A minuteman was not an official soldier in a regular army. In the American past, especially in the 1770s around the War of Independence, he was a colonist in the militia — often a farmer or craftsman — who kept a gun and had promised to be ready to fight at a minute's notice.

A minuteman was not an official soldier in a regular armyminuteman不是正規軍隊裡的正式軍人 In the American past, especially in the 1770s around the War of Independence在美國過去，尤其是1770年代獨立戰爭前後 he was a colonist in the militia他是民兵裡的一名殖民地居民 often a farmer or craftsman通常是農夫或工匠 who kept a gun and had promised to be ready to fight at a minute's notice會留著一把槍，並承諾一接到通知就能在一分鐘內準備上戰場

The Minutemen of Massachusetts are the ones schoolbooks mention most. The word is a piece of that history: you meet it in stories of alarms, village greens, and men leaving the plough.

The Minutemen of Massachusetts麻薩諸塞的Minutemen are the ones schoolbooks mention most是教科書最常提到的一群 The word is a piece of that history這個詞是那段歷史的一部分 you meet it in stories of alarms, village greens, and men leaving the plough會出現在警報、村莊草坪，以及農夫放下犁田工作的故事裡

Write Minuteman with a capital M when you mean that famous group. Later the United States also gave the name to a kind of missile, but that is a different use; here the word means the ready civilian fighter.

Write Minuteman with a capital M when you mean that famous group指那個知名團體的時候，Minuteman要用大寫的M開頭 Later the United States also gave the name to a kind of missile後來美國也把這個名字用在一種飛彈上 but that is a different use但那是不同的用法 here the word means the ready civilian fighter這裡指的是隨時準備作戰的平民戰士

It does not mean a tiny man. The minute is the short time, not the adjective for small.

It does not mean a tiny man它不是指一個很小的男人 The minute is the short timeminute指的是那段短暫的時間 not the adjective for small不是指『微小』的形容詞