一位法律专业的研究生向笔者提出了一个问题：“associate justice”是什么意思——是否可译作“副法官”。他的根据，自然是从“associate professor”的译名“副教授”类推出来的。笔者请他查查英汉法律词典，其结果如下：

1． Associate justice 最高法院的陪审法官；助理法官。可惜的是：此译差矣!

甲．陪审官是陪审官，法官是法官，“陪审法官”究竟是陪审官还是法官抑或两官兼而任之的呢?

乙．其为“助理法官”，根据何在?

但是单从反面否定，尚无法肯定"associate justice”的正确理解和翻译。因此，就翻出英美法律词书各一种来，请他看：

2．ASSOCIATE. An officer. The term is frequently used of  the judges of appellate courts, other than the presiding judge or chief justice．

                   --------- Baldwins Century Edition of Bouvier's Law Dictionary

3．ASSOCIATE JUSTICES. The name given in the Federal and many of the state courts of the U. S. to the judges other than the chief justice.

                   --------- The Oxford Companion of Law, Oxford 1980

    由此可见，“Associate Justice”并不是“陪审法官”更非“助理法官”而是地地道道的“法官”(且不以联邦法院为限、州法院中亦有之)——即不担任院长或审判长的法官。

    不但有上列词书为证，言语实践也提供了有力的旁证：

    近些年来，美国联邦法院法官一再难产，直至不久前，安东尼·肯尼迪终于登上了联邦最高法院法官席，得以宣誓就职：

4．The U. S. Supreme Court is once again at full strength: " I, Anthony Kennedy, do so1emnly swear that will support and defend the constitution ...”

                    ----- ABC “New Hilights”asper TSOCE My 8894

    这位弥补了联邦最高法院缺额的肯尼迪氏乃有史以来担任该院大法官的第104人，而他的官衔就是(Associate) Justice——主持宣誓仪式的里根，正是这样称呼他的：

5. Anthony Kennedy became the 104 person to the Court as he was sworn in before a crowd of well-including his sponsor, President Reagan: wishers “We gather here today to welcome as the newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the man I've known and respected for more than a decade and who, like those Washington nominated, will give dignity and luster to our national character, Anthony M. Kennedy--Judge, and now Justice Kennedy sounds good, doesn't it?”

                    —Ibid

    瞧，原来任下级法院法官(judge) 的Anthony Kennedy现在是“Associate Justice”即‘Justice”(最高法院大法官)了。他的前任也是Justice (Justice Powell)，更足以证明“Associate Justice”实乃“Justice”之同义词：

6．Kennedy responded this way：

“It is a singular privilege to succeed to the place left by Justice Powell who served the Court and the country with such wisdom and distinction．”

                   —Ibid

    综上所述，“Associate Justice”与“Justice”同义，即(不担任院长或庭长的)“大法官”(称“大法官’，所以区别于“Judge”之为“法官”也)。(Associate Justice日语译作“判事”即汉语“推事”亦即我们常用的“法官”——而不是什么望文生义的“助理法官”或“陪审法官”。
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