They were threatened with punishment if they disobeyed.是什么意思？

They were threatened with punishment if they disobeyed.

他们受到恐吓，如若违抗就会受到惩罚。

they

pron. 他/她/它们，人们，大家，政府，当局，她们；

例句
The storms had abated by the time they rounded Cape Horn.
他们绕过合恩角时，暴风雨已经减弱。

were

be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式，有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等；

例句
Shops, houses, and vehicles were set ablaze.
店铺、房子和车辆全都陷于火海。

threatened

adj. 受到威胁的；v. 威胁(threaten的过去分词)；

例句
Union officials made no apologies for the threatened chaos.
工会干部们对于迫在眉睫的混乱局面不予道歉。

with

prep. 和，跟，随着，关于，和…一致；

例句
A waiter entered with a tray...
侍者端着托盘进来了。

punishment

n. 刑罚，惩罚，严厉对待，<口>给吃苦头；

例句
Capital punishment is allowable only under exceptional circumstances.
只有特殊情况才允许执行死刑。

if

conj. 如果，倘若，即使，〈口〉是否，假设；n. 条件，设想；

例句
She was old enough to absent herself from the lunch table if she chose...
她长大了，可以自己做主不来吃午餐了。

disobeyed

v. 不服从，不顺从( disobey的过去式和过去分词 )；

例句
...a naughty boy who often disobeyed his mother and father...
一个经常和父母对着干的淘气男孩