Unable to answer, because you truly cannot think of anything. If a question stumps you, your mind goes blank — you are not refusing to answer and you are not being lazy; nothing comes.

Unable to answer答不出來, because you truly cannot think of anything因為你真的什麼都想不到. If a question stumps you如果一個問題把你問倒了, your mind goes blank你的腦袋會一片空白 — you are not refusing to answer你不是拒絕回答 and you are not being lazy也不是偷懶; nothing comes就是什麼都想不出來。

You say 'I'm stumped' when a puzzle beats you, when a student asks something you never thought about, when a machine breaks and no one can see why. It is warm and casual, common in everyday speech, and it carries no shame at all — grown-ups say it about themselves happily, and doctors and engineers use it about hard cases.

You say 'I'm stumped'你會說'I'm stumped', when a puzzle beats you用在一道謎題把你打敗的時候, when a student asks something you never thought about用在學生問了你從沒想過的問題的時候, when a machine breaks and no one can see why用在機器故障沒人看得出原因的時候. It is warm and casual這個說法溫暖又輕鬆, common in everyday speech日常說話很常見, and it carries no shame at all而且完全不丟臉 — grown-ups say it about themselves happily大人會開心地拿來說自己, and doctors and engineers use it about hard cases醫生和工程師也會用它來形容棘手的案子。

Two patterns matter. 'Be stumped' (I'm stumped, the doctors were stumped) is the state. 'Stump someone' is the verb: the question stumped me.

Two patterns matter有兩個句型要注意. 'Be stumped' (I'm stumped, the doctors were stumped)'Be stumped'（I'm stumped、the doctors were stumped） is the state是狀態. 'Stump someone''Stump someone' is the verb是動詞用法: the question stumped methe question stumped me（這個問題把我問倒了）。

It is usually about one specific problem, not about life in general — you are stumped by a question, not stumped about who you are.

It is usually about one specific problem它通常是針對一個具體的問題, not about life in general而不是泛指整個人生 — you are stumped by a question你是被一個問題問倒, not stumped about who you are而不是對自己是誰感到困惑。

The picture behind it is a tree stump left in a field: you were walking along, and something short and stubborn stopped you.

The picture behind it is a tree stump left in a field這個字背後的畫面是田裡留下的一截樹樁: you were walking along你原本走得好好的, and something short and stubborn stopped you卻被一個矮小頑固的東西擋住了。