jail、prison与cell这些名词均有“牢房、监狱”之意。
jail（英国英语旧式拼写为gaol）指收犯轻罪的人或未经判决的人的处所。
- the country's overcrowded jails
该国过于拥挤的监狱 - a 13-year jail sentence/term
被判13年监禁 - The financier was released from jail last week.
那个金融家上周被释放了。 - They spent ten years in jail for fraud.
他们因欺诈罪入狱10年。 - They don't throw anyone in jail for parking illegally, but they will tow your car and charge you a fine.
他们不会因为违章停车而判人入狱，可是会拖走你的车还会罚款。
prison : 指触犯刑律的人被关押的地方，通常指判决后的罪犯居留地。
- Conditions in the prison are said to be appalling.
监狱里的条件据说糟透了。 - He's spent a lot of time in prison.
他坐了很长时间的牢。 - She went to/was sent to prison for six months.
她入狱6个月。 - It was a maximum-security prison (= intended to be especially difficult to escape from).
这是一所戒备森严的监狱。 - They should put him in prison and throw away the key!
他们应该把他关进监狱，永远也别放出来！ - a prison cell/sentence/guard
牢房／徒刑／狱监
cell : 指单人牢房或几个人合住的小牢房。
- 二十多名囚犯被塞在一间黑暗狭小的牢房里。
Over twenty prisoners were crushed into a small dark cell. - 他被扒得一丝不挂，丢在一间牢房里。
He was stripped naked and left in a cell.
