In a court, the defendant is the person who has been accused. Someone says they broke the law, or someone is suing them for money, and now they must stand and answer.

在法庭上In a court，被告the defendant 就是被指控的那個人is the person who has been accused。有人Someone 說他們犯了法says they broke the law，或者or 有人為了錢告他們someone is suing them for money，而現在and now 他們就必須出庭答辯they must stand and answer。

The other side is the plaintiff (or claimant) — the person making the claim.

另一方The other side 是原告（或稱claimant）is the plaintiff (or claimant)——就是提出主張的那個人the person making the claim。

A defendant is not the same as a defender. A defender protects; a defendant is the one on trial.

被告A defendant 跟defender不一樣is not the same as a defender。defenderA defender 保護東西protects；而被告but a defendant 是接受審判的那個人is the one on trial。

The lawyers who speak for them are called the defence (British) or the defense (American).

替他們發言的律師The lawyers who speak for them 叫做are called defence（英式）the defence (British) 或defense（美式）or the defense (American)。

The word is formal and belongs to law; you will hear it on the news and in crime stories, not about a playground argument. Though actually, in a civil case the defendant may not be accused of a crime at all — only of owing money or of doing someone harm that the court must sort out.

這個詞The word 是正式的法律用語is formal and belongs to law；你會在新聞和犯罪故事裡聽到you will hear it on the news and in crime stories，不會用來講操場上的爭吵not about a playground argument。不過其實Though actually，在民事案件裡in a civil case 被告the defendant 可能根本沒被控犯罪may not be accused of a crime at all——只是only 欠錢of owing money，或or 做了什麼傷害別人、需要法院釐清的事of doing someone harm that the court must sort out。