A tailwind is a wind blowing from behind you, in the same direction you are going. It pushes you along, so you go faster and use less energy.

A tailwind一個tailwind是 is a wind一種風 blowing from behind you從你背後吹來的，in the same direction you are going跟你前進的方向一樣。It pushes you along它推著你走，so you go faster and use less energy所以你會走得更快、花更少力氣。

Pilots, sailors, cyclists and runners talk about it constantly: with a strong tailwind a flight from Taipei to Los Angeles can land half an hour early, and a cyclist can feel suddenly, wonderfully strong. Its opposite is a headwind, which blows into your face and slows you down.

Pilots, sailors, cyclists and runners飛行員、水手、自行車手和跑者 talk about it constantly常常聊到它：with a strong tailwind有強勁的tailwind時 a flight from Taipei to Los Angeles一班從台北飛洛杉磯的班機 can land half an hour early可以提早半小時降落，and a cyclist而自行車手 can feel suddenly, wonderfully strong可以突然感覺到一股神奇的力量。Its opposite它的反義詞 is是 a headwindheadwind（逆風），which blows into your face往你臉上吹 and slows you down讓你變慢。

Because the picture is so clear, the word is used very often in a figurative way, especially in business and news writing: a tailwind is anything outside your control that helps you along — low interest rates, a weak currency, a new law that happens to suit your industry. "Falling oil prices gave airlines a tailwind last year." In that use it is usually plural — "tailwinds" — and it is paired with "headwinds" for the things making life harder.

Because the picture is so clear因為這個畫面很清楚，the word這個詞 is used very often被很常用 in a figurative way用在比喻的意思上，especially in business and news writing尤其是商業和新聞寫作裡：a tailwindtailwind is anything outside your control指任何不在你控制內、卻幫了你一把的東西 that helps you along——像low interest rates低利率、a weak currency弱勢貨幣、a new law that happens to suit your industry一條剛好對你這行有利的新法規。"Falling oil prices gave airlines a tailwind last year."像「Falling oil prices gave airlines a tailwind last year」（油價下跌讓航空公司去年多了一股助力）。In that use在這種用法裡 it is usually plural通常是複數——"tailwinds"「tailwinds」——and it is paired with而且會跟 "headwinds"「headwinds」（逆風、不利因素）搭配使用 for the things making life harder指那些讓事情變難的因素。

Note the small oddity in athletics: a race time only counts as a record if the tailwind is under 2.0 metres per second, because too much help from behind is not really the runner's own speed. Also, careful — for pilots a tailwind is not always good news: landing with a tailwind is harder, because the plane needs the wind in its face to slow down.

Note注意一下 the small oddity in athletics田徑裡一個小小的奇怪規則：a race time一個比賽成績 only counts as a record只有在 if the tailwind is under 2.0 metres per second順風低於每秒2公尺時 才算是紀錄，because too much help from behind因為背後幫太多忙 is not really the runner's own speed就不算是跑者自己真正的速度。Also另外，careful要小心——for pilots對飛行員來說 a tailwind is not always good newstailwind不一定是好消息：landing with a tailwind順風降落 is harder反而更難，because the plane needs the wind in its face因為飛機需要迎面而來的風 to slow down才能減速。