Flogging is a punishment: someone is hit again and again with a whip or a stick, hard, often on the back. Old armies, navies, and prisons used it; some places still do.

Flogging is a punishment:Flogging是一種處罰： someone is hit again and again with a whip or a stick, hard,用鞭子或棍子一次又一次用力打人， often on the back.通常打在背上。 Old armies, navies, and prisons used it;以前的軍隊、海軍和監獄都用過這種刑罰； some places still do.有些地方到現在還在用。

It is cruel on purpose, meant to hurt and to control. The word is the -ing form of flog, so they flogged him and he was given a flogging are the same act.

It is cruel on purpose,這是故意殘忍的， meant to hurt and to control.目的就是要傷害、要控制。 The word is the -ing form of flog,這個字是flog的-ing型態， so they flogged him and he was given a flogging are the same act.所以they flogged him和he was given a flogging講的是同一件事。

Though actually, in everyday British English flog has a second, much softer life: to flog something can mean to sell it, often fast or a bit pushy — He flogged his old bike. That selling sense is slang and has nothing to do with pain.

Though actually,不過其實， in everyday British English flog has a second, much softer life:在日常英式英文裡，flog還有第二種、溫和許多的用法： to flog something can mean to sell it,to flog something可以指把東西賣掉， often fast or a bit pushy —通常賣得很快、或有點強迫推銷的意味—— He flogged his old bike.像He flogged his old bike（他把舊腳踏車賣了）。 That selling sense is slang這種「賣東西」的用法是俚語， and has nothing to do with pain.跟疼痛完全無關。

When flogging stands alone as a noun, it almost always means the beating. It feels serious and old, not like a joke.

When flogging stands alone as a noun,當flogging單獨當名詞用的時候， it almost always means the beating.幾乎都是指「鞭打」這個處罰。 It feels serious and old,這個字聽起來很嚴肅、很老派， not like a joke.不像在開玩笑。