law
law — 名詞
1. a written rule that a government or other authority creates, telling people in a
法律
政府制定的行為規則
a written rule that a government or other authority creates, telling people in a society what they must or must not do.
The city council passed a new law that bans plastic bags at all supermarkets and shops.
市議會通過了一項新法律，禁止所有超市和商店使用塑膠袋。
pass a law — officially create a new legal rule
Tunde never breaks the law, even when he is in a hurry and no one is watching.
Tunde 從不違法，即使他很趕時間而且沒人看見也一樣。
break the law — do something illegal
Under the new law, every factory must report how much waste it produces each year.
根據新法，每家工廠每年都必須報告產生的廢棄物量。
Kwame hired a lawyer to check whether the sale of the old house followed the law correctly.
Kwame 聘請了一位律師，確認那棟老房子的買賣是否依法進行。
Luca was fined five hundred dollars for ignoring a local law about noise after midnight.
Luca 因為忽略了當地一項關於深夜噪音的法律，被罰了五百美元。
- rule
broader term; can apply to games, schools, or social groups, not just government
- regulation
usually more specific and technical, issued by an official body like a ministry
- statute
formal term for a law passed by a parliament or legislature
用法筆記
Often paired with verbs like 'pass', 'break', 'obey', 'follow', and 'enforce'. The preposition 'under' is common: 'under this law, X is illegal.'
常見錯誤
2. the whole collection of rules that governs a particular country, community, or s
法律體系
某國家或領域的整套法規
the whole collection of rules that governs a particular country, community, or specific field, along with how those rules are put into practice.
By law, every child in this country must attend school until the age of sixteen.
根據法律，這個國家的每個孩子都必須上學到十六歲。
by law — as required by the legal system
Ritu studied British law before moving to Singapore to work as a legal advisor.
Ritu 在搬到新加坡擔任法律顧問之前，學習的是英國法律體系。
The legal system in Japan requires both sides in a dispute to try mediation before going to court.
日本的法律體系要求爭議雙方在上法庭之前先嘗試調解。
Anya argued that the company had violated international trade law by refusing to deliver the goods.
Anya 主張該公司拒絕交貨的行為違反了國際貿易法。
Under Canadian law, all citizens have the right to a fair trial with a lawyer present.
根據加拿大法律，所有公民都有權在律師陪同下接受公平審判。
- legal system
more explicit phrase for the entire institutional framework
- legislation
refers specifically to laws made by a parliament, not the whole system
- jurisprudence
formal/academic term for the theory and philosophy of law
用法筆記
Uses the definite article ('the law') when referring to a specific country's system. Without an article ('law' alone) it functions as an uncountable mass noun referring to the general concept.
常見錯誤
3. the subject or profession of understanding, teaching, and working with legal rul
法學；法律業
法律相關學科或職業
the subject or profession of understanding, teaching, and working with legal rules — for example, as a lawyer, judge, or legal scholar.
Eli spent three years studying law before taking the bar exam in Jakarta.
Eli 在雅加達花了三年時間攻讀法律，之後參加了律師資格考試。
study law — take a university degree in law
After graduation, Hassan decided to practice law in a small firm near his hometown.
畢業後，Hassan 決定在故鄉附近的一家小型律師事務所執業。
practice law — work as a lawyer
Romi is thinking about going to law school after finishing her undergraduate degree in history.
Romi 正在考慮大學畢業後去唸法學院。
Professor Élise has taught criminal law at the university for more than twenty years.
Élise 教授在大學教授刑法已經超過二十年了。
Benjamin decided that a career in law was not for him after his first year at a large law firm.
Benjamin 在一家大型律師事務所待了一年後，決定法律這一行不適合他。
- legal studies
academic term for the field as a university subject
- jurisprudence
more philosophical and theoretical; less common in everyday use
- legal profession
refers specifically to the career side, not the academic study
用法筆記
Used without an article in phrases like 'study law', 'practice law', 'go into law'. With 'the' when referring to a specific branch: 'the law of contracts'.
常見錯誤
4. an informal way of talking about the police and other officials whose job is to
警方
執法機構的俗稱
an informal way of talking about the police and other officials whose job is to make sure that legal rules are obeyed.
When the neighbours heard the gunshots, they immediately called the law.
鄰居聽到槍聲後，立刻報警叫了警察。
call the law — informal for contacting the police
Putri has been in trouble with the law since she was a teenager, mostly for small thefts.
Putri 從十幾歲起就經常惹上警察，多半是因為小偷小摸。
in trouble with the law — informal for being suspected by police
The law arrived within minutes of the alarm and blocked off the entire street.
警報響起後幾分鐘內警方就到達現場，封鎖了整條街。
Jason warned his younger brother to stay away from the law after the gang started causing trouble.
Jason 警告弟弟離警察遠一點，因為那個幫派開始惹事了。
- police
neutral and formal; the standard term in most situations
- law enforcement
formal, broader term that includes police, sheriffs, and other agencies
- the authorities
more formal and broader still; can include non-police officials
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article ('the law'). This sense is informal; in formal contexts, use 'police' or 'law enforcement' instead.
5. the act of asking a court of law to make a formal decision about a disagreement
訴訟
向法院提請裁決
the act of asking a court of law to make a formal decision about a disagreement between two people or groups.
When the landlord refused to fix the leaking roof, Rania went to law over the issue.
房東拒絕修理漏水的屋頂後，Rania 針對這個問題提起了訴訟。
go to law — take a dispute to court
The factory owner threatened to go to law if the government did not compensate him for the land.
工廠老闆威脅說，如果政府不補償那塊土地，他就要告上法院。
Going to law can be very expensive, so many people try to settle their problems out of court.
打官司可能非常昂貴，所以許多人嘗試在法庭外解決糾紛。
Sade's family decided not to go to law and instead accepted the insurance payment offered by the company.
Sade 的家人決定不打官司，而是接受保險公司提出的理賠金額。
- litigation
formal noun for the process of taking legal action
- legal proceedings
formal term for the official steps in a court case
- lawsuit
concrete noun for a specific case brought to court
- settlement
an agreement reached without going to court
- mediation
process where a neutral person helps both sides agree without court
用法筆記
Fixed expression 'go to law'. Less common than 'take someone to court' or 'file a lawsuit'. More frequent in British English than American.
常見錯誤
6. a description of a natural process that is consistently true under identical cir
定律
自然界恆常不變的規則
a description of a natural process that is consistently true under identical circumstances, especially in scientific fields.
Newton's law of gravity explains why things fall toward the ground when you drop them.
牛頓的萬有引力定律解釋了為什麼東西掉下來時會往地面落。
law of gravity — scientific principle
According to the law of supply and demand, prices rise when a product becomes harder to find.
根據供需定律，當產品變得難以取得時，價格就會上漲。
law of supply and demand — economic principle
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed.
熱力學第一定律指出，能量不能被創造或消滅，只能轉換形態。
In physics class, Christopher tested the law of conservation of mass by melting an ice cube in a bag.
在物理課上，Christopher 用一個密封袋融化冰塊，驗證了質量守恆定律。
Newton's third law says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
牛頓第三定律說，每一個作用力都有一個大小相等、方向相反的反作用力。
用法筆記
In science, 'law' describes a proven relationship that holds true universally under given conditions. It is stronger than a 'theory' (which can be modified) but less common in modern science than 'principle' or 'rule'.
常見錯誤
law — 動詞
1. to take a disagreement or complaint to a court of law so that a judge can decide
打官司
透過法院解決糾紛
to take a disagreement or complaint to a court of law so that a judge can decide who is right.
The two companies agreed to law their contract dispute rather than settle it privately.
那兩家公司決定就合約糾紛打官司，而不是私下和解。
law + [dispute] — litigate formally
Stephanie's family decided to law the hospital over the failed surgery.
Stephanie 的家人決定就那次失敗的手術和醫院打官司。
The charity warned that it would law the mining company if the river pollution continued.
該慈善機構警告說，如果河川污染持續下去，就要和那家礦業公司打官司。
After months of failed talks, both sides chose to law the matter in federal court.
經過幾個月的失敗談判後，雙方選擇在聯邦法院就此事進行訴訟。
- sue
standard modern verb for taking someone to court
- litigate
formal; slightly broader, can mean to engage in any court process
- take to court
everyday phrasal equivalent
- settle
to reach an agreement without going to court
文法句型
law + [someone] + over/about + [issue]
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English. Much more common alternatives are 'sue', 'take to court', 'file a lawsuit against', or 'litigate'. This usage is mostly found in legal documents or older texts.
常見錯誤
2. to bring a legal case against someone, either to get money for a wrong done to y
起訴；控告
依法對某人提出告訴
to bring a legal case against someone, either to get money for a wrong done to you (sue) or to accuse them of a crime (prosecute).
The customer threatened to law the company for selling a defective car that caused the accident.
顧客威脅要控告該公司，因為他們賣了一輛有問題的車導致車禍。
law + [someone] + for + [reason]
The district attorney decided to law the suspect on charges of fraud and money laundering.
地方檢察官決定以詐欺和洗錢罪名起訴該嫌疑人。
Lakan vowed to law the newspaper for printing false information about his business.
Lakan 發誓要控告那家報紙刊登有關他生意的虛假資訊。
The landlord threatened to law the tenants if they did not pay the overdue rent.
房東威脅要控告那些房客，如果他們不支付拖欠的租金。
- sue
standard for civil claims (money, damages)
- prosecute
standard for criminal charges brought by the state
- bring a case against
neutral formal expression covering both civil and criminal
- defend
the opposite action — to argue against a legal claim in court
文法句型
law + [someone] + for + [offence/claim]
用法筆記
Even rarer than sense 1. In modern English, 'sue' is used for private claims and 'prosecute' for criminal charges. The verb 'law' covering both is archaic.