同于从犯。从犯必须在犯罪进行时在场并鼓励或帮助主犯。犯罪前进行的帮助主要是同谋与促成犯罪,犯罪后进行的帮助如逃跑,均不构成教唆；只是犯罪时到场,并且未阻止犯罪也不构成教唆。教唆犯以前在重罪中，作为第二级主犯承担刑事责任。现在，在任何情况下，教唆犯都是作为主犯来承担责任的。（见牛津法律大辞典，光明日报出版社1988年版，第2页） 7、Abscond潜逃、避债 to travel covertly out of the jurisdiction of the courts, or to conceal oneself in order to avoid their process. 【注】 秘密地躲藏起来以躲避逮捕或诉讼。 8、accessory从犯 An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal. The distinction between an accessory（从犯） and a principal（主犯） is a question of fact and degree: The principal is the one whose acts or omissions, accompanied by the relevant mens rea（犯罪意图）, are the most immediate cause of the actus reus (Latin for guilty act，即犯罪行为). If two or more people are directly responsible for the actus reus, they can be charged as joint principals (see common purpose. The test to distinguish a joint principal from an accessory is whether the defendant independently contributed to causing the actus reus rather than merely giving generalised and/or limited help and encouragement. In some jurisdictions, an accessory is distinguished from an accomplice（同谋、帮凶）, who normally is present at the crime and participates in some way. A person who incites another to a crime will become a member of a conspiracy if agreement is reached, and may then be considered an accessory or a joint principal if the crime is eventually committed. The concept of accessory is part of English common law, and been inherited by those countries with a more or less Anglo-American legal system. The concept is less used in countries with completely different legal traditions. The specific terms accessory-before-the-fact and accessory-after-the-fact are more commonly used in England and the United Kingdom than in the United States and are more common in historical than in current usage. 【注】 从犯，是相对于主犯在犯罪活动中的地位而言，是指在共同犯罪中起次要或者辅助作用的罪犯。从犯可为：（一）在共同犯罪中起次要作用的。这种从犯在犯罪集团活动中，听从主犯的指挥，从事某一方面的犯罪活动；或者在一般共同犯罪活动中，虽然参与了实施犯罪，但没有直接造成严重的后果和情节不很严重。（二）在共同犯罪中起辅助作用的。这种从犯一般是为共同犯罪活动提供犯罪工具、指点犯罪地点和对象、窥探被害人的行踪、排除障碍、创造有利条件，事先允许窝藏其他共同犯罪人和窝赃、销赃等等。他们都不直接参加实施犯罪的行为。 从犯，不同于同谋。 9、Accelerated Rehabilitation察看 Also called AR. A program that gives persons charged with a crime or motor vehicle violation for the first time a second chance. The person is placed on probation for up to two years. If probation is completed satisfactorily, the charges are dismissed. 【注】 当一个因犯罪或机动车辆违法而被控告时将被给予一个察看期。察看器一般是2年。察看期如果满意的话，控告将被取消。  10、Accused被告 The generic name for the defendant in a criminal case. 【注】 Accused通常指刑事案件的被告，民事诉讼的被告称为Defendant；而申索案件中的被索偿的一方称为Respondent（答辩人）。 11、Acquittal罪名不成立 to be found not guilty of a violation of law. 【注】 刑事案件经审讯后，被告罪名不成立被释放，称为“The accused is acquitted”。Acquittal是名词。 12、Adjourn休庭 Postponement of a court session until another time or place. 【注】 法庭在聆讯途中暂时休庭30分钟，称为“adjourned for 30 minutes”。如要将聆讯押后再排期重审，称为“adjourned to a date to be fixed”。 13、Adjudication判决、（法院的）宣告 A decision or sentence imposed by a judge. 【注】 法官作出的裁决或判决。 14、Adjudicatory Hearing裁决听证Juvenile court proceeding to determine whether the allegations made in a petition are true and whether the child/youth should be subject to orders of the court. 【注】 少年法庭在判定申诉书中的申辩是否真实以及少年是否应屈从于法庭的命令而进行的一项流程。 15、Adult Probation未成年缓刑 A legal status, applied to people 16 years of age and older, who have been convicted of a crime and placed under the supervision of a probation officer for a period of time set by the court. 【注】 对16岁或更大一点的人因犯罪而给于的一种法律地位。其将在法庭确定的一段时间内接受缓刑监督官的监督。 16、Affidavit宣誓书、书面陈述 Affidavit: A written statement made under oath. Affirmation：Declaring something to be true under the penalty of perjury by a person who will not take an oath for religious or other reasons. 【注】 以宗教仪式发誓后签署的书面证供称为Affidavit，而以真诚发誓所签署的证供称为Affirmation，两者的格式用词有些分别，但主要作用相同。 17、AKA也即是，也称为 Also known as. Used to list aliases or another name, or another spelling of a name used by a person. 【注】 “也称为，也即是”。通常用来列举一个人的别名、化名或其他名字及另外的拼写法。 18、Allegation声称，辩解 Saying that something is true. The assertion, declaration or statement of a party in a case, made in a pleading. 【注】 诉讼陈词中未经证实的声言，例如：The Plaintiff alleged that his loss was due to the Defendants breach of contract，原告声称他的损失是被告违约所引致。Allegation是名词。 19、Alimony离婚赡养费、生活费 Money a court requires one spouse to pay the other spouse for support before and/or after the divorce is granted. If you do not ask for alimony at the final hearing, you can never get it in the future. 【注】 法院要求配偶的一方在离婚前或离婚后支付给另一方以维持生活的费用。 20、Alternate Juror候补陪审员、预备陪审员 A juror selected as a substitute in case another juror must leave the jury panel. 【注】 陪审团成员之一必须离场时，挑选一人以代替该名陪审员进行听审。 21、A. L. R.（American Law Reports）美国法律报告 In American law, the American Law Reports are a resource used by American lawyers to find a variety of sources relating to specific legal rules, doctrines, or principles. It is an important tool for legal research. Each ALR volume contains several annotations. An annotation is an article that summarizes the evolution of a very specific legal concept in a concise and precise fashion. The article will either be preceded by the full text of an important relevant case, or in later series, contain a reference to the text of the case, which is reproduced at the end of the volume. 【注】 A. L. R.（American Law Reports，美国法律报告），1919年开始由律师合作出版公司出版，现在由西方集团出版。从1992年起开始出版第五系列（A. L. R. 5th ）。1969年以前A. L. R.的内容一直包括涉及联邦法律问题及州法律问题的判决，从1969年考试不再收录联邦法院的判决。后者收入新出版的一个系列，美国联邦法律报告（American Law Reports, Federal），简称A. L. R. Fed.。A. L. R.和A. L. R. Fed.由“注释”和“判例”两部分组成。 22、Amicus curiae法庭之友、法官的顾问（也有人将其译为“法庭特聘顾问”） Amicus curiae (Latin, plural amici curiae) is defined as, A friend of the court. One not a party to a case who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it. The information may be a legal opinion in the form of a brief, testimony that has not been solicited by any of the parties, or a learned treatise on a matter that bears on the case. “a phrase that literally means friend of the court - someone who is not a party to the litigation, but who believes that the courts decision may affect its interest.”William H. Rehnquist, The Supreme Court, page 89. 【注】 “法庭之友”（amicus curiae或friends of the court），根据布莱克法律词典的解释，是指“对法院有疑问的事实或法律上的观点善意地提醒法院注意或向法院报告的人”。据此可以理解，所谓的“法庭之友”，通常是对特定案件的事实或法律问题具有专业特长或独到见解的专业人士，其向法院提供的报告将有助于法庭加深对特定案件的理解从而形成公正合理的判断。在这个意义上说，“法庭之友”对特定案件的解决是有积极意义的。 笺 “法庭之友”有着悠久的历史，它肇始于罗马法，发展于英国普通法，而后移植到美国法中得以繁荣。“法庭之友”发展至今，也为许多大陆法系国家的法院所采用，如法国；国际仲裁机构也有一定程度的采用。在国外学者的相关论著中，提及“法庭之友”时，亦会用“Amicus”的缩写；相应地，“法庭之友陈述”也有“Amicus Curiae Briefs”和“Amicus Briefs”两种表达方式。 23、Anno Domini/A.D.耶穌紀元年、公元年 Anno Domini (Latin : In the year of (Our) Lord), abbreviated as AD or A.D., defines an epoch based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth. AD is also an abbreviation for Christian Era. Similarly, Before Christ (from the Ancient Greek Christos or Anointed One, referring to Jesus), abbreviated as BC or B.C., is used in the English language to denote years before the start of this epoch. Some prefer the alternatives CE and BCE, arguing that they are more neutral terms 【注】 Anno Domini（耶穌紀元年、公元年），西拉丁语，意为“我们在主的时代”，一般缩写为A.D.，公元的時間計算起於耶穌基督出生之日。 24、Anno Regni/ A. R.在统治时代、在朝代 in the year of (his/her) reign. 【注】 Anno Regni（在统治时代、在朝代），一般缩写为A. R.。如A.R.V.R.22（Anno Regni Victoriae Reginae vicesimo secundo）指在维多利亞女王统治的第22年。 25、Annulment无效婚姻判决书、撤消婚姻 A court order declaring that a marriage is invalid. Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Annulment differs from divorce where the court ends an otherwise legal marriage on a specific date. In strict legal terminology, annulment refers only to making a voidable marriage null; if the marriage is void ab initio, then it is automatically null, although a legal declaration of nullity is required to establish this. The process of obtaining such a declaration is similar to the annulment process. 【注】 一份法院宣告其婚姻无效的判决书。撤消婚姻是宣布婚姻无效的一道法律程序。撤消婚姻不同于离婚。严格说来，无效婚姻指的是可推翻的婚姻。 笺 annulment是annul的名词形式，意思是“废除、取消（法律等）”，尤其指取消法院对不合法婚姻所作的不生效的宣告。 26、Appellant上诉人 The party appealing a decision or judgment to a higher court. 【注】 它指的是就某一决定或判决而向高级法院申诉的当事人。 27、Arbitration:仲裁Submitting a case or dispute to designated parties for a decision, instead of using a judge. 【注】 仲裁（arbitration）又称公断，是指各方当事人自愿地将他们之间发生的争议交给各方所同意的第三者进行审理和裁决，该裁决对各方当事人均具有约束力，能最终解决争议。 28、Arguendo法律中的前提假定 “for purposes of argument”, as in assuming arguendo that my opponents contentions are correct. In Latin, in this context, arguendo would mean for the sake of arguing concerning another thing. The term is most often used in the following logical context: P1 argues X is a result of Y P2 responds While you may or may not be correct that X is a result of Y, assuming arguendo, that you are correct, you still fail to account for the existence of Z, which makes null your contention. 【注】 “法律中的前提假定”通常用于“为了讨论另外有关的事情”。 29、Arraignment传讯、提审 The first court appearance of a person accused of a crime. The person is advised of his or her rights by a judge and may respond to the criminal charges by entering a plea. Usually happens the morning after a person is arrested. 【注】 当大陪审团起诉书或检察官起诉书提交法院后，法院应根据迅速及时的原则，对该案安排传讯。传讯应当在公开法庭进行，被告人必须到庭。法官首先问明被告人个人情况，然后向被告人宣读起诉书，说明指控性质，告知被告人享有的诉讼权利，接着要求被告人对指控作出答辩。 笺 一般说来，美国的刑事诉讼程序可以分为三个阶段，即审前程序，审理程序，和审后程序。 审判前程序（Procedure Prior to Trial）基本包括以下几个步骤，即：提出控告（Complaint）；逮捕（Arrest）；在警察局“登记” （Booking）；逮捕后在治安法官前聆讯（Appearance before Magistrate after Arrest）；预审（Preliminary Examination，有时又称预先听证preliminary hearing或审查性审判examining trial）；正式起诉（Filing of Accusation or Pleadings）；传讯（Arraignment）；被告人答辩（Plea by Defendant）。 审理程序（Procedure during Trial）包括：选定陪审团（Selection of Jurors）、开场陈述（Opening Statements）、起诉方举证（Presentation of Governments Case）、辩护方举证（Presentation of Defendants Case）、终结辩论（Closing Arguments）、指示陪审团（Instructing the Jury）、陪审团评议（Jury Deliberations）、陪审裁决（Conviction or Acquittal）。 审后程序（Procedure after Trial）相对简单，其包括：课刑（Sentencing）、上诉（Appeal）等。 30、Arrearages拖欠的赡养费/抚养费 Money for alimony and/or child support, which is overdue and unpaid. 【注】 拖欠的离婚赡养费和（或）子女抚养费。 31、As is现状 As is (or as-is) is a legal term and concept used to disclaim liability for an item being sold. As-is denotes that the seller is selling, and the buyer is buying an item in whatever condition it presently exists, and that the seller is accepting the item “with all faults”（不保证商品没有瑕疵）. A seller of a used automobile, for example, sells his car to a buyer, and puts into the contract of sale, the statement: The buyer accepts the automobile AS-IS, WITH ALL FAULTS. Two minutes after the buyer drives off with his shiny 87 Honda Accord, the engine seizes, and the car stalls. Unless the buyer can show that there was some fraud involved in the sale, he is stuck with the car without any recourse to return the car (now presumably being hooked up to a tow truck) to the seller, and gets his money back. 【注】 “As is”常用于物业买卖的合约中，指物业的现状。“The property is and will be sold on an ”as is“ basis ”即物业将会以其现状出售。 32、Assault殴打、侵犯 At common law, an intentional act by one person that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent harmful or offensive contact. An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal and tort law. There is, however, an additional criminal law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful battery. Law.：Sexual assault；The crime of rape. 【注】 以武力侵犯他人的行为，称为Assault。一般性质的殴打，称为“Common Assault”；严重者称为Aggravated Assault；未经许可触摸他人身体，可以被控非礼，称为Indecent Assault。 笺 侵犯是通过明显的武力而实施的故意行为，无论在刑法还是民法上都导致侵权。刑法上，它还包括试图但未遂的侵袭。 另外，此词还指性侵害、强奸。 33、Assistant Attorney General首席检察官助理 An attorney who represents a state agency in civil cases. 【注】 首席检察官助理是代表州检察机关的律师。 34、A. V. (Authorized Version)钦定圣经 An English translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek published in 1611 under the auspices of James I. Also called Authorized Version, King James Version. 【注】 A. V. (Authorized Version)，即詹姆斯一世欽定圣经英译本King James Bible。钦定版圣经不仅影响了随后的英文版圣经，对英语文学的影响也是很大的。为了让更多未受良好教育的普通人也能知晓上帝的旨意，该部圣经一共的辞汇量只在8,000个常用的英文单词，因此十分容易理解。 一些著名作者，如John Bunyan, John Milton, Herman Melville, John Dryden, and William Wordsworth 很明显从这个版本的圣经中得到启发。一些圣经如，英语修订版圣经（English Revised Version），新美国标准版圣经(New American Standard Bible）, 修订标准版圣经（the Revised Standard Version）, 还有新钦定版圣经（New King James Version)等都是这个版本的修订版。这个版本尽管常被说成是“权威版”（Authorised Version (AV)）或者“权威标准版”（Authorised Standard Version (ASV)）。 它本身从来没有被英国政府或者英国教会正是这样承认过。 35、Bail保释、保释金 Also called Bond. Money or property given to the court for the temporary release of a defendant, to ensure that the defendant will return to court. 【注】 刑事案中的嫌疑犯或被告，可以暂时被释放。保释可以是有条件的，也可以是无条件的。保释的条件包括缴交指定金额的保释金、提供人事担保及定时向警署报到等。 笺 根据朗文法律词典的介绍，保释是指“在被逮捕的人提供担保或者接受特定条件的情况下将其释放的制度”。保释制度发源于英国，大约形成于1213世纪。波洛克和梅特兰认为保释制度直接产生于实际需要，而不是对抽象自由的热爱。英国1976年保释法第一条规定：（1）在某人被指控或被宣告有罪的程序中或者相关的程序中，可准予保释。（2）因为某一罪行被逮捕或正在被签发逮捕证的犯罪人可准予保释。法律倾向于给予任何被监控者保释，准予保释是常态，而不准保释反而有着十分严格的规定。 英美国家要求对于被逮捕的犯罪嫌疑人应尽快由法官或警察决定将其保释还是羁押，一般来说，保释的程序分为申请、听审、裁定以及救济四个阶段。 笺 在英美法系，保释制度已较为发达，立法趋于完善，司法实践经验也较为丰富。而我国的取保候审制度与之在某些做法上相似，但有本质的不同，且实际适用比例并不高，作用有限。毋庸讳言，在我国，犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的羁押率是很高的。高羁押率、长期羁押乃至超期羁押的危害极大。对于重罪嫌疑人来说，由于久押不决，给他们精神上造成巨大的痛苦；对于轻罪嫌疑人来说，则有可能其未决羁押期限超过了实际判处的刑期，从而给司法机关带来极大的尴尬与被动；对于未构成犯罪或者依法不应判罪的嫌疑人来说，则侵权性质更为严重，造成的损失往往无法补救。 36、Balance of probabilities可能性较高者、平衡可能性 Also known as preponderance of the evidence, this is the standard required in most civil cases. The standard is met if the proposition is more likely to be true than not true. Effectively, the standard is satisfied if there is greater than 50% chance that the proposition is true. Lord Denning in Miller v. Minister of Pension described it simply as more probable than not.  【注】 这是民事案件中举证的标准，法庭对原告和被告所提出的证据，认为那一方的可信性较高，便会判处该方胜诉。相对刑事案而言，民事案中败诉的后果一般都只是经济利益，所以法庭对举证的要求，相对也较刑事案为低。  37、bench warrant法院拘票 Court papers issued by the judge, from the bench, for the arrest of a person. A bench warrant is used for attachment or arrest in a case of contempt, which is the willful disregard or disobedience of an authority such as the court. A bench warrant is also issued when an indictment, which is a written accusation of a persons guilt for an act or omission, is handed down. A third instance where a bench warrant is issued is to obtain a witness who disobeys a subpoena, which is a command to appear at a specified time and place to present testimony upon a certain matter. 【注】 法官签发的逮捕令。 法官签发拘票的情况有：当事人故意漠视、对抗法庭的命令拒不到庭时；当事人因罪被恐时；当不服从传票在法庭上作证时。 38、Beyond