「asylum」主要指提供保護或庇護的場所，尤其指政治庇護或精神病院。
政治/人身保護
EN: protection granted by a country to someone fleeing persecution
翻譯: 一個國家授予逃離迫害者的保護
收容機構
EN: an institution providing shelter and support for the mentally ill or needy
翻譯: 為精神病患或貧困者提供住所和支援的機構
安全避難所
EN: a place of refuge or safety
翻譯: 避難或安全的處所
小提醒：注意「political asylum」（政治庇護）是固定搭配，指因政治原因尋求的保護，而「lunatic asylum」（瘋人院）是過時用語，現今多用「psychiatric hospital」。
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Asylum" from YouTube Videos
Chade-Meng Tan: Everyday compassion at Google
TED
“So in Google there's a lot of autonomy, And one of our most popular managers jokes that this is what he says: "Google is a place where the inmates run the asylum", And he considers himself one of the inmates.”
1. protection and safety given by a country to someone who has fled their own country because they are in danger
（國家給予逃離本國危險者的）庇護，保護
The journalist was granted political asylum after fleeing persecution.
這名記者逃離迫害後獲得了政治庇護。
They are seeking asylum on the grounds of religious persecution.
他們以宗教迫害為由尋求庇護。
2. an institution that provides care and shelter for people who are mentally ill or in need
（精神病患或需要照顧者的）收容所，養護院
In the 19th century, many people with mental illnesses were confined to asylums.
在19世紀，許多精神病患被關在收容所裡。
The old asylum on the hill has been converted into apartments.
山上的舊收容所已被改建成公寓。
3. a place of safety or refuge; a sanctuary
避難所，安全的地方
The library was his asylum from the chaos of the city.
圖書館是他逃離城市喧囂的避難所。
The church provided asylum for the refugees during the war.
戰爭期間，教堂為難民提供了避難所。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| seek asylum | 尋求庇護 | Many people seek asylum in other countries to escape persecution. (許多人為逃離迫害而到其他國家尋求庇護。) |
| be granted asylum | 獲得庇護 | The refugee was finally granted asylum after a lengthy legal process. (經過漫長的法律程序，這名難民最終獲得了庇護。) |
| political asylum | 政治庇護 | He applied for political asylum on the grounds of his activism. (他以自己的政治活動為由申請了政治庇護。) |
| asylum seeker | 尋求庇護者 | The government is reviewing the cases of thousands of asylum seekers. (政府正在審查數千名尋求庇護者的案件。) |
| a place of asylum | 避難所；收容所 | The church served as a place of asylum for those fleeing the conflict. (這座教堂成為逃離衝突者的避難所。) |
an asylum 或 asylums 來指庇護身份。
EN: The journalist had to seek asylum in a foreign embassy.
翻譯: 那名記者不得不向外國大使館尋求庇護。EN:After a lengthy process, she was finally granted asylum.
翻譯:經過漫長的程序，她終於獲得了庇護。
EN:They are applying for political asylum due to persecution at home.
翻譯:他們因在家鄉遭受迫害，正在申請政治庇護。
EN:The country offers asylum to those fleeing war.
翻譯:該國為逃離戰爭的人提供庇護。
使用時需根據語境區分「尋求」與「獲得」的階段，並注意其通常作為不可數名詞與特定修飾語（如 political）的搭配。
asylum vs refuge
「asylum」通常指國家或機構提供的正式保護（尤其政治庇護），而「refuge」泛指任何提供安全或庇護的地方或狀態，概念更廣。
asylum vs sanctuary
「asylum」側重對逃離迫害者的法律保護，而「sanctuary」強調神聖、安全或受保護的處所，也可指野生動物保護區。
asylum vs shelter
「asylum」特指對難民或迫害受害者的正式保護，而「shelter」泛指遮風擋雨或提供基本安全的臨時處所。
在口語中，當引述他人或媒體的觀點時，常用來表示「尋求庇護」或「難民身分」的概念。 EN: He said he was seeking asylum due to the political situation. 翻譯: 他說因為政治局勢，他正在尋求庇護。
EN:I heard on the news they were granted asylum last week.
翻譯:我在新聞上聽到，他們上週獲得了庇護。
在對話中，有時會用來強調某種「避難所」或「安全港」的比喻意義，語氣較為強烈。 EN: This library is my asylum from all the noise outside. 翻譯: 這間圖書館是我躲避外面所有噪音的避風港。
EN:After that argument, her room felt like an emotional asylum.
翻譯:那次爭吵後，她的房間感覺像是一個情感的避難所。
在組織思緒或短暫停頓時，可能會用這個詞來引出一個比喻或較抽象的說法。 EN: It's like... an asylum, you know, a place where your mind can finally rest. 翻譯: 這就像…一個避難所，你懂的，一個你的心靈終於可以休息的地方。
EN:His house became, sort of, an asylum for stray animals in the neighborhood.
翻譯:他的房子變成了，某種意義上，社區裡流浪動物的收容所。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免將 "asylum" 用於過於隨意或比喻性的情境。它通常具有明確的法律（政治庇護）或歷史（精神病院）意涵，使用時需精確且符合語境。
asylum seeker
noun
尋求庇護者
political asylum
noun
政治庇護
seek asylum
verb phrase
尋求庇護
grant asylum
verb phrase
給予庇護
asylum claim
noun
庇護申請
right of asylum
noun phrase
庇護權
mental asylum
noun
精神病院（舊稱）
×He asked for an asylum.
✓He asked for asylum.
當 'asylum' 意指『政治庇護』時，為不可數名詞，前面不加冠詞 'a' 或 'an'。
×The old asylum was closed many years ago.
✓The old mental hospital / psychiatric hospital was closed many years ago.
在現代英語中，'asylum' 指『精神病院』的用法已過時且可能帶有貶義。應使用 'mental hospital' 或 'psychiatric hospital' 等更中性的詞彙。
×They are living in an asylum.
✓They are living in a shelter / refugee camp.
'asylum' 主要指『庇護的權利或狀態』，而非具體的收容建築。指收容難民或無家可歸者的『場所』時，應使用 'shelter' 或 'refugee camp'。
×He got a political asylum.
✓He was granted political asylum.
表達『獲得政治庇護』的標準動詞搭配是 'be granted asylum' 或 'receive asylum'，而非 'get'。
×She applied for an asylum seeker.
✓She applied for asylum. / She is an asylum seeker.
'asylum seeker' 是指『尋求庇護的人』，是一個名詞。要表達『申請庇護』這個動作，應使用 'apply for asylum'。