Serfdom is the system that uses serfs, or the condition of being a serf: that whole order of tying farm people to a lord's land. Rules changed from country to country and century to century, but the core stayed the same — you were not free to go.

Serfdom is the system that uses serfs, or the condition of being a serfserfdom是使用農奴的制度，或是身為農奴的狀態 that whole order of tying farm people to a lord's land也就是把農民綁在領主土地上的整套秩序 Rules changed from country to country and century to century規則因國家和世紀而不同 but the core stayed the same但核心始終一樣 you were not free to go你沒有自由離開

In history writing it names a real legal world, and it ended at different times in different places.

In history writing it names a real legal world在歷史寫作裡它指的是一個真實存在過的法律世界 and it ended at different times in different places而且在不同地方是在不同時間結束的

Writers also stretch it (economic serfdom, intellectual serfdom) when they want to say people are trapped and must obey, even if no one is a medieval peasant. That stretch is dramatic on purpose.

Writers also stretch it (economic serfdom, intellectual serfdom)作家也會延伸使用這個字（像economic serfdom經濟農奴、intellectual serfdom思想農奴） when they want to say people are trapped and must obey想表達人們被困住、必須服從 even if no one is a medieval peasant即使沒有人真的是中世紀的農民 That stretch is dramatic on purpose這種延伸用法本來就是故意誇張的

The ending -dom is the same piece you meet in kingdom and freedom: it turns a person or idea into a state or a system. Freedom and serfdom are opposites wearing the same kind of tail, which is a little bitter and worth noticing.

The ending -dom is the same piece you meet in kingdom and freedom字尾-dom就跟kingdom（王國）和freedom（自由）裡的一樣 it turns a person or idea into a state or a system它把一個人或一個概念變成一種狀態或制度 Freedom and serfdom are opposites wearing the same kind of tailfreedom和serfdom是一對意思相反、卻掛著同一種字尾的詞 which is a little bitter and worth noticing這一點有點諷刺，值得留意