三者均有檢察官的含義。prosecutor多為普通法法系國(guó)家所用,這些國(guó)家的檢察人員一般由律師擔(dān)任[1]。procurator則為大陸法系的有些國(guó)家,如法國(guó)所用,這些國(guó)家的檢察官員不必一 定由律師充任[2]。因此,在翻譯中國(guó)的檢察員時(shí),人們多采用 procurator。attorney則常在普通法系國(guó)家中被用來稱呼具體的各種檢察官(因?yàn)檫@些國(guó)家規(guī)定檢察官必須由律師擔(dān)當(dāng)),特別是在美國(guó),如:地方檢察官(district attorney),縣檢察官(county attorney),州或地方檢察官(prosecuting attorney ),州檢察官 (state's attorney),聯(lián)邦檢察官(commonwealth attorney,用于 Virginia 與 Kentucky 州),地方檢察長(zhǎng)(district attorney general, 用于 New Jersey 州),助理檢察長(zhǎng)(assistant attorney general,用于 Virgin Islands 州)等[3]。
[1]“A legal officer who represents the government in criminal proceeding. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 1237, West Group(1999).
[2]“ Public prosecutor." Cf. Philip B. Grove, Webster's Third New International Dictionary, at p. 1806, G &C Merriam Co. (1971).
[3] Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at ps. 330, 849, West Publishing Co. (1991).