“go to court”是一个常用的英语短语,核心含义是“上法庭;打官司;诉诸法律”,指通过法庭程序解决争议、应对指控或履行法律义务(如作证)。
字面直译为“去法庭”,但实际引申为参与法律诉讼的行为——无论是作为原告(主动起诉)、被告(被起诉),还是证人/相关方(被要求出庭)。
该短语通常为不及物动词短语,需通过介词或不定式补充具体内容(如“因何事”“与何人”“为了什么目的”)。以下是典型搭配:
表示“因某件事(纠纷/争议)上法庭”(强调诉讼的事由)。
She decided to go to court over the unpaid rent.(她决定就欠租问题打官司。)
The company went to court about the patent infringement.(该公司因专利侵权纠纷诉诸法律。)
表示“与某人对簿公堂;起诉某人”(强调诉讼的对象)。
He had no choice but to go to court against his former business partner.(他别无选择,只能与前生意伙伴对簿公堂。)
用不定式表示“上法庭的目的”(如解决问题、争取权益)。
The parents went to court to gain custody of their child.(父母上法庭争取孩子的监护权。)
We might have to go to court to get our money back.(我们可能得打官司要回我们的钱。)
常与“have to/must/be ordered to”等搭配,表示“不得不/被要求上法庭”(如作为被告或证人)。
He had to go to court for drunk driving.(他因酒驾不得不上法庭。)
She was ordered to go to court as a witness.(她被命令作为证人出庭。)
go to court:侧重“自己参与诉讼”(可以是原告、被告或证人);
take sb to court:侧重“把某人告上法庭”(自己是原告,主动起诉他人)。
例:If they don’t refund my money, I’ll take them to court.(如果他们不退款,我就把他们告上法庭。)
原告视角:I’m going to court to sue the landlord for unsafe living conditions.(我要上法庭起诉房东提供不安全的居住环境。)
被告视角:He’s going to court next week for a traffic violation.(他下周要因交通违法上法庭。)
解决争议:The two parties finally went to court to settle the contract dispute.(双方最终上法庭解决合同纠纷。)
简言之,“go to court”是描述通过法律途径解决问题或应对法律程序的常用表达,关键是结合上下文理解具体角色(原告/被告/证人)和目的。