- [countable, uncountable]
the place where legal trials take place and where crimes, etc. are judged 法院；法庭；审判庭 the civil/criminal courts 民事／刑事法庭 Her lawyer made a statement outside the court. 她的律师在法庭外面发表了一份声明。 - in court
Relatives of the dead girl were in court. 死去女孩的亲属们出庭了。 She will appear in court tomorrow. 她明天出庭。 - to court
They took their landlord to court for breaking the contract. 因为房东毁约，他们把他告上了法庭。 The case took five years to come to court (= to be heard by the court). 那案件历时五年才被法庭受理。 There wasn't enough evidence to bring the case to court (= start a trial). 没有足够的证据可把此案提交法庭。 - out of court
The case was settled out of court (= a decision was reached without a trial). 这案件已庭外和解。 He won the court case and was awarded damages. 他胜诉得到了赔偿金。 She can't pay her tax and is facing court action. 她缴不起税，将面临法庭诉讼。 During the court hearing, the prosecutor said she would seek maximum prison sentences. 在法庭听证会上，检察官说她将寻求最高刑期。
Which Word? court / law court / court of lawcourt / law court / court of lawsee also courthouse, courtroom- All these words can be used to refer to a place where legal trials take place. Court and (formal) court of law usually refer to the actual room where cases are judged. Courtroom is also used for this. Law court (British English) is more often used to refer to the building:
以上各词均可指法庭或法院。court 和 court of law（正式说法）通常指法庭、审判室，courtroom 亦用于此义。law court（英式英语）多指法院这座建筑物： The prison is opposite the law court. 监狱在法院对面。
Collocations Criminal justiceCriminal justice 刑事审判 Breaking the law 犯法 - break/violate/obey/uphold the law
违反／违背／遵守／维护法律 - be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud
因犯罪／抢劫／诈骗而被调查／逮捕／审判 - be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges
因被控犯强奸罪／诈骗罪／重型罪遭逮捕／起诉／定罪 - be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting
因涉嫌纵火／抢劫／在商店行窃而被逮捕 - be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud
被指控犯有谋杀罪／杀人罪／四项诈骗罪 - face two charges of indecent assault
面临两项猥亵罪的指控 - admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something)
承认（对某事的）罪责／责任 - deny the allegations/claims/charges
否认指控 - confess to a crime
坦白罪行 - grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail
准许／不准保释；交保释金获释；弃保潜逃
The legal process 法律程序 - stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial
受审；候审；把某人送交法院审判；开庭审理；受到审判 - take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court
把某人告上法庭；被法庭受理；庭外和解某事 - face/avoid/escape prosecution
面临／免于／逃脱起诉 - seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel
寻求／聘请／有权聘用／无权聘用律师 - hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial
开庭；出庭；休庭 - sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury
担任／影响／说服陪审团 - sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock
坐在／站在／出现在／被送上／将某人送上被告席 - plead guilty/not guilty to a crime
认罪；不认罪 - be called to/enter (British English) the witness box
被召唤进入／进入证人席 - take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand
出庭作证；让某人出庭作证 - call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness
传唤／以传票传唤／讯问／盘问证人 - give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody
提供／听取对某人不利／有利的证据 - raise/withdraw/overrule an objection
提出／撤销／否决异议 - reach a unanimous/majority verdict
作出一致的／多数人赞同的裁决 - return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death
作出／宣布无罪／非法杀人／意外死亡的裁决 - convict/acquit the defendant of the crime
宣判被告有罪／无罪 - secure a conviction/your acquittal
获得有罪／无罪判决 - lodge/file an appeal
提出上诉 - appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict
对判决／裁决提出上诉／质疑；维持／撤销判决／裁决
Sentencing and punishment 判刑与惩罚 - pass sentence on somebody
宣布对某人的判决 - carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence
会被判处／面临／服七年徒刑／无期徒刑 - receive/be given the death penalty
被判死刑 - be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)
被判十年（监禁） - carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)
会被判处／处以／缴纳（3 000 美元的）罚金／（14 年的）监禁 - be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder
因持有毒品罪／诈骗罪／谋杀罪被监禁 - do/serve time/ten years
服刑；服十年徒刑 - be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison
被送进监狱；把某人送进监狱；被释放出狱 - be/put somebody/spend X years on death row
在／把某人关在死囚牢房；在死囚牢房度过…年 - be granted/be denied/break (your) parole
获准假释；假释遭拒；违反假释规定
British/American at / in schoolat / in school- In British English somebody who is attending school is at school:
I was at school with her sister. 我和她妹妹过去在同一个学校读书。
I have a ten-year-old in school. 我有个十岁的孩子在上学。
Culture the legal systemthe legal systemFor historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant (= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted (= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).British law is divided into civil law which concerns arguments between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff (= the person who claims to have been wronged) brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages (= a financial payment) or an injunction (= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court, where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the Supreme Court, which has replaced the House of Lords as the highest court in the country.In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is, it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court's decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a Supreme Court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences (= against federal law), and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is unable to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney.Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justiceb1, Buildingsb1Court documents showing illegal transactions were released to the press. 表明非法交易的法庭文件向新闻界公布了。 Court was adjourned for the weekend. 法庭周末休庭了。 Divorce no longer requires a court appearance. 离婚不再需要出庭。 He received a court summons for non-payment of tax. 他接到法院的欠税传票。 He should be tried at the International Court in the Hague. 他应该在海牙国际法庭受审。 He will appear in court tomorrow charged with the murder. 他被控谋杀罪，将于明天出庭。 Once a lawsuit is filed, a court date is set. 一旦提起诉讼，就会确定庭审日期。 She should seek damages through the civil courts. 她应该通过民事法庭寻求损害赔偿。 The banks may decide to appeal to a higher court. 银行可能决定向上级法院上诉。 The case should not be allowed to go to court. 这个案子法庭不应当受理。 The case was appealed to a higher court. 该案诉至上级法院。 The case will be tried before a criminal court. 这个案子将在刑事法院审理。 The dispute was settled out of court. 争端已庭外和解。 Their neighbours took them to court. 他们的邻居把他们告上了法庭。 There wasn't enough evidence to bring the case to court. 此案证据不足，未能提交法庭。 They are likely to end up in divorce court. 他们很可能最终会走上离婚法庭。 They could now face a court battle for compensation. 他们现在也许面临着一场争取赔偿的法庭之战。 This is the highest court in the country. 这是该国的最高法院。 We are prepared to go to court to get our compensation. 我们做好了打官司索赔的准备。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- civil
- criminal
- Appeals Court
- …
- go to
- take somebody/something to
- come to
- …
- hear something
- acquit somebody
- clear somebody
- …
- bailiff
- clerk
- judge
- …
- at court
- before a/the court
- in court
- …
- contempt of court
- a court of appeal
- court of claims
- …
- the court[usually singular]
the people in a court, especially those who make the decisions, such as the judge and jury 全体出庭人员；（尤指）全体审判人员 Please tell the court what happened. 请向法庭陈述事情的经过。 The court heard how the man collapsed after being stabbed. 法庭听到了这个人被刺伤后是如何倒下的。 The court ruled in favour of her claim. 法院裁决支持她的要求。 This is not a case to be decided by the courts. 这不是一个由法院决定的案件。 - before the court
This evidence was not put before the court. 这个证据没有提交给法庭。 Airlines could face huge compensation bills following a court ruling on flight delays. 法院对航班延误做出裁决后，航空公司可能面临巨额赔偿。
Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justiceb1The company argued there was no case to answer, but the court disagreed. 该公司提出无须答辩，但法庭不同意。 The company asked the court to overrule the tribunal's decision. 这家公司请求法院驳回特别法庭的判决。 The court acquitted Reece of the murder of his wife. 法庭宣告里斯谋杀其妻的罪名不成立。 The court dismissed the appeal. 法庭驳回了上诉。 The court heard how the mother had beaten the 11-year-old boy. 法庭听取了这个母亲如何暴打 11 岁男孩的经过。 The court held that she was entitled to receive compensation. 法庭认定她有权获得赔偿。 The court issued an injunction. 法院发布了一项禁制令。 The court sentenced him to life in prison. 法庭判决他终身监禁。 The court upheld the plaintiff's claim of unfair dismissal. 法院支持原告因遭不公正解雇而提出的索赔要求。 The court was presided over by Judge Owen. 案件由欧文法官主持审理。 She is too young to appear before the court. 她年纪太小，不应该出庭。 We were trying to convince the court that the rules should be changed. 我们正在努力说服法庭那些规定应该改了。 Will you please tell the court what happened on that morning? 请你告诉法庭那天上午发生了什么事情，好吗？
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- civil
- criminal
- Appeals Court
- …
- go to
- take somebody/something to
- come to
- …
- hear something
- acquit somebody
- clear somebody
- …
- bailiff
- clerk
- judge
- …
- at court
- before a/the court
- in court
- …
- contempt of court
- a court of appeal
- court of claims
- …
- [countable]
a place where games such as tennis and basketball are played （网球等的）球场 
a tennis/squash/basketball court 网球场/壁球场/篮球场 - on court
He won after only 52 minutes on court. 他上场仅 52 分钟就赢得了胜利。 - off court
The players are good friends off court and train together. 这些选手球场下是好朋友，而且一起训练。
Extra ExamplesTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsb1Do you prefer playing tennis on grass courts or hard courts? 你喜欢在草地球场还是硬地球场打网球？ He hopes to repeat his success on the grass courts of Wimbledon. 他希望在温布尔登草地网球场上重演胜利。 He was a real gentleman both on and off court and a delight to play. 场上场下他都是一位绅士，和他一起打球是一种享受。 Off court she is just as aggressive as she is on the court. 球场下的她和球场上一样咄咄逼人。 She is a good player on hard courts. 她是硬地网球高手。 The players have been on court for an hour. 选手们已经上场 1 个小时了。 an indoor volleyball court 室内排球场
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basketball
- squash
- tennis
- …
- off (the) court
- on (the) court
- [countable, uncountable]
the official place where kings and queens live 王宫；宫殿；宫廷 the court of Queen Victoria 维多利亚女王的宫廷 - at court
He was presented to the queen at court. 他在法庭上被介绍给女王。
Extra Exampleslife at the court of Charles I 查理一世时的宫廷生活 life at court 宫廷生活
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- imperial
- royal
- circles
- jester
- at (a/the) court
- the court[singular]
the king or queen, their family, and the people who work for them and/or give advice to them 王室人员；王宫人员 The painting shows the emperor with his court. 这幅画展示了皇帝和他的宫廷。
Extra ExamplesMozart quickly became a favourite in court circles. 莫札特很快就在宫廷圈内大受欢迎。 a member of the imperial court of Kyoto 京都的一位宫廷成员
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- imperial
- royal
- circles
- jester
- at (a/the) court
- [countable] (also courtyard)
an open space that is partly or completely surrounded by buildings and is usually part of a castle, a large house, etc. （通常为城堡、大宅第等的）庭院，院子，天井 - (abbreviation Ct)[countable]
used in the names of blocks of flats or apartment buildings, or of some short streets; (in the UK) used in the names of some large houses （用于套房、公寓或某些短街区的名称）公寓大楼，短街；（英国用于某些大型宅第的名称）宅第，邸宅 The building is situated in a medieval court at the top of Edinburgh's royal mile. 该建筑位于爱丁堡皇家大道顶端的一个中世纪法庭内。
- [countable]
a large open section of a building, often with a glass roof 建筑物的开阔部分（常有玻璃房顶）；大厅；馆 see also tout court
law法律
for sport体育运动
kings/queens国王；女王
buildings建筑物
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cort, from Latin cohors, cohort- ‘yard or retinue’. The verb is influenced by Old Italian corteare, Old French courtoyer. Compare with cohort.
Idioms
the ball is in your/somebody’s court
hold court (with somebody)
to entertain people by telling them interesting or funny things （讲趣闻或笑话）使人快乐，逗人乐 I met Giles holding court with some tourists in a cafe. 我在一家咖啡馆里遇到了贾尔斯·霍尔特和一些游客。
laugh somebody/something out of court
- (British English, informal)
to completely reject an idea, a story, etc. that you think is not worth taking seriously at all 对（某主意、说法等）一笑置之；置之不理；不屑一顾 All his attempts at explanation were simply laughed out of court. 他所有的解释都被一笑置之。
pay court to somebody
- (old-fashioned)
to treat somebody with great respect in order to gain favour with them 献殷勤；奉迎；讨好
rule/throw something out of court