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A rudder is the flat piece at the back of a ship, boat, or aircraft that you turn in order to change direction. On a ship it sits in the water behind the hull; when you swing it, the water pushes the back of the ship around, and the nose follows.
A rudder rudder（舵） is the flat piece at the back of a ship, boat, or aircraft是船、小船或飛機後方的一塊平板，that you turn in order to change direction用來轉動改變方向。On a ship在船上it sits in the water behind the hull它位在船體後方的水中；when you swing it當你轉動它時，the water pushes the back of the ship around水會推動船尾轉向，and the nose follows船頭就會跟著轉。
On a plane the rudder is the moving part of the upright tail; the pilot uses it to — to point the nose left or right.
On a plane在飛機上the rudder is the moving part of the upright tail這個字是尾翼上垂直部分會動的那一塊；the pilot uses it to yaw飛行員用它來讓機頭偏轉——to point the nose left or right讓機頭朝左或朝右。
It is a technical word, but a very ordinary one in travel, news, and sea stories.
It is a technical word這是個專業術語，but a very ordinary one in travel, news, and sea stories不過在旅遊、新聞和海洋故事裡很常見。
People also stretch it: to be at the rudder means to be the one steering, the one in charge of where things go.
People also stretch it人們也會延伸這個字：to be at the rudder（掌舵）means to be the one steering意思是負責掌控方向的人，the one in charge of where things go也就是主導事情走向的人。
Do not mix it up with the , which pushes you forward, or, on a plane, with the flaps and ailerons on the wings, which help you go up and down or roll. Long ago the same kind of word could also mean an oar — the thing you row with — which is why it sits in the same family as row.
Do not mix it up with the propeller不要跟propeller（螺旋槳）搞混，which pushes you forward它是推動船或飛機前進的，or, on a plane, with the flaps and ailerons on the wings或在飛機上跟機翼的flaps和ailerons（副翼）搞混，which help you go up and down or roll它們是幫助升降或翻滾的。Long ago很久以前the same kind of word could also mean an oar這類字也可以指oar（船槳）——the thing you row with也就是划船用的東西——which is why it sits in the same family as row這就是為什麼它跟row（划船）算同一個字源家族。
組成From Middle English, from Old English rōþor, which meant an oar or a rudder. Built from the old verb for “row” plus a tool ending (the thing you row or steer with). Dutch roer and German Ruder are cousins.
同家族的字
- rowthe verb meaning to move a boat with oars; rudder is the old “rowing tool” from the same root
- rudderlessrudder plus -less: without that steering, and so without direction
原始詞典資料5 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
ruddernoun/ˈɹʌdəː/
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nauticaltransportAn underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).
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aeronauticsaerospacebusinessA control surface on the vertical stabilizer of a fixed-wing aircraft or an autogyro. On some craft, the entire vertical stabilizer comprises the rudder. The rudder is controlled by foot-operated control pedals.
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A riddle or sieve.
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That which resembles a rudder as a guide or governor; that which guides or governs the course.
- For rhyme the rudder is of verses,/With which, like ships, they steer their courses.
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The tail of an otter.
- He sniffed Tarka’s hair from rudder to neck, and his nose remained at the neck. It was a strange smell, and he sniffed carefully, not wanting to touch the fur with his nostrils.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。