An easel is a tall frame, usually wood, sometimes metal, that stands on the floor and holds a painting — or a board for painting — while you work. You rest the picture on a little ledge so it does not fall. Artists use an easel in a room or outside; a teacher may use a smaller one in class to hold paper. It is the stand, not the picture itself.

An easel is a tall frameEasel是一種高高的架子，usually wood, sometimes metal通常是木頭做的，有時是金屬，that stands on the floor and holds a painting立在地上，撐著一幅畫——or a board for painting或一塊要畫畫的板子——while you work讓你作畫時使用。You rest the picture on a little ledge你把畫靠放在一個小凸緣上，so it does not fall這樣它才不會掉下來。Artists use an easel in a room or outside畫家會在室內或戶外使用easel；a teacher may use a smaller one in class to hold paper老師可能會在教室裡用比較小的一個來夾紙。It is the stand, not the picture itself它是那個架子，不是畫本身。

The English word comes from Dutch ezel, which means “donkey”. The idea is that the stand carries the painting the way a donkey carries a load. English makes the same kind of joke with horse in words like sawhorse: a frame with legs that holds something up.

The English word comes from Dutch ezel這個英語字來自荷蘭文ezel，which means "donkey"意思是「驢子」。The idea is that the stand carries the painting the way a donkey carries a load概念是這個架子扛著畫，就像驢子扛著貨物一樣。English makes the same kind of joke with horse in words like sawhorse英語在sawhorse之類的字裡也開了同樣的玩笑，用horse來稱呼它：a frame with legs that holds something up一個有腳、用來撐住東西的架子。

So an easel is not named for being “easy”, even though the two words look a little close on the page, and it has nothing to do with an eagle. It is just a quiet, practical piece of kit.

So an easel is not named for being "easy"所以easel這個名字跟「easy（容易）」沒有關係，even though the two words look a little close on the page即使這兩個字在紙面上看起來有點像，and it has nothing to do with an eagle它跟eagle（老鷹）也毫無關係。It is just a quiet, practical piece of kit它就只是個安安靜靜、實用的工具。