中国封建时代的“官职称谓”(official positions and titles)较为复杂,“官衔 ”(official title)与“官职 ”(official position )名称众多,各种各样、有不同等级的“官爵” ( offices and titles),不同于西方的体制,翻译时要注意。可比较英国王室的头衔:爵位(rank of nobility),公爵(duke),侯爵(marquis),伯爵(earl;count),子爵 (viscount),男爵(baron) 等。 夏商周三代是我国奴隶制度形成与发展时期,实行君主专制与分封贵族相结合的政体。秦代建立专制的中央集权制的国家机构,皇帝为国家最高统治者的称号,自称“朕”,建立了由“三公”(丞相、太尉、御史大夫)和诸卿组成的中央政府。“汉承秦制”,隋唐确立了三省六部制,在中央建立了尚书、门下、内史(唐为'中书”),并以尚书省为六部核心。明清时期,专制主义的中央集权己经走向极致,国家机构的组织形式与工作程序比任何朝代都要严密。主 要设立了省、州、府三级地方政府。省设有三司:布政司、提刑按察使司、都指挥使司,分别掌管行政、监察与司法。省下属有府、长官为知府,次之有县或是州,设知县或知州。清代只是增设了理藩院、专管蒙古、新疆和西藏等少数民族事宜。 封建时代主要官衔与职位从“三公九卿”(three councilors and nine ministers) 到各级“衙门目吏 (yamen officials),共七品官职: 一品(大员)the first-rank official; the highest official 二品(高官)the second-rank official 三品(命官)the third-rank official 四品(朝臣)the fourth-rank official 五品(官员)the fifth-rank official 六品(县丞)the 6th-rank official 七品(知镇)the seventh-rank official 丞相(宰相,相国)(the) prime minister 御史大夫 assistant prime minister;secretary太尉 the highest military officer/governor 大司徒(丞相)chief minister 大司空(御史大夫) assistant chief minister 大司马(太尉)chief military officer 太师 / 太傅 grand tutor to the crown prince 太保 / 少师 / 少傅 / 少保 official assisting the three councilors for the emperor;official tutor for the crown司徒 minister of culture,land and personnel 司马 minister of war 司空 minister of public works 司寇 minister of justice 总督 governor general ;viceroy柱国 highest military officer 巡抚 governor of a province抚台 military governor 吏部尚书 minister of personnel 户部尚书 minister of revenue 工部尚书 minister of works 礼部尚书 minister of rites 兵部尚书 minister of war 刑部尚书 minister of punishment知州 magistrate/prefect of a prefecture 知府 / 知县 / 知事 magistrate/of a district/a county prefect of counties通判 sub-prefect;controller-general郡守 prefect of a prefecture 太守 prefect of a district 府尹 prefectural magistrate 县尹(县令)magistrate of a county 大夫 senior official 廷尉 punishment official太仆(寺卿) official of transmission and attention御史 censor太史 court historian刺史 feudal province侍郎 assistant minister总兵 frontier officer封疆大吏 high provincial official使者(使节) emissary;envoy司书 official copyist元帅 commander; marshal; supreme commander 兵法家 military strategist 将军 general 儒将 scholar general 宿将 veteran general 将校 / 将领 high rank officer 将士 officers and soldiers侍卫 royal guard;卫 士 bodyguard; 武士 / 虎贲 warrior/ royal guards壮士/勇士/武夫 brave man/fighter;heroic man骑士 knight;cavalier士兵 / 兵勇 / 卒 soldiers/fighters