Applied to words — a report, a letter, a reply, a defeat — stinging means very harsh, sharply critical, and painful to be on the receiving end of.

Applied to words用在文字上時 — a report報告、a letter信、a reply回覆、a defeat敗仗 — stinging這個詞 means意思是 very harsh非常嚴厲、sharply critical尖銳批評、and而且 painful to be on the receiving end of讓被說的那一方很痛。

A stinging report on a hospital does not politely suggest improvements; it names failures. A stinging rebuke is a telling-off that leaves a mark. A stinging defeat is a loss that humiliates.

on a hospital對一家醫院的 A stinging report嚴厲的報告 does not politely suggest improvements不會客氣地建議改善；it它 names failures直接點名失職之處。A stinging rebuke嚴厲的斥責 is是 a telling-off that leaves a mark會留下傷痕的責備。A stinging defeat慘痛的敗仗 is是 a loss that humiliates讓人蒙羞的失敗。

The picture behind it is straightforward and worth holding on to. A bee sting is small — it does not break your bones — but it is sudden, sharp, and it goes on hurting afterwards. Stinging criticism is the same shape: it is not long or violent, it is precise, and it lands.

The picture behind it背後的畫面 is straightforward很簡單 and worth holding on to、值得記住。A bee sting被蜜蜂螫一下 is small很小 — it does not break your bones不會讓你骨折 — but但是 it is sudden, sharp突然又尖銳，and而且 it goes on hurting afterwards之後還會繼續痛。Stinging criticism尖銳的批評 is the same shape形狀一樣：it is not long or violent不長也不暴力，it is precise很精準，and而 it lands會命中要害。

That is why stinging goes so naturally with attack, criticism, rebuke, and defeat, and awkwardly with things that are merely long or unkind.

That這 is why就是為什麼 stinging這個詞 goes so naturally with很自然地搭配 attack, criticism, rebuke, and defeat攻擊、批評、斥責、敗仗，but跟 things that are merely long or unkind只是冗長或不友善的東西 goes awkwardly with搭配卻很怪。

This is newspaper and formal-writing language above all. "In a stinging attack on the government…" is close to a fixed opening in British journalism. In everyday speech people would say harsh or brutal instead.

This這 is是 newspaper and formal-writing language above all主要是報紙和正式寫作的語言。'In a stinging attack on the government…'「對政府展開猛烈抨擊……」 is close to接近 a fixed opening in British journalism英國新聞寫作裡的一種固定開場白。In everyday speech在日常口語裡 people would say人們會說 harsh or brutal「harsh」或「brutal」 instead來代替。

The literal senses live alongside it and are more common in daily life: a stinging pain (sharp and burning — antiseptic on a cut, cold wind on your face), and stinging as the ordinary -ing form of the verb ("the smoke was stinging my eyes"). British English also has the stinging nettle, a plant that burns your skin if you touch it, which every British child learns about the hard way.

The literal senses字面上的意思 live alongside it也同時存在，and are more common in daily life而且在日常生活裡更常見：a stinging pain刺痛感（sharp and burning尖銳又灼熱 — antiseptic on a cut像傷口上的消毒藥水、cold wind on your face或吹在臉上的冷風），and而 stinging as the ordinary -ing form of the verb作為動詞一般的-ing形式（"the smoke was stinging my eyes"「the smoke was stinging my eyes」，意思是煙讓我眼睛刺痛）。British English英式英文 also也 has the stinging nettle有「stinging nettle」這種植物（咬人貓），a plant that burns your skin一碰到就會讓皮膚刺痛 if you touch it，which每個英國小孩 every British child learns about the hard way都是吃過苦頭才學會的。