A sprinter is a runner whose event is the short, all-out races — in athletics that means 100m, 200m and 400m, as opposed to a middle-distance or marathon runner. The word carries a picture of a body type and a way of training, not just a distance: sprinters are usually heavily muscled, they run at full effort from the first step, and they are often useless over long distances, which is exactly the point.

A sprinter is a runner whose event is the short, all-out racesSprinter是專門跑短距離、全力衝刺賽事的跑者 — in athletics that means 100m, 200m and 400m在田徑裡指100公尺、200公尺和400公尺, as opposed to a middle-distance or marathon runner跟中距離或馬拉松跑者不同。The word carries a picture of a body type and a way of training, not just a distance這個字帶出的是一種體型和訓練方式的畫面不只是距離: sprinters are usually heavily muscled, they run at full effort from the first step, and they are often useless over long distancessprinter通常肌肉很發達從第一步就用盡全力而且常常跑不了長距離, which is exactly the point而這正是重點所在。

It stretches beyond athletics too. In cycling, a sprinter is the rider who is slow up mountains but wins the flat finishes.

It stretches beyond athletics too這個字也延伸到田徑之外。In cycling在自行車運動裡, a sprinter is the rider who is slow up mountains but wins the flat finishessprinter指的是爬坡慢但在平路衝刺中獲勝的車手。

In everyday talk you can say someone 'is a sprinter, not a marathon runner' about how they work: brilliant in short bursts, poor at long steady projects.

In everyday talk you can say someone 'is a sprinter, not a marathon runner'在日常說話裡你可以說某人'is a sprinter, not a marathon runner' about how they work來形容他們的做事方式: brilliant in short bursts, poor at long steady projects短時間衝刺很厲害長期穩定的專案卻做不好。

In Britain, 'Sprinter' is also the name of a type of local train and a Mercedes van, so a British person may hear it that way first in some contexts.

In Britain在英國, 'Sprinter' is also the name of a type of local train and a Mercedes van'Sprinter'也是一種區間火車和一款Mercedes廂型車的名字, so a British person may hear it that way first in some contexts所以在某些情況下英國人可能先聯想到那個意思。