Motive、Intent和Mens rea在刑法中的含义各不相同。

Motive：a reason for doing sth 动机；原因；目的。是导致一个人行为的情感原因和意图，即“动机”。但是Motive并不是构成犯罪的要素。其派生词为Motiveless，即没有动机的。

the profit motive 谋利的动机

motiveless murder 没有动机的谋杀

Intent：the design or purpose to commit a wrongful or criminal act。即刑法中所说的“犯罪故意”。Intent是构成犯罪的要素之一。

criminal intent 犯罪故意

indirect intent 间接故意

direct intent 直接故意

Mens rea，则为“犯意”或“犯罪意图”，指一种犯罪精神状态 (a culpable mental state), 特指犯罪故意(intent) 或对犯罪的知情(knowledge)。Mens rea是构成犯罪的要素之一。

mens rea principle 罪过原则

presumpted mens rea 推定罪过

complicated mens rea 复杂罪过

参考双语例句：

①The Committee emphasizes that the definition of torture should set out clearly the purpose of the offence, provide for aggravating circumstances, include the attempt to commit torture as well as acts intended to intimidate or coerce the victim or a third person, and refer to discrimination of any kind as a motive or reason for inflicting torture.

委员会强调指出，对酷刑的定义应明确违犯行为的目的性，规定加重处罚的情节，将试图实施酷刑包含其中，亦将以威吓受害者或第三者或向其施加压力为目的的行为包含其中，并应将任何歧视视为实施酷刑的动机或理由。

②Website forgery in order to capture personal data: Anyone who, with criminal intent and without authorization to do so, designs, develops, traffics, sells, executes, programmes or sends web pages, links or pop-ups, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of between forty-eight (48) and ninety-six (96) months and a fine of between 100 and 1,000 times the current minimum statutory monthly wage, provided that the action does not constitute an offence punishable by a heavier penalty.

为掌握个人资料伪造的网站：任何人带着犯罪意图在未经授权情况下，设计、开发、贩卖、销售、执行、编程或发送网页、链接或弹出窗口，则应处以四十八(48)至九十六(96)个月监禁，和100至1000倍目前法定最低月工资的罚款，条件是这一行为并未构成应处以更高刑罚的犯罪。

③According to David Lanham3 , four aspects of the law of bribery needed to be examined in dealing with the common law offence. These include : the position of the person bribed; the nature of the reward (e.g. the distinction between a bribe and a treat); the mens rea of bribery (i.e. the mental element in bribery) and the problem of mutuality (i.e. whether the innocent intent on the part of one party may provide a defence to the other even if the latter has a guilty intent).

根据DavidLanham3的说法，在处理普通法罪行时，须考虑与贿赂有关的四个法律层面，包括受贿者的职位；报酬的性质(例如贿赂与款待的区别)；贿赂的犯罪意图(即贿赂的精神部分)；以及相互性的问题(即其中一方并无犯罪的意图这一点可否作为另一方的抗辩理由，即使后者有犯罪的意图)。

Compliance with the guidelines by a company or an officer could be adduced as evidence to negate mens rea where criminal liability was in issue

可援引公司或高级人员已遵从有关指引作为证据，以否定涉及受争议刑事法律责任的犯罪意图。