Pathan is an older English name for a Pashtun person — someone from a large Muslim people living mainly in Afghanistan and in northwest Pakistan.

Pathan是 an older English name for a Pashtun person英文裡對Pashtun人比較舊式的稱呼 — someone from a large Muslim people living mainly in Afghanistan and in northwest Pakistan指的是主要住在阿富汗和巴基斯坦西北部的一個龐大穆斯林民族。

British imperial writing used Pathan a great deal, and often painted Pathans as fierce, honourable fighters; that is the picture many old English books still give. Though actually, that is an outsider’s wartime sketch, not a full account of a people with many lives besides fighting.

British imperial writing used Pathan a great deal英國殖民時期的文獻很常用Pathan這個字, and often painted Pathans as fierce, honourable fighters常把Pathan描寫成兇猛、講究榮譽的戰士; that is the picture many old English books still give這也是很多老英文書至今還在給的印象。 Though actually不過其實, that is an outsider’s wartime sketch這只是外人在戰時畫出來的速寫, not a full account of a people with many lives besides fighting並不是這個民族完整的樣貌，他們的生活不只有打仗。

Pashtun (or Pakhtun) is closer to the name used inside the group, and Pathan can sound dated or colonial now. If you are writing today, Pashtun is the safer default.

Pashtun (or Pakhtun) is closer to the name used inside the group Pashtun（或Pakhtun）比較接近這個族群自己使用的名稱, and Pathan can sound dated or colonial now而Pathan現在聽起來可能有點過時、有殖民色彩。 If you are writing today如果你是現在要寫文章, Pashtun is the safer defaultPashtun是比較保險的用法。

You will still meet Pathan in older history, in Kipling, and in some South Asian English, where the borrowed form stuck. It is a people-name, so it is usually capitalised.

You will still meet Pathan in older history, in Kipling, and in some South Asian English你還是會在較舊的歷史文獻、吉卜林的作品，還有一些南亞英語裡看到Pathan, where the borrowed form stuck這個借來的說法在那些地方留了下來。 It is a people-name它是一個民族的名稱, so it is usually capitalised所以通常要大寫。