A slanderous statement is a spoken claim that is not true, and that someone says in order to hurt another person's good name. It is not just unkind; the point of it is to make other people think worse of you.

A slanderous statement一句slanderous（誹謗性）的話 is a spoken claim that is not true是一個不實的口頭說法, and that someone says in order to hurt another person's good name而且是有心說出來要損害別人名譽的。It is not just unkind這不只是不友善而已; the point of it is to make other people think worse of you重點是要讓別人對你的看法變差。

In English law talk, slander is the spoken kind of this harm; the written kind is often called libel. Though actually, in everyday talk people mix the two, and they call almost any cruel false story slanderous, even a post online. News writers still like the old split: said out loud versus written down.

In English law talk在英美法律用語裡, slander is the spoken kind of this harm口頭的這種傷害叫slander; the written kind is often called libel書面的則常叫libel。Though actually, in everyday talk people mix the two不過其實日常講話大家會把兩者混著用, and they call almost any cruel false story slanderous幾乎任何殘忍的不實說法都會被說成slanderous, even a post online連網路上的一篇貼文也是。News writers still like the old split新聞寫作的人還是喜歡守著這個舊區分: said out loud versus written down說出口的算一類，寫下來的算另一類。

The word is fairly formal. You meet it in news, in court talk, and in fights about someone's name.

The word is fairly formal這個字算是滿正式的。You meet it in news, in court talk, and in fights about someone's name你會在新聞、法庭用語，還有關於名譽的爭執裡碰到它。

Calling a true, fair criticism slanderous is itself a strong charge — so people sometimes use the word too quickly when they are only angry.

Calling a true, fair criticism slanderous把一個真實、公允的批評說成slanderous, is itself a strong charge本身就是一個很重的指控 — so people sometimes use the word too quickly when they are only angry所以有時候人只是在生氣，卻太快用上這個字。