An old, literary word for a young man from the countryside — usually a young farm worker or shepherd — who is in love with a young woman. You will almost never hear it in speech today. You meet it in old poems and old songs, especially the kind about shepherds and country love, and in phrases like 'a country swain' or 'her swain'.

An old, literary wordswain是一個古老、文學性的字 for a young man from the countryside指鄉下的年輕男子 — usually a young farm worker or shepherd通常是年輕的農夫或牧羊人 — who is in love with a young woman正愛慕著一位年輕女子。You will almost never hear it in speech today今天你在口語裡幾乎不會聽到它。You meet it in old poems and old songs你會在古老的詩歌和歌曲裡遇到它, especially the kind about shepherds and country love特別是那種寫牧羊人和鄉間愛情的作品, and in phrases like 'a country swain' or 'her swain'還有像'a country swain'或'her swain'這樣的說法

There is a second, older use you may see in very old texts: a servant or a young male attendant, with no love in it at all; the 'man in love' meaning grew out of the pastoral poems where the shepherd boy is always sighing over some girl.

There is a second, older use you may see in very old texts還有一個更古老的第二種用法，你可能會在非常古老的文獻裡看到: a servant or a young male attendant指僕人或年輕的男侍從, with no love in it at all跟愛情完全無關; the 'man in love' meaning grew out of the pastoral poems「戀人」這個意思其實是從田園詩裡長出來的 where the shepherd boy is always sighing over some girl那些詩裡總有個牧羊少年一直為某個女孩嘆息

Because it belongs to that old poetic world, when someone uses 'swain' today it is nearly always a joke, or a deliberate old-fashioned touch — a man teasing his friend, 'and here comes your swain'. It carries a gentle, slightly silly sweetness: the swain is sincere but a bit hopeless, standing there with flowers.

Because it belongs to that old poetic world因為它屬於那個古老的詩歌世界, when someone uses 'swain' today今天如果有人用'swain'這個字 it is nearly always a joke幾乎都是在開玩笑, or a deliberate old-fashioned touch或是刻意營造一種古風 — a man teasing his friend像一個男生調侃朋友, 'and here comes your swain'說'and here comes your swain'。It carries a gentle, slightly silly sweetness它帶著一種溫柔、有點傻氣的甜蜜感: the swain is sincere but a bit hopelessswain是真心的，但又有點沒指望, standing there with flowers就那樣捧著花站在那裡

Note that it is the man who is the swain; the woman he loves is not one.

Note that要注意 it is the man who is the swainswain指的是那個男生; the woman he loves is not one他愛慕的女生不叫swain

There is also a fixed phrase, 'a boating swain' — no, be careful here: the sailing word is 'boatswain' (said 'BOH-sun'), one word, and it means the sailor in charge of the equipment on a ship. That is a different word that happens to end the same way.

There is also a fixed phrase也有人會想到這種說法, 'a boating swain''a boating swain' — no, be careful here不對，這裡要小心: the sailing word is 'boatswain'航海用的字是'boatswain' (said 'BOH-sun')（唸作'BOH-sun'）, one word是一個字, and it means the sailor in charge of the equipment on a ship意思是船上負責裝備的水手長。That is a different word that happens to end the same way那是一個剛好結尾相同的完全不同的字