英汉词典

1. 请愿书
    A petition is a document signed by a lot of people which asks a government or other official group to do a particular thing.

    e.g. We recently presented the government with a petition signed by 4,500 people.
           最近我们向政府递交了有4,500人签名的请愿书。

2. 上诉；（对法庭的）请求
    A petition is a formal request made to a court of law for some legal action to be taken.

    e.g. His lawyers filed a petition for all charges to be dropped...
           他的律师提请撤销所有指控。
    e.g. The court rejected their petition.
           法庭驳回了他们的上诉。

3. 祈求；请求；请愿
    If you petition someone in authority, you make a formal request to them.

    e.g. ...couples petitioning for divorce...
           申请离婚的夫妇
    e.g. All the attempts to petition the Congress had failed...
           所有向国会请愿的努力均告失败。