A cutlass is a short sword with a curved blade. Sailors and pirates carried them in the past.

A cutlasscutlass（彎刀） is a short sword with a curved blade是一種帶彎刃的短劍. Sailors and pirates水手和海盜 carried them in the past過去都會佩帶.

On a crowded ship a long straight sword gets in the way; a shorter, heavier, curved blade is easier to swing in a small space.

On a crowded ship在擁擠的船上 a long straight sword一把長直劍 gets in the way會礙事; a shorter, heavier, curved blade較短、較重的彎刃 is easier to swing in a small space在狹小空間裡更容易揮動.

You meet the word in stories, films, and history, not in ordinary modern life unless someone is joking or dressing up.

You meet the word你會在 in stories, films, and history故事、電影和歷史裡遇到這個詞, not in ordinary modern life不是在一般的現代生活裡 unless someone is joking or dressing up除非有人在開玩笑或扮裝.

Though actually, the name does not come from English cut, even though it looks as if it should. It comes from French: Middle French coutelas, from Old French coutel, 'knife,' plus -as, an ending that made the thing sound bigger. So the name is really 'a big knife,' which is a fair picture of it.

Though actually不過事實上, the name這個名字 does not come from English cut並不是來自英文的cut（切）, even though it looks as if it should即使看起來很像是. It comes from French它來自法文: Middle French coutelas中古法文的coutelas, from Old French coutel源自古法文的coutel, 'knife,'意思是「刀」, plus -as再加上字尾-as, an ending that made the thing sound bigger這個字尾讓東西聽起來更大. So所以 the name is really 'a big knife,'這個名字其實是「一把大刀」 which is a fair picture of it這對它來說是個貼切的描述.