1. 赎价；赎金
    A ransom is the money that has to be paid to someone so that they will set free a person they have kidnapped.

ransom的解释

    e.g. Her kidnapper successfully extorted a £75,000 ransom for her release...
           绑匪成功地勒索了7.5万英镑才将她释放。
    e.g. The president has said the United States will never pay ransom for the hostages...
           总统称美国永远不会为这些人质支付赎金。

2. 赎回；赎出
    If you ransom someone who has been kidnapped, you pay the money to set them free.

    e.g. The same system was used for ransoming or exchanging captives.
           相同的制度还应用于赎回或交换俘虏。

3. 劫持（某人）勒索金钱;绑票;绑架
    If a kidnapper is holding someone to ransom or holding them ransom in British English, or is holding a person for ransom in American English, they keep that person prisoner until they are given what they want.

    e.g. He is charged with kidnapping a businessman last year and holding him for ransom...
           他被控于去年绑架了一名商人并勒索钱财。
    e.g. In Rio, nearly forty people have been held to ransom this year alone...
           在里约热内卢，仅今年一年就有近40人被绑票。

4. 威胁;胁迫
    If you say that someone is holding you to ransom in British English, or holding you for ransom in American English, you mean that they are using their power to try to force you to do something which you do not want to do.

    e.g. Unison and the other unions have the power to hold the Government to ransom.
           公务员工会和其他工会有能力胁迫政府。

5. 一大笔钱;巨款
    If you refer to a sum of money as a king's ransom, you are emphasizing that it is very large.

ransom

    e.g. ...clients happy to pay a king's ransom for a haircut.
           乐意为理发出高价的顾客