A workhouse was a building in Britain, mostly in the 1800s, where very poor people went when they had nothing left — no money, no food, nowhere to live. In return for a bed and meals, they had to work, often at dull, hard tasks like breaking stones or picking apart old rope.

A workhouse was a building in BritainWorkhouse 是英國的一種建築物，mostly in the 1800s主要在 1800 年代，where very poor people went when they had nothing left非常窮、什麼都沒有的人會去那裡——no money, no food, nowhere to live沒有錢、沒有食物、也沒有地方住。In return for a bed and meals為了換一張床和三餐，they had to work他們得做工，often at dull, hard tasks like breaking stones or picking apart old rope常常是又枯燥又辛苦的工作，像敲石頭或拆舊繩子。

Conditions were deliberately made hard, because the thinking of the time was that the workhouse should be worse than any paid job, so that nobody would enter unless they truly had to. Families were split up on arrival: men, women, and children slept in separate parts.

Conditions were deliberately made hard環境是故意弄得很差的，because the thinking of the time was that the workhouse should be worse than any paid job因為當時的想法是 workhouse 應該要比任何一份有薪水的工作還糟，so that nobody would enter unless they truly had to這樣才不會有人進去，除非真的走投無路。Families were split up on arrival家人一到那裡就會被拆散：men, women, and children slept in separate parts男人、女人、小孩分別睡在不同的地方。

Because of this, the word carries real fear and shame in English, and that feeling still clings to it. It appears constantly in Victorian novels — Oliver Twist opens in one — and in English it stands as a symbol of the harshest treatment of the poor. You will meet it in history lessons, in novels, and in political arguments as an insult: someone may say a new policy is "a return to the workhouse." It is a historical word: modern Britain has none.

Because of this正因為這樣，the word carries real fear and shame in English這個字在英文裡帶著真實的恐懼和羞恥感，and that feeling still clings to it這種感覺到現在還黏在這個字上。It appears constantly in Victorian novels它常常出現在維多利亞時代的小說裡——Oliver Twist opens in one《孤雛淚》就是從一間 workhouse 開場的——and in English it stands as a symbol of the harshest treatment of the poor在英文裡它就代表對窮人最嚴苛的對待。You will meet it in history lessons, in novels, and in political arguments as an insult你會在歷史課、小說，還有政治爭論裡看到它被當成罵人話：someone may say a new policy is "a return to the workhouse."有人可能會說一項新政策是「回到 workhouse 時代」。It is a historical word它是個歷史用詞：modern Britain has none現代英國已經沒有 workhouse 了。

In American English the older, similar word is poorhouse.

In American English在美式英文裡，the older, similar word is poorhouse意思相近的舊詞是 poorhouse。