Cloak-and-dagger describes something very secret and mysterious, usually with spies, hidden plans, false names, and danger in the dark. A cloak-and-dagger story is full of agents and secret meetings. A cloak-and-dagger operation is the real-world version: intelligence work, undercover jobs, things governments do not admit in public.

Cloak-and-dagger間諜式的、神秘詭譎的 describes something very secret and mysterious用來形容非常隱密、神秘的事情, usually with spies, hidden plans, false names, and danger in the dark通常帶著間諜、秘密計畫、假名，和暗處的危險。A cloak-and-dagger story一個cloak-and-dagger式的故事 is full of agents and secret meetings裡面滿是情報員和秘密會面。A cloak-and-dagger operationcloak-and-dagger式的行動 is the real-world version是現實世界裡的版本: intelligence work情報工作, undercover jobs臥底任務, things governments do not admit in public政府不會公開承認的事。

The tone can be serious (real spy work) or slightly teasing (when ordinary office secrecy is being mocked as if it were a spy film). It is a set phrase, used as an adjective before a noun: cloak-and-dagger stuff, a cloak-and-dagger affair.

The tone語氣 can be serious可以是嚴肅的 (real spy work真正的間諜工作) or或 slightly teasing帶點調侃 (when當 ordinary office secrecy一般辦公室裡的保密作風 is being mocked as if it were a spy film被拿來嘲笑，好像那是一部間諜片一樣)。It它 is a set phrase是個固定用語, used as an adjective before a noun當形容詞放在名詞前面: cloak-and-dagger stuffcloak-and-dagger stuff（很間諜的那種事）, a cloak-and-dagger affaira cloak-and-dagger affair（充滿神秘色彩的事件）。

Though actually nobody has to wear a cloak or carry a dagger; those are old costume pieces that came to stand for “hidden and armed”. People stretch it for any over-the-top secrecy — a company that will not name a partner, a friend who will only whisper in the stairwell — but the home meaning is spies and mystery, not merely “private”.

Though actually不過其實，nobody沒有人 has to wear a cloak or carry a dagger真的需要穿斗篷或帶匕首；those那些 are old costume pieces是舊時代的戲服道具 that came to stand for "hidden and armed"後來變成用來代表「隱密而帶著武器」的意思。People人們 stretch it把它引申開來 for any over-the-top secrecy用在任何過頭的保密行為上 — a company一家公司 that will not name a partner不肯說出合作對象的名字, a friend一個朋友 who will only whisper in the stairwell只肯在樓梯間小聲說話 — but但 the home meaning原本的意思 is spies and mystery是間諜和神秘感, not而不只是 merely "private"「私密」而已。