从学习法律英语到进行中外法律交流的法律翻译，都离不开词典这类的工具书，而通过对出现在英汉法律词典中的种种误译，进行分析比较论证的方法是提高学习法律英语的重要途径之一。下面试举例说明误译(原译)和正译。

1、“按劳分配”误译为Distribution on the basis of labour，正译为Distribution on the basis of work or distribution according to work．其中的“劳”字不仅指“体力劳动(labour)而且包括”脑力劳动，故应用work。

2、“版权所有”误译为All right reserved，正译为All rights reserved，其中的版权应是复数概念，即rights，而且在英美原版词典中也实际用rights。

3、“包办婚姻”误译为Marriage upon arbitrary decision，正译为Arranged marriage，原译不得要领。因为包办婚姻指由第三人作主的婚姻，这里的第三人作主的，有霸道的、非霸道的。

4、“法律界”的正译为 legal community／profession是在英语实际中常见的表达。法规是自成一个层次的法的规范，而不是“法律和规章(定)”的缩语，误译为 Law circle。

5、“法人”，依据：Juristic person}Those groups of natural persons or things，which a particular legal system endows with legal personality and treats as being，in law，kinds of persons and，accordingly，being able to sustain legal rights and duties．——The Oxford Companion to law。“法人资格”的误译(原译)与原文是不搭边。即 corporate organization指的是“成立为法人的组织”，而“法人资格”多指法律地位或身份，或成为法人所必须具备的条件。

6、“法治”：rule of law依据：The rule of law that defends the individual from injustice is a wonderful concept．——Time，April 19，1993，P8而非误译 rule by law。

7、“法制教育”即为“普法教育”英语中有现成的表达法：The party conference and the plenary session of the CPSU central committee posed the task of universal legal education．——The current Digest of the soviet press．而原译中 legal system是指在学校里的法律教育。

8、“共同被告“：依据：correspondent，or Co—respondent，a party who is accused of having committed adultery with the accusers spouse．——Cochran S Law Lexicon，误译 为Joint defendants．

9、“关系人”：Party是“方”、 “当事人”而不是关系人”。应译为 Interested party，party involved。

10、“检察官”： Prosecuting attorney可作“律师”解 ，但不是“起诉律师”(即 “检察官 )。依据：(1)Prosecutor，the person who，in a criminal court，represents the case against a person accused of crime，⋯ In Scotland prosecution in the superior courts are conducted by the Lord Advocate and the Advocate --deputies，and in the inferior courts by the procurators— fiscal，who are civil servants．In other countries，such as the U．S．，States and counties have their own prosecutors． mostly elected to office．——The Oxford Companion Law

(2)英语国家的英语出版物称我国的“检察员”为“prosecutor"．According to official newspapers last week，the Peking prosecutors office accused Taiwanese radio of instructing provocateurs to foment student unrest．——Newsweek， January 12，1987．，应译为 Examining justice。

11、“临时代理人”．Acting意为“代理的”。但“代理的”与“临时的”不一样 ，“代“职虽未必成正职，但一般不会太长， 误译为 Acting agent，应译为 Agent adinterim。

12、“律师事务所”：我国最常见的误译是“Lawyer's office”，但在英文刊物是用 law office／legal firm．

13、“上诉人”：依据：Appellant，he who initiate an ap- peal from one court to another．原译为 Appellant误译为 Petitioner。

14、“物证“．误译成 material evidence．这是望文生义中一个典型的错译．即material(物质的)，evidence(证据)。语言实践证明 material evidence是”实质性证据，对审理的事实有影响的证据。”。因为 material在法律文字中的实质涵义是 MATERIAL：important，necessary；relating to a given matter；generally speaking，any evidence is relevant and material which tends to prove or disprove any ultimate issue． ⋯．——Steven H．G．fits，Law Dictionary．

而“物证”的正确译名为:“physical evidence”，”real evidence：”，如：on the other hand，po lice have never found a body or any physical evidence connecting him to the crimes he confessed to——and later recanted——Master detective．

15、“住所“：Residence是：”居所“。住所”和“居所”在英美等法律上是不同的两个概念。住所是自然人的永久住所，一般称为“家”，它决定自然人的居民或非居民纳税人身份。见《国际税法》法律出版社，高尔森主编，P421，原译为Domicile。