pay a ransom (for sb)
常用搭配 pay a ransom，强调为赎回某人而付款。
The family paid a huge ransom for her release.
这家人为她的获释支付了巨额赎金。
赎回；赎出；解救；释放；为释放人质而支付的金钱；为赎回被俘人员而索取的款项；以支付代价为条件释放俘虏或归还被扣押的财产
Money paid or demanded for the release of a captured person.
为释放人质而支付的金钱
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
为赎回被俘人员而索取的款项
money demanded for the return of a captured person
以支付代价为条件释放俘虏或归还被扣押的财产
The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
为释放某人而支付的款项
payment for the release of someone
使摆脱囚禁或惩罚的行为
the act of freeing from captivity or punishment
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of one million dollars for the safe return of the child.
绑架者要求支付一百万美元赎金，以确保孩子安全归来。
用法提示：句中名词“ransom”指为赎回人质而支付的金钱。
The family paid the ransom and their father was released the next morning.
那家人支付了赎金，第二天早上他们的父亲就被释放了。
用法提示：“ransom”在此作名词，表示“赎金”，是付给绑架者的钱。
The police recovered the ransom and arrested the suspects before they could spend it.
警方找回了赎金，并在嫌疑人花掉之前逮捕了他们。
用法提示：名词“ransom”指案件中为换取人质释放而支付的款项。
常用搭配 pay a ransom，强调为赎回某人而付款。
The family paid a huge ransom for her release.
这家人为她的获释支付了巨额赎金。
表示赎金数额时常用 of 短语。
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of one million dollars.
绑匪要求一百万美元的赎金。
这个短语也常用于比喻意义，如 hold a company for ransom。
The rebels held the tourists for ransom.
叛军扣押游客勒索赎金。
通用词，可替换 ransom，但本身不含‘人质赎金’的特定含义，需上下文支撑。
非正式且常含非法交易色彩；若非强调私下付款，不宜直接替换。
侧重被索要的金额，语义范围更宽；用于赎金语境时需前文明确是 ransom。
grammar · medium
易错句子The family paid ransom to free their son.
正确表达The family paid a ransom to free their son.
这里的 ransom 指具体的一笔赎金，是可数名词，前面需要加不定冠词 a；汉语“付赎金”没有冠词，但英语中不能说 pay ransom。
grammar · medium
易错句子They paid a ransom for the kidnappers to release the hostage.
正确表达They paid a ransom to the kidnappers to release the hostage.
pay a ransom to someone 表示把钱付给“接收者”（绑匪），而 for 后面接的是“被赎回的人或物”（如 the hostage）。说 for the kidnappers 会让人误解为替绑匪付钱或为绑匪的利益付钱。
grammar · medium
易错句子The criminals held the manager as ransom.
正确表达The criminals held the manager for ransom.
固定搭配是 hold someone for ransom，表示“扣押某人以索取赎金”。用 as 会错误地表示“把经理当作赎金本身”，而不是“作为人质来换取赎金”。
bail 是上缴法院、换取被告在候审期间暂时获释的保证金；ransom 是付给绑架者以换取人质自由的赎金，二者用途和收取方不同。
redemption 指赎回债券、抵押品或抽象的救赎，不涉及扣押人质；ransom 特指赎金或赎身行为，用来买回被绑架者。
reward 是因帮助找到失物或提供破案线索而给予的酬金；ransom 是被绑架者一方为换回人质而被迫支付的款项。
支付赎金
The family paid a ransom to secure the boy's release.
这家人支付了赎金以确保男孩获释。
索取赎金
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of one million dollars.
绑匪索要一百万美元的赎金。
勒索信
Police found a ransom note on the kitchen table.
警方在厨房桌上发现了一封勒索信。
扣押某人以索取赎金
The rebels held the tourists to ransom for weeks.
叛军将游客扣押了数周以索取赎金。
赎金支付
The ransom payment was delivered as instructed.
赎金已按指示送达。
勒索赎金的对象，与 ransom 的支付相关联
索取 ransom 的人，构成绑架事件的核心角色
支付 ransom 前通常涉及的交涉过程
支付 ransom 后通常期望达到的结果
导致 ransom 被索取的原始犯罪行为
巨额款项，一大笔钱
She paid a king's ransom for that handbag.
她花了一笔巨款买那个手袋。
勒索；要挟某人
The unions have threatened to hold the government to ransom.
工会威胁要挟政府，迫使它满足要求。
如果你想索取赎金，那么我告诉你，我没有钱。但我有一项非常特殊的技能。
This line comes from the 2008 film 'Taken'. The protagonist says it to the kidnappers of his daughter on the phone, warning them that he will use his special skills to track them down.
这句话出自2008年的电影《飓风营救》。主角在电话中对绑架他女儿的人说这句话，警告他们他会用自己的特殊技能找到他们。
因为连人子来，也不是要受人服事，乃是要服事人，并且要舍命，作多人的赎价。
This is a well-known verse from the Bible (Mark 10:45). Jesus speaks about his mission to give his life as a ransom to free many people from sin.
这是《圣经》中著名的一节经文（马可福音10:45）。耶稣讲到他的使命是要舍命作多人的赎价，使许多人从罪中得释放。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.