在翻譯以上術語時人們經(jīng)常會犯錯誤，故務必要小心才行。首先應注意的是civil court，該詞組除在英、美等國指“民事法院外”[1]，在其他地區(qū)，如在加拿大，它可用作指具有一般管轄權（包括具有簡易審判程序）的刑事法院，其與民事無任何關系，civil在此等同ordinary [2]，故應譯為“普通刑事法院”。同樣，civil custody也是指警方或其他相關民政當局“對一般罪犯所作的拘留或關押”（普通監(jiān)獄“civil prison"或教養(yǎng)所“penitentiary”的關押均包括在內(nèi)）[3]。civil prison則可指任何關押由普通刑事法院（civil court) 經(jīng)簡易審判程序（summary procedure) 審判的罪行較輕刑期在2年以下罪犯之監(jiān)獄（包括jail和其他場所），故為“普通監(jiān)獄”[4]。由此可知，civil prisoner則是指由civil court所判處的被civil prison關押的刑期為2年以下的 “普通服刑犯”。對于civil prisoner而言，《英漢法律詞典》的新版本更正了其第一版將該術語譯為“民事犯”之謬誤，將其譯為了 “普通犯”[5]，然而該詞典援引的《法窗譯話》之解釋, 即“普通犯”是“與政治犯、國事犯、軍事犯、戰(zhàn)犯等對稱時用”的解釋卻仍然應為一謬誤，這里的“普通”兩字，實則應為“罪行較輕”的含義。

[1]“ A court with jurisdiction over non-criminal cases. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 357, West Group (1999).

[2]“A court of ordinary criminal jurisdiction in Canada and includes a court of summary jurisdiction. ”Cf. Daphne Dukelow，The Dictionary of Canadian Law, at p. 162 , Thomson Professional Publishing Canada (1991).

[3]“ The holding under arrest or in confinement of a person by the police or other competent civil authority, and includes confinement in a penitentiary or civil prison. ”Id. at p. 162.

[4]“Any prison, jail or other place in Canada in which offenders sentenced by a civil court in Canada to imprisonment for less than two years can be confined, and，if sentenced outside Canada, any prison, jail or other place in which a person, sentenced to that term of imprisonment by a court having jurisdiction in the place where the sentence was passed，can for the time being be confined. " Cf. Canada National Defense Act, R. S. C. 1985，c. N. 5, s. 2.

[5] 參見《英漢法律詞典》編委會編：《英漢法律詞典》（修訂版），法律出版社1999年版，第131頁。