A sergeant is a rank — not the top, not the bottom — in the army, the air force, or the police, and the person who holds that rank. Sergeants often train people, keep daily order, and carry out what officers decide. In many armies they are the experienced backbone: close to the soldiers, trusted with the work on the ground.

A sergeant一個sergeant是 a rank一個階級——not the top, not the bottom不是最高也不是最低——in the army, the air force, or the police在陸軍、空軍或警察裡, and而 the person who holds that rank也指擁有這個階級的人. Sergeants Sergeants常常 often train people訓練人員, keep daily order維持日常秩序, and而 carry out what officers decide執行軍官決定的事. In many armies在許多軍隊裡 they是 the experienced backbone經驗豐富的骨幹: close to the soldiers跟士兵很親近, trusted with the work on the ground被信任負責第一線的工作.

The exact rung is not the same in every country, so a sergeant in an American film is not a perfect copy of a Taiwan 中士, but that is the nearest everyday hook. People shorten it to Sarge when they speak to one.

The exact rung確切的位階 is not the same in every country每個國家不盡相同, so所以 a sergeant in an American film美國電影裡的sergeant is not a perfect copy of a Taiwan 中士不完全等於台灣的中士, but但 that is the nearest everyday hook那是最接近的日常對應. People人們 shorten it把它簡稱 to Sarge成Sarge when they speak to one當面對一位sergeant講話時.

The spelling is a trap: it looks like ser-geant, but it is said SAR-jənt. You do not sound a hard g. That is because the word came through Old French, where the sound softened, from a Latin word meaning serving. It is a doublet of servant — first someone who serves, then a serving soldier, then a rank.

The spelling拼法是 a trap一個陷阱: it它 looks like看起來像 ser-geantser-geant, but但 it它 is said唸法是 SAR-jəntSAR-jənt. You你 do not sound不會發出 a hard g硬的g音. That那 is because是因為 the word這個字 came through經過 Old French古法語, where the sound softened音變軟了, from a Latin word source來自一個拉丁字 meaning serving意思是「服務」. It它是 a doublet of servant跟servant同源的雙胞胎字——first一開始是 someone who serves服務別人的人, then然後是 a serving soldier服役的士兵, then再來是 a rank一個階級.

Though actually, older English also used sergeant for certain court and city officers (a sergeant-at-arms, a sergeant-at-law), so not every sergeant in an old book is a soldier. There is even a striped fish nicknamed sergeant, because the stripes reminded people of rank badges.

Though actually不過事實上, older English古英語 also used也曾用 sergeant sergeant for certain court and city officers來指某些法院和城市的官員 (a sergeant-at-arms, a sergeant-at-lawa sergeant-at-arms、a sergeant-at-law), so所以 not every sergeant in an old book不是舊書裡每個sergeant都 is a soldier是軍人. There is甚至有 even a striped fish nicknamed sergeant一種有條紋的魚被叫做sergeant, because因為 the stripes reminded people of rank badges那些條紋讓人聯想到階級章.

For learners, the rank is the meaning that matters.

For learners對學習者來說, the rank這個階級的意思是 the meaning that matters最重要的意思.