If someone or something is mesmerizing, you cannot stop watching or listening. Your eyes stay there. A dancer, a voice, a fire, a slow film, even a quiet face across a room can do this. The pull is strong, and it feels a little like a spell.

If someone or something is mesmerizing如果某人或某樣東西是mesmerizing的 you cannot stop watching or listening你就沒辦法不看、不聽 Your eyes stay there你的眼睛會一直黏在那裡 A dancer, a voice, a fire, a slow film, even a quiet face across a room一個舞者、一個聲音、一團火、一部節奏緩慢的電影，甚至房間對面一張安靜的臉 can do this都能有這種效果 The pull is strong這種吸引力很強 and it feels a little like a spell感覺有點像被下了咒一樣

The word sits on an old story. A doctor named Mesmer, a long time ago, said he could hold people with a hidden power. Later, to mesmerize someone meant to hypnotize them — to put them in a sleep-like state on purpose. Today we still use that stricter sense sometimes, but far more often we are stretching it: we do not mean a real trance. We mean the effect is that strong.

The word sits on an old story這個字背後有一個古老的故事 A doctor named Mesmer很久以前有一位叫Mesmer的醫生 a long time ago（同上） said he could hold people with a hidden power說他能用一種隱形的力量抓住人 Later後來 to mesmerize someone mesmerize某人 meant to hypnotize them的意思是催眠他們 to put them in a sleep-like state on purpose故意讓他們進入類似睡眠的狀態 Today we still use that stricter sense sometimes現在我們有時候還是會用這個比較嚴格的意思 but far more often we are stretching it但更常是把它用得比較寬鬆 we do not mean a real trance不是真的指進入恍惚狀態 We mean the effect is that strong我們指的是那種效果就是那麼強烈

Your attention is caught, and you do not want to leave. It is a warm, slightly big word. You reach for it when 'nice' or 'pretty' is too small, and when 'interesting' is too dry. Reviews, art talk, and love talk use it a lot. People also use it loosely for anything they like looking at, which drains some of the magic — though actually, that loose use is now normal.

Your attention is caught你的注意力被抓住了 and you do not want to leave而且你不想離開 It is a warm, slightly big word這是個溫暖、有點誇張的字 You reach for it你會用這個字 when 'nice' or 'pretty' is too small當nice或pretty這種字不夠力的時候 and when 'interesting' is too dry或當interesting又顯得太乾的時候 Reviews, art talk, and love talk評論、藝術評論，和情話 use it a lot都很常用這個字 People also use it loosely人們也會用得比較鬆散 for anything they like looking at來指任何他們喜歡看的東西 which drains some of the magic這樣會讓這個字少一點魔力 though actually不過其實 that loose use is now normal這種寬鬆的用法現在已經很常見了

Grammar that matters: the film is mesmerizing; you are mesmerized. One is the thing that pulls. The other is the person who cannot look away.

Grammar that matters這裡有個文法要注意 the film is mesmerizing電影是mesmerizing（令人著迷）的 you are mesmerized而你是mesmerized（被迷住）的 One is the thing that pulls前者是那個發出吸引力的東西 The other is the person who cannot look away後者是那個沒辦法把目光移開的人