喜樂美語

核心畫面

Picture something placed in someone's keeping — a guardian standing over it, holding it, watching to make sure it stays safe and doesn't slip away. That image of being held under someone's watch and care runs through every use.

可以想成有件東西被交到某人手上看管：有個守護者站在旁邊、把它握住、盯著它，確保它安全、不會走失。這種「被握在某人的看…更多收起可以想成有件東西被交到某人手上看管：有個守護者站在旁邊、把它握住、盯著它，確保它安全、不會走失。這種「被握在某人的看守與照管之下」的畫面，貫穿了 custody 的每個用法。

From the word’s history

From Latin custodia 'guarding, keeping, watching' (also 'prison'), from custos 'guardian, keeper, protector'. The word is built on the idea of a keeper watching over what is in their charge — both the caring and the confining senses grow straight from that.

來自拉丁文 custodia（看守、保管，也指「牢」），源自 custos（守護者、看守人、保護者）。這個字骨子裡就是「一個看守者盯著他所負責的東西」——不論是「照顧」還是「關押」，都直接從這個看守的畫面長出來。

etymonline.com/word/custody

From the picture

被官方扣留看管

同樣是「被看守」，但這次看守者是警方、地點是上鎖的地方：你被扣住、被盯著，不讓你離開。看管的對象從物、從孩子，換成了被懷疑犯法的人。

police detention · noun · C2

The state of being kept by the police in a locked place before going to court, because they think you may have broken the law.

羈押／拘留

Also in this word

safekeeping · noun · C2

The job or duty of keeping something safe and taking care of it.

保管

legal guardianship of a child · noun · C2

The legal right to look after a child, given to a parent when the parents no longer live together.

監護權

原始詞典資料4 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

custodynoun/ˈkʌstədiː/

  • 1

    The legal right to take care of something or somebody, especially children.

    • The court awarded custody to the child's father.
    • The mother gained custody of the children.
  • 2

    Temporary possession or care of somebody else's property.

    • I couldn't pay the bill and now my passport is in custody of the hotel management.
  • 3

    The state of being imprisoned or detained, usually pending a trial.

    • He was mistreated while in police custody.
    • Original petition for writ of habeas corpus to obtain release from custody under sentence to five years imprisonment for aiding coprisoners in endeavors to escape from jail.
  • 4

    CatholicismChristianityRoman-CatholicismAn area under the jurisdiction of a custos within the Order of Friars Minor.

    • The Custody of the Holy Land includes the monasteries of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。