Thrall has two lives, and in modern English one of them has almost entirely taken over.

Thrall has two livesthrall有兩種面貌，and in modern English one of them has almost entirely taken over而在現代英文裡，其中一個幾乎完全取代了另一個。

The old, literal one: a thrall was a slave, especially in Viking-age Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England. Historians still use it as a technical term for that particular class of unfree people, alongside the free farmers and the nobles. In this use it is a countable noun: 'the thralls worked the fields'.

The old, literal one古老、字面上的那個意思：a thrall was a slavethrall是指奴隸，especially in Viking-age Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England尤其是在維京時代的斯堪地那維亞和盎格魯撒克遜時期的英格蘭。Historians still use it as a technical term史學家仍然把它當成一個專有術語，for that particular class of unfree people指那個特定階級的非自由人，alongside the free farmers and the nobles跟自由農民和貴族並列。In this use it is a countable noun在這個用法裡它是可數名詞：'the thralls worked the fields'「the thralls worked the fields」那些thrall在田裡工作。

The living one, and the one your students will actually meet: the fixed phrases 'in thrall to' and 'held in thrall by'. These mean completely controlled or captivated by something — so gripped that you cannot break away. 'The country was in thrall to a single family.' 'She sat there, in thrall to his voice.' Notice the double edge: it can be sinister (a bad power controls you) or admiring (something is so beautiful you cannot look away).

The living one活著的那個意思，and the one your students will actually meet也是你的學生真正會遇到的那個：the fixed phrases 'in thrall to' and 'held in thrall by'就是固定片語'in thrall to'和'held in thrall by'。These mean completely controlled or captivated by something這兩個片語的意思是完全被某個東西控制或迷住——so gripped that you cannot break away緊緊抓住你，讓你無法掙脫。'The country was in thrall to a single family.' 'She sat there, in thrall to his voice.'「The country was in thrall to a single family.」「She sat there, in thrall to his voice.」Notice the double edge注意這裡有雙重意涵：it can be sinister它可以是陰暗的 (a bad power controls you)一股壞的勢力控制著你，or admiring也可以是讚嘆的 (something is so beautiful you cannot look away)某個東西太美了讓你無法移開視線。

Which one it is comes from the surrounding words, not from 'thrall' itself.

Which one it is comes from the surrounding words究竟是哪一種，要看周圍的字句決定，not from 'thrall' itself而不是'thrall'這個字本身決定。

It is worth telling students plainly: outside those phrases, 'thrall' is rare in ordinary modern English. Learn the phrase, not the bare noun. Say 'in thrall TO someone', with 'to' — that preposition is the part people get wrong.

It is worth telling students plainly值得跟學生直說：outside those phrases除了那些片語之外，'thrall' is rare in ordinary modern English'thrall'在一般的現代英文裡很少見。Learn the phrase, not the bare noun要學的是那個片語，不是這個名詞本身。Say 'in thrall TO someone', with 'to'要說'in thrall TO someone'，用'to'——that preposition is the part people get wrong這個介系詞正是大家最容易用錯的地方。

A dictionary may also list it as an adjective meaning enslaved, but that use is archaic; you will only see it in old poetry.

A dictionary may also list it as an adjective meaning enslaved字典裡有時候也會把它列成形容詞，意思是「被奴役的」，but that use is archaic不過這個用法已經很古老了；you will only see it in old poetry你只會在古老的詩裡看到。