A `stagecoach` was a large closed carriage pulled by horses that carried paying passengers, letters and parcels along a fixed route, on a fixed timetable. Before trains, this was public transport. It ran in Britain and across Europe from the 1600s onwards, and it is burned into everyone's picture of the American West in the 1800s — the coach rocking along a dusty road, a driver up top, a guard with a gun, and somewhere in the story, robbers.

A stagecoach wasstagecoach曾經是 a large closed carriage pulled by horses一種由馬拉的大型封閉式馬車 that carried paying passengers, letters and parcels載付費的乘客、信件和包裹 along a fixed route, on a fixed timetable沿著固定路線、按固定時刻表行駛 Before trains, this was public transport在火車出現以前，這就是大眾交通工具 It ran in Britain and across Europe from the 1600s onwards它從1600年代開始在英國和歐洲各地行駛 and it is burned into everyone's picture of the American West in the 1800s而且深深烙印在大家對1800年代美國西部的印象裡 the coach rocking along a dusty road馬車在滿是塵土的路上搖搖晃晃地走 a driver up top車頂上坐著車伕 a guard with a gun帶槍的警衛 and somewhere in the story, robbers還有故事裡少不了的強盜

The "stage" in it is the interesting part: a stage was one section of the journey, from one inn to the next, perhaps ten or fifteen miles. At each stop the tired horses were swapped for fresh ones and the coach went on. The journey was made of stages, so the coach was a stagecoach. That is also why we still say a journey is done "in stages".

The "stage" in it is the interesting part這個字裡的「stage」才是有趣的地方 a stage was one section of the journey一個stage指的是旅程中的一段 from one inn to the next從一間旅店到下一間旅店 perhaps ten or fifteen miles大概十到十五英里 At each stop每到一站 the tired horses were swapped for fresh ones累了的馬就會換成新的馬 and the coach went on馬車再繼續上路 The journey was made of stages整趟旅程就是由一段段的stage組成的 so the coach was a stagecoach所以這種馬車就叫stagecoach That is also why這也是為什麼 we still say a journey is done "in stages"我們現在還會說一趟旅程是「in stages」分段完成的

Today the word is purely historical — nobody rides one to work — so you meet it in old novels, in Westerns, and in museums. In Britain, Stagecoach is also the name of a large modern bus company, borrowing the old image on purpose.

Today the word is purely historical現在這個字純粹是歷史用詞 nobody rides one to work沒有人搭它去上班 so you meet it in old novels, in Westerns, and in museums所以你會在舊小說、西部片和博物館裡看到它 In Britain在英國 Stagecoach is also the name of a large modern bus companyStagecoach也是一家大型現代客運公司的名字 borrowing the old image on purpose故意借用這個舊時代的形象