A sniper is a shooter who works from far away and out of sight. The two ideas both matter: distance and hiding.

A sniper is a shooter who works from far away and out of sight sniper是一個在遠處、躲起來行動的射手 The two ideas both matter兩個重點都很重要 distance and hiding距離，還有躲藏

A sniper picks a roof, a window, a tree line, waits, and fires one careful shot — this is not a soldier running forward and shooting a lot.

A sniper picks a roof, a window, a tree line, waits, and fires one careful shot sniper會選一個屋頂、一扇窗、一排樹，等待，然後小心地開一槍 this is not a soldier running forward and shooting a lot這跟往前衝、狂開槍的士兵不一樣

In war reporting the word is neutral and technical: army snipers are highly trained and work in pairs, one shooting and one watching. In news about cities, sniper carries fear — a sniper on the roof, sniper fire, the people below unable to see where the danger is. That invisibility is the whole feeling of the word.

In war reporting在戰爭報導裡 the word is neutral and technical這個字是中性、專業的說法 army snipers are highly trained and work in pairs軍隊的狙擊手訓練精良，通常兩人一組 one shooting and one watching一個負責射擊，一個負責觀察 In news about cities但在城市新聞裡 sniper carries fear sniper這個字帶著恐懼感 a sniper on the roof, sniper fire, the people below unable to see where the danger is屋頂上的狙擊手、狙擊槍聲、樓下的人根本看不到危險在哪 That invisibility is the whole feeling of the word那種看不見的感覺，就是這個字的全部情緒

It has spread outside war in two directions. In video games, players everywhere use sniper for the long-range class or the rifle itself, and Taiwanese students very often meet the word here first. And in office and internet talk, to snipe at someone means to attack them with small critical remarks from a safe position — the same picture, hidden shooter, moved into words.

It has spread outside war in two directions這個字已經擴散到戰爭以外的兩個方向 In video games在電玩遊戲裡 players everywhere use sniper for the long-range class or the rifle itself到處都有玩家用sniper稱呼遠程職業或狙擊槍本身 and Taiwanese students very often meet the word here first台灣學生也常常最先在這裡學到這個字 And in office and internet talk而在職場和網路用語裡 to snipe at someone means to attack them with small critical remarks from a safe position snipe at someone指的是躲在安全的地方，用一些小批評攻擊對方 the same picture, hidden shooter, moved into words一樣是躲起來的射手畫面，只是換成了言語

Notice one small oddity of English: a sniper snipes, but a person who snipes at colleagues is not called a sniper.

Notice one small oddity of English請注意英文裡一個小小的怪現象 a sniper snipes sniper（名詞）的動作是snipe but a person who snipes at colleagues is not called a sniper但對同事冷嘲熱諷的人，並不會被稱作sniper