A mausoleum is a building made to hold the body of someone who has died — often one important person, or a whole family — instead of a simple grave in the ground. It is usually of stone, and it is meant to last and to be seen. Kings, emperors, and other powerful people have them; a small family tomb by a church is in the same family of ideas, but we tend to save mausoleum for the grand ones.

A mausoleum is所謂mausoleum，是指 a building made to hold the body of someone who has died一棟專門用來安放死者遺體的建築， — often one important person, or a whole family ———通常是某個重要人物，或整個家族—— instead of a simple grave in the ground.而不是埋在地下的一個普通墳墓。 It is usually of stone,通常是用石頭建造的， and it is meant to last and to be seen.而且是設計來長久保存、給人看見的。 Kings, emperors, and other powerful people have them;國王、皇帝，還有其他有權勢的人都有這種建築； a small family tomb by a church is in the same family of ideas,教堂旁邊一個小小的家族墓，也算是同一類概念， but we tend to save mausoleum for the grand ones.但大家通常把mausoleum這個字留給那些氣派宏偉的。

The first building with this name was the huge tomb of a ruler called Mausolus, at Halicarnassus (in what is now Turkey), more than two thousand years ago. People in the ancient world listed it among their Seven Wonders. So the word began as a name for one tomb, then English borrowed it for any tomb of that kind.

The first building with this name was the huge tomb of a ruler called Mausolus,第一座用這個名字的建築，是一位叫Mausolus的統治者的巨大陵墓， at Halicarnassus (in what is now Turkey), more than two thousand years ago.位於哈利卡納索斯（現在的土耳其境內），距今兩千多年前。 People in the ancient world listed it among their Seven Wonders.古代的人把它列進了他們的世界七大奇蹟裡。 So the word began as a name for one tomb,所以這個字一開始是某一座陵墓的專有名稱， then English borrowed it for any tomb of that kind.後來英文才把它借用來泛指這一類的陵墓。

Though actually, in loose talk some people call any gloomy, oversized building a mausoleum, even if nobody is buried there — as if the place felt like a tomb. That is a stretch, and a slightly unkind one.

Though actually,不過其實， in loose talk some people call any gloomy, oversized building a mausoleum,在比較隨意的說法裡，有些人會把任何陰森、過大的建築都叫做mausoleum， even if nobody is buried there就算裡面根本沒有人下葬， — as if the place felt like a tomb.——彷彿那個地方讓人感覺像座墳墓。 That is a stretch, and a slightly unkind one.這是有點牽強的用法，而且帶了點不太厚道的意味。