A gremlin is an imaginary little troublemaker that people blame when a machine goes wrong for no clear reason. The picture comes especially from wartime air crews: something tiny and spiteful in the engine, the radio, the landing gear.

A gremlin is an imaginary little troublemakergremlin是一個想像出來的小麻煩精， that people blame when a machine goes wrong for no clear reason當機器莫名其妙出問題時，人們會把責任怪到它頭上。 The picture comes especially from wartime air crews這個形象特別是來自戰時的空勤人員： something tiny and spiteful in the engine, the radio, the landing gear想像有個小小的、心懷惡意的東西躲在引擎、無線電，或起落架裡搞破壞。

You do not have to believe in spirits to use the word. In easy, joking English, “a gremlin in the system” means a mysterious fault.

You do not have to believe in spirits to use the word你不需要真的相信有精靈存在，也可以用這個詞。 In easy, joking English用輕鬆開玩笑的英文說， "a gremlin in the system" means a mysterious fault「a gremlin in the system」指的就是一個神秘難解的故障。

The origin is uncertain. People have guessed a link with goblin, or Irish gruaimín (“gloomy little person”), or Dutch words for soiling or spoiling; the Oxford English Dictionary says there is little evidence for those.

The origin is uncertain這個字的來源並不確定。 People have guessed a link with goblin有人猜它跟goblin（小惡魔）有關， or Irish gruaimín ("gloomy little person")或是愛爾蘭語的gruaimín（「陰沉的小人」）， or Dutch words for soiling or spoiling或是荷蘭語裡表示「弄髒」或「搞砸」的詞； the Oxford English Dictionary says there is little evidence for those但牛津英語詞典表示，這些說法都缺乏證據。

What we do know is that the word was made famous, especially in the United States, by Roald Dahl’s children’s book The Gremlins (1943), in which gremlins sabotage RAF aircraft. Later films used the name for quite different movie monsters; the older sense is the machine-blaming one.

What we do know is that the word was made famous我們比較確定的是，這個詞會出名， especially in the United States尤其是在美國， by Roald Dahl's children's book The Gremlins (1943)是因為Roald Dahl在1943年出版的童書《The Gremlins》， in which gremlins sabotage RAF aircraft書裡的gremlin會破壞英國皇家空軍的飛機。 Later films used the name for quite different movie monsters後來的電影把這個名字用在完全不同的怪物身上； the older sense is the machine-blaming one比較早的意思，還是那個「怪機器出包」的用法。

It is informal, colourful, and a bit dated in serious talk — engineers will look for a real fault — but it still works as a smile when the photocopier dies.

It is informal, colourful, and a bit dated in serious talk這個詞很口語、很生動，但在正經場合講起來有點過時—— engineers will look for a real fault工程師還是會去找真正的故障原因—— but it still works as a smile when the photocopier dies但影印機突然壞掉的時候，講這個詞還是能讓人會心一笑。