/ˈprɪzn ||; ˈprɪzṇ/(also jail) noun [C,U] a building where criminals are kept as a punishment 监狱: The terrorists were sent to prison for twenty-five years. 那帮恐怖分子被判入狱二十五年。He will be released from prison next month. 他将于下月获释出狱。 ☞Look at imprison and jail. 参看imprison及jail。 If a person goes to prison or is in prison (without ‘ the ’), he/she has to stay there as a prisoner He was sent to prison for two years.‘The prison’ refers to a particular prison, or indicates that a person is only visiting the building temporarily The politician visited the prison and said that conditions were poor. 某人作为犯人入狱(go to prison)或在狱中(in prison)时，prison前面没有the：He was sent to prison for two years.他被关了两年。指某座监狱或某人只是去监狱探访一下时用the prison：The politician visited the prison and said that conditions were poor.那位政治家参观了这座监狱，说那里的条件很差。