英汉词典

1. 刑罚；处罚；惩罚
    A penalty is a punishment that someone is given for doing something which is against a law or rule.

    e.g. One of those arrested could face the death penalty...
           被捕的那些人中有一人可能被判死刑。
    e.g. The maximum penalty is up to 7 years imprisonment or an unlimited fine.
           最高处罚是最多7年监禁或者无上限罚款。

2. 罚球；点球
    In sports such as football, rugby, and hockey, a penalty is an opportunity to score a goal, which is given to the attacking team if the defending team breaks a rule near their own goal.

    e.g. Referee Michael Reed had no hesitation in awarding a penalty...
           裁判迈克尔·里德毫不犹豫地判了点球。
    e.g. Jonathan Davies scored a penalty goal.
           乔纳森·戴维斯点球得分。

3. 惩罚；报应；不利后果
    The penalty that you pay for something you have done is something unpleasant that you experience as a result.

    e.g. Why should I pay the penalty for somebody else's mistake?...
           为什么我要代人受过？
    e.g. It's a penalty of us being girls — sons have an easy time.
           这是我们身为女孩的弊端——男孩子们过得轻松。