Patrimony is the property that comes down to you after your father dies — land, money, a house, a family business — especially when those same things came to him from his father, and to that man from his father before that. The old picture is a line of fathers handing the family goods forward.

Patrimony is the propertyPatrimony指的是那份財產 that comes down to you傳到你手上的 after your father dies在你父親過世之後 — land, money, a house, a family business土地、金錢、房子、家族事業 — especially when those same things came to him from his father尤其是當這些東西是他父親傳給他的, and to that man from his father before that而他父親的東西又是他父親的父親傳下來的. The old picture is a line of fathers古老的畫面是一代代父親 handing the family goods forward把家產一路傳下去.

It is not simply “anything you get when someone dies.” Inheritance can come from an aunt, a mother, or anyone who writes you into a will. Patrimony, in the strict old sense, is the father’s-line store: what the family kept, father to child.

It is not simply "anything you get when someone dies."它不只是「有人過世時你得到的任何東西」 Inheritance can come from an aunt, a motherInheritance（遺產）可以來自阿姨、媽媽, or anyone who writes you into a will或任何把你寫進遺囑的人. Patrimony, in the strict old sensePatrimony，在嚴格的舊義裡 is the father's-line store是父系這條線傳下來的家產: what the family kept, father to child家族一代傳一代保留下來的東西.

It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word. You meet it in law, history, and careful writing more than in everyday talk.

It is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word這是一個正式、有點老派的字. You meet it in law, history, and careful writing你會在法律、歷史和講究的寫作裡遇到它 more than in everyday talk而不是日常對話.

A student is more likely to say “what my grandfather left us” or “the family property.” Though actually, real families were never only fathers: mothers’ kin left land and gold too. The word grew up in a world that counted the father’s side first, so the tidy dictionary story is tidier than life.

A student is more likely to say學生比較可能會說 "what my grandfather left us"「what my grandfather left us」（我阿公留給我們的東西） or "the family property."或「the family property」（家族財產） Though actually不過其實 real families were never only fathers真實的家族從來不是只有父親這邊: mothers' kin left land and gold too母系親屬也留下過土地和黃金. The word grew up in a world這個字是在一個世界裡發展出來的 that counted the father's side first那個世界優先看重父系, so the tidy dictionary story is tidier than life所以字典裡整齊的說法比現實生活整齊多了.

People also stretch it. A country may speak of its cultural patrimony — old buildings, language, crafts — as if the whole nation had received a family gift from the past. Same picture, bigger than a farm.

People also stretch it大家也會把這個字用得更寬. A country may speak of its cultural patrimony一個國家可能會說它的cultural patrimony（文化資產） — old buildings, language, crafts老建築、語言、工藝 — as if the whole nation had received a family gift from the past好像整個國家都從過去繼承了一份家族禮物. Same picture, bigger than a farm同樣的畫面，只是規模比一座農場大.