“审级制度”是一国司法制度的重要组成部分，是指法律规定的审判机关在组织体系上设置的等级，当事人可以上诉或检察机关可以抗诉几次，一个案件经过多少级法院审判后，判决、裁定即发生法律效力的一种诉讼法律制度。

“审”即“审判trial”，而“级”则指的是中国人民法院的分级。中国人民法院分为基层人民法院、中级人民法院、高级人民法院（以上都为地方人民法院）、最高人民法院四级。

关于这一分级的英文介绍如下：

Chinese courts are divided into four levels and presidents of Chinese courts at different levels are elected by the people's congress (the organ of state power exercising legislative powers, etc.) at corresponding level as below:

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) ( whose judges are elected or designated by the National People's Congress)

High people’s court (whose judges are elected or designated by provincial people's congress)

Intermediate people’s court (whose judges are elected or designated by municipal people's congress)

Primary people’s court (whose judges are elected or designated by people's congress at county-level and district-level )

由此可见，这里的“级”多用“level”一词表示，因此，“审级制度”可译为“level-based trial system”。

而至于“两审终审制”，是法院审理案件的一种审级制度，指一个案件需经两级法院审判后方可宣告终结并发生法律效力。对于这一官方制度，我们首先要看一看政府文件中有没有官方译法。

经查询，“两审终审制”在《中华人民共和国人民法院组织法》第11条中予以规定，且全国人民代表大会官网中有出现其译文：

Article 11 In the administration of justice, the people's courts adopt the system whereby the second instance is the last instance. From a judgment or orders of first instance of a local people's court, a party may bring an appeal to the people's court at the next higher level in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law, and the people's procuratorate may present a protest to the people's court at the next higher level in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.

第十一条　人民法院审判案件，实行两审终审制。

地方各级人民法院第一审案件的判决和裁定，当事人可以按照法律规定的程序向上一级人民法院上诉，人民检察院可以按照法律规定的程序向上一级人民法院抗诉。

地方各级人民法院第一审案件的判决和裁定，如果在上诉期限内当事人不上诉、人民检察院不抗诉，就是发生法律效力的判决和裁定。

因此，“两审终身制”可译为“the system whereby the second instance is the last instance”。