court 的语义经历了从“庭院”到“法院”的变化过程。court最初的意思是space enclosed by walls or buildings，相当于“院子”或“庭院”。现在人们经常用courtyard代替court，表示“庭院”。例如： In the middle of the courtyard, there is a tall tree that provides shade for people. 在庭院中间，有一棵大树，给人们提供荫凉。court的第二个意思是enclosed quadrangular area, open or covered, for games，即“体育运动场地”。例如：basketball court(篮球场)，half court(半场)。grass court(草地球场)。court 既是平民百姓生活的地方，又是皇家王室的住所。court 的第三个意思是sovereigns residence and his establishment，即“宫廷”或“朝廷”，或指宫殿，或指王室全体成员。例如：The court of King Solomon was noted for its splendor. (所罗门国王的宫廷以其华丽著称。) The court moves to the country in the summer. (夏天，王室全体成员都搬到乡下去住。)君主具有最高权力，说话是“金科玉律”。court原是君主发号施令的地方，后来专指审判机关。court 的第四个意思是place or hall in which justice is administered，即“法院”或“法庭”，或指审判机关，或指审判地点，或指法官。如：There isnt enough evidence to bring the case to court. (证据不足，不能将此案送交法庭。) The defendant will appear in court next Monday. (被告在下周一将出庭。) The court found him guilty. (法官认定他有罪。)

下面是几个容易混淆的国际司法机构。The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations.国际法院(也称国际法庭)，是联合国的主要司法机构。The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity,war crimes,and the crime of aggression.国际刑事法院是一个永久性特别法庭，审理犯有种族灭绝罪、反人类罪、战争罪和侵略罪的个人。The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, for short) is a United Nations court of law dealing with war crimes that took place during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.前南斯拉夫国际刑事法庭 (缩写为ICTY)是联合国审理90年代在前南地区冲突中发生的战争罪行的法庭。▲

（本栏目供稿：王逢鑫教授）