A ruffian is a violent man, the sort who hits people and is mixed up in crime. In older stories he is the street thug, the hired tough, the man you would not want to meet in a dark alley.

A ruffian is a violent man暴徒是指一個粗暴的男人, the sort who hits people and is mixed up in crime那種會打人、又混跡犯罪的人。 In older stories在比較舊的故事裡, he is the street thug他是街頭惡霸, the hired tough被雇來動粗的打手, the man you would not want to meet in a dark alley就是那種你不會想在暗巷裡碰到的人。

The word sounds a little old-fashioned now — police reports and news more often say thug, attacker, or gang member — but writers still like ruffian because it has a colour of old streets and rough company. It is almost always used of men; calling a woman a ruffian would sound odd or jokey.

The word sounds a little old-fashioned now這個字現在聽起來有點老派 — police reports and news more often say thug, attacker, or gang member警方報告和新聞比較常說 thug、attacker 或 gang member — but writers still like ruffian because it has a colour of old streets and rough company但作家還是喜歡用 ruffian，因為它帶著一種舊時街頭和不良份子的色彩。 It is almost always used of men幾乎只用在男人身上; calling a woman a ruffian would sound odd or jokey叫一個女人 ruffian 聽起來會很怪，或帶點玩笑意味。

Though actually, the word did not start as violent man. It came into English from French, and before that from Italian ruffiano, which meant a pimp. English kept the low, bad man feeling and shifted it toward violence and street crime.

Though actually, the word did not start as violent man不過其實，這個字一開始並不是指「粗暴的男人」。 It came into English from French它是從法文進入英文的, and before that from Italian ruffiano再往前追溯則來自義大利文 ruffiano, which meant a pimp意思是「皮條客」。 English kept the low, bad man feeling英文保留了那種低下、壞人的語感 and shifted it toward violence and street crime然後把它轉向暴力和街頭犯罪。