A minster is a large, important church, especially in England. Long ago many of these churches belonged to a monastery — a house where monks lived and prayed — and the word still carries that old weight. York Minster is a famous one; Westminster means the minster that stood to the west of old London.

A minster is a large, important churchminster是一種規模大、地位重要的教堂，especially in England尤其常見於英格蘭。Long ago many of these churches belonged to a monastery很久以前，這類教堂有許多是屬於修道院的——a house where monks lived and prayed也就是修士生活、祈禱的地方——and the word still carries that old weight這個字至今仍帶著那份古老的份量。York Minster is a famous oneYork Minster（約克大教堂）就是有名的一個例子；Westminster means the minster that stood to the west of old LondonWestminster的意思是位在舊倫敦西邊的那座minster。

Though actually, a minster is not automatically a cathedral. A cathedral is the church of a bishop. Some minsters, like York Minster, are cathedrals too, but the two words are not the same job.

Though actually不過事實上，a minster is not automatically a cathedralminster不代表它自動就是cathedral（主教座堂）。A cathedral is the church of a bishopcathedral是主教所在的教堂。Some minsters, like York Minster, are cathedrals too有些minster，像York Minster，同時也是cathedral，but the two words are not the same job但這兩個字指的不是同一件事。

In everyday talk you mostly meet minster inside place names rather than as a free word for any big church. It sounds like minister (a priest, or a government officer), but that is a different word with a different story.

In everyday talk you mostly meet minster inside place names在日常說話裡，你多半是在地名裡遇到minster這個字，rather than as a free word for any big church而不是拿來單獨指任何一座大教堂。It sounds like minister (a priest, or a government officer)它聽起來很像minister（神職人員，或政府官員），but that is a different word with a different story但那是另一個字，來歷也不同。