结论
Legal Action 含义比诉讼更宽泛，应当译为法律行动。
缘起
朋友拿不准一段法律翻译，说是看不懂译文。
老师在这里翻了好几个错误：漏译了第三方（Third Party），理解错了赔偿的条件，从而导致整句话都翻译错了；还把 Legal Action 翻译成法律诉讼。
查证
Legal Information Institute (LII) 对 Legal Action 的解释如下：
为获得法律救济、确权、或保护合法权益而提起的民事诉讼、刑事诉讼、或其他司法程序（Legal action is a phrase that primarily refers to the act of bringing a lawsuit, prosecution, or judicial proceeding to obtain some sort of legal remedy or to ascertain or protect a legal right）。
而诉讼指的指司法机关在当事人和其他诉讼参与人参加下，依法定程序处理案件。俗称打官司。
根据 LII 的上述定义，Legal Action 的含义明显比诉讼更宽泛。诉讼中，司法机关是第三方。而 Legal Action 既可以向司法机关提起，也可以向行政机关提起（including bringing a claim before an administrative agency）。
香港大学社区法网的双语界面中，也将 Legal Action 译为含义更宽泛的法律行动。
无独有偶，法律行动也是律师函等语境中的常用词。
- 在中国，发送律师函或警告函并非权利人提起法律行动的必要前置条件。
- 除表明委託人不會輕易放棄自己的權利、已尋找律師協助，及將來亦可能採取法律行動外，更督促對方審視己身，停止侵害、改正錯誤或履行義務，以防訟累。
比较 Law Suit 和 Legal Action （备注：以下内容为ChatGPT 生成，仅供参考）
In the legal realm, "lawsuit" and "legal action" are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences in their meanings and contexts.
- Lawsuit:
- A lawsuit is a formal legal dispute between parties, typically initiated by one party (the plaintiff) against another (the defendant), seeking a legal remedy or compensation for a perceived wrong or harm.
- It refers specifically to the formal process of filing a complaint or petition in a court of law to seek resolution of a legal dispute.
- Lawsuits can cover a wide range of issues, including civil matters (such as personal injury claims, contract disputes, or property disputes) or criminal matters (such as prosecution by the state for violations of criminal law).
- The term "lawsuit" often implies that the dispute has reached a stage where formal legal proceedings have been initiated, and it may involve court appearances, hearings, and potentially a trial.
- Legal Action:
- Legal action is a broader term that encompasses any action taken to enforce or defend legal rights or interests, whether or not it involves formal litigation.
- It includes a wide range of legal proceedings, including lawsuits, but also other forms of dispute resolution such as arbitration, mediation, negotiation, or administrative proceedings.
- Legal action can be initiated by filing a lawsuit, but it can also involve sending demand letters, negotiating settlements, filing administrative complaints, or pursuing alternative dispute resolution methods.
- Unlike a lawsuit, legal action does not necessarily involve court proceedings or litigation. It can encompass various informal and formal methods of resolving disputes or enforcing legal rights.
In summary, while both terms involve legal proceedings, a "lawsuit" specifically refers to a formal legal dispute filed in a court of law, while "legal action" is a broader term encompassing any action taken to enforce or defend legal rights, including but not limited to lawsuits.
关于作者
Joey Zhang，译者/法学学士，持有中国法律职业资格，长期从事法律翻译及商业翻译，个人最新简历可点击此处查阅。也可以通过以下平台联系我：LinkedIn、豆瓣、知乎、小红书
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