captives
captives — 形容詞
- captivespositive
- more captivescomparative
- most captivessuperlative
1. describing someone or something kept within a closed space and not allowed to le
被囚禁的
關在封閉處無法自由行動的
describing someone or something kept within a closed space and not allowed to leave, whether as punishment, for safety, or for purposes such as study or display.
The zookeepers moved the sick lion to a smaller captive area for close observation.
動物園管理員把那頭生病的獅子移到較小的圈養區，以便近距離觀察。
collocation: captive area / captive breeding
During the war, armed guards kept Noor's family captive in their own home.
戰爭期間，Noor 全家被持槍守衛困在自己家中。
pattern: kept + captive + location
Adaeze kept a diary as a captive factory worker, recording every detail she could recall.
Adaeze 在被囚禁於工廠期間寫日記，記錄下她能回憶起的每個細節。
The captive birds in the pet shop looked sad, with little space to spread their wings.
寵物店裡那些被關在籠中的鳥兒看起來很可憐，幾乎沒有展翅的空間。
- imprisoned
stronger, usually refers to humans in a prison; less common for animals
- caged
specifically suggests confinement inside a cage; more concrete but narrower
用法筆記
Frequently appears before a noun to describe the situation of the person or animal (e.g. captive audience, captive animal). Also used after verbs like 'hold' or 'keep' in the phrase 'hold/keep someone captive'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a soldier or other person who has been taken and is being held by an
被俘的
在戰爭中被敵方逮捕的
describing a soldier or other person who has been taken and is being held by an opposing military force during an armed conflict.
The Red Cross visited the captive soldiers to check their living conditions.
紅十字會探視了被俘的士兵，檢查他們的生活條件。
domain: war — captive soldiers
After three months as a captive officer, Gabriel escaped and returned to his own army.
Gabriel 當了三個月的俘虜軍官後成功逃脫，回到了自己的部隊。
pattern: as a + captive + [rank/role]
The captive prisoners were marched to a border camp to join hundreds of others.
被俘的士兵被押往邊境附近的營地，與數百名其他人會合。
Kenji's uncle was a captive pilot who spent two years in detention before the exchange.
Kenji 的叔叔是一名被俘的飛行員，在拘留中度過了兩年後才獲交換。
用法筆記
Commonly used in news and historical writing about armed conflicts. The noun phrase 'prisoner of war' (POW) is more formal and precise; 'captive' as an adjective in this sense is more general.
captives — 名詞
- captivessingular
- captivesesplural
1. a person or an animal confined against their will inside a space or taken by for
俘虜；囚犯
被關押或困住的人或動物
a person or an animal confined against their will inside a space or taken by force — for example, someone captured during armed conflict, a kidnapping victim, or a wild animal living in a zoo.
The kidnappers demanded a huge ransom before they would release their captives.
綁匪要求鉅額贖金，才願意釋放他們手中的俘虜。
typical context: kidnapping
In the wildlife sanctuary, the captives included three orphaned bears and two injured eagles.
那間野生動物收容所裡的俘虜包括三隻失去母親的小熊和兩隻受傷的老鷹。
collocation: captives — animal context
Villagers brought food and water to the captives held by rebels in the forest camp.
村民為森林營地裡被叛軍挾持的俘虜送去了食物和水。
Lakan read a report about the cruel treatment of captives in the illegal fishing operation.
Lakan 讀到一份關於非法捕撈作業中虐待俘虜的報告。
用法筆記
Often appears in the plural form (captives) when referring to a group. For a single person who is imprisoned, 'prisoner' is more common in everyday use; 'captive' adds a nuance of being taken by force.
常見錯誤
2. a person who is very strongly influenced or controlled by a particular emotion,
俘虜（比喻）
被情感或力量牢牢控制的人；比喻用法
a person who is very strongly influenced or controlled by a particular emotion, interest, idea, or situation, as if unable to escape from it.
Faisal was a captive of his own guilt, apologizing for mistakes he could not undo.
Faisal 成了自己罪惡感的俘虜，為無法挽回的錯誤不斷道歉。
pattern: captive of + [emotion]
Henrik became a captive of the old city's beauty and stayed for a year.
Henrik 成了古城之美的俘虜，在那裡待了一整年。
pattern: captive to + [thing]
Mateo felt like a captive of his own routine, doing the same dull work daily.
Mateo 覺得自己成了例行公事的俘虜，每天做著同樣無聊的工作。
Luca was a captive to his phone, checking for messages even during dinner with friends.
Luca 成了手機的俘虜，連跟朋友吃飯時都不停查看訊息。
- slave (to)
stronger and more negative; suggests complete loss of freedom
- prisoner (of)
similar figurative meaning, slightly less literary
- master (of)
someone who controls rather than being controlled
文法句型
captive of [emotion/idea]
captive to [situation/force]
用法筆記
This sense is figurative and always followed by 'of' or 'to'. The noun phrase usually includes a strong emotion (guilt, fear, love) or an irresistible force (beauty, ambition, addiction). It is more common in literary or formal writing than in everyday conversation.