defense

①答辩；辩护；答辩理由；答辩根据

②辩护方；被告方

③（对非法暴力行为的）反击；防御；防卫

defense在法律英语中通常有以上提到的三种含义，除了掌握其含义外，与其常见的搭配我们也要熟悉，如：defense attorney （辩护律师）、 self-defense（正当防卫）、defense of property （财产防卫）、defense of insanity（精神疾病的合法辩护）...

在翻译过程中我们也应注意，我国的国防部在翻译为英文时也是使用defense一词，译为Ministry of National Defense；美国的国防部则直接译为Defense Department。

我们可以通过以下例句，加深对defense一词的理解。

例 Regarding the right of defense and presence of a defense attorney in the court trial, article 35 of the Constitution stipulates that both parties to a lawsuit have the right to select a lawyer and if they are not able to do so, arrangements are made to provide them legal counsel.

【参考译文】关于辩护权和辩护律师出庭问题 ，《宪法》第35条规定诉讼双方有权选择律师，并且如果他们不能够选择，将做出安排向他们提供律师

例 The following rights and freedoms are expressly provided for: right to life, right to physical and mental integrity, individual freedom, right to defense, freedom of movement, personal and family privacy, inviolability of domicile, secrecy of correspondence, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, right to information, right to education, access to culture, rights to protection of health, right to a healthy environment, right to vote, right to be elected, freedom of assembly, right of association, right to work and social protection of labour, prohibition of forced labour, right to strike, right of private property, economic freedom, right of inheritance, right to a decent standard of living, protection of children and young people, protection of disabled persons, right of petition, right of a person aggrieved by a public authority.

【参考译文】其中明确规定了以下权利和自由：生命权、身心健康权、个人自由、抗辩权、迁徙自由、个 人及家庭隐私权、住处不受侵犯权、通信保密权、良知自由、 言论自由、知情权、教育权、接触文化的权利、健康保护权、拥有健康环境的权利、选举权、被选举权、集会自由、结社自由、工作权与劳动社会保障权、禁止强迫劳动、罢工权、私有财产权、经济自由、继承权、享受体面生活的权利、儿童与青年受保护权、残疾人受保护权、请愿权、遭受公共部门侵害者的权利。

例 It was a useful reminder that there were situations where the right to self-defense should hold sway over treaty obligations, but only to the extent that the treaty obligations in question restricted the exercise of such right to self-defense.

【参考译文】应当注意：存在着自卫权应超越条约义务的情况，但仅是在有关条约义务限制了行使这一自卫权的程度上。

参考

《元照英美法词典》

《法律英语核心术语：实务基础》（屈文生）

https://www.linguee.com/english-chinese/search?source=auto&query=defense

https://www.linguee.com/english-chinese/search?source=auto&query=defense+attorney

https://www.linguee.com/english-chinese/search?source=auto&query=self-defense