有東西滲進來
這一族是顏料落進水裡最字面的版本：進去的是真的東西，聞得到、嘗得到、驗得出來。
verb · B2
To spoil something by letting an unwanted substance get into it, so that it is no longer clean or safe to use — most often food, water or air.
污染
核心畫面
Think of one drop of dye falling into a of clear water. The amount is tiny, the is not broken, and yet the whole has changed colour and the colour cannot be taken back out. That is taint. When the drop is a real substance, the milk or the water or the air is spoiled and has to go. When the drop is a piece of , a name or a result changes colour in the same way: nothing has been destroyed, but nobody can look at it as they did before.
可以想成一滴顏料落進一壺清水。量很少，壺也沒破，但整壺水的顏色都變了，而且倒不回去。落進去的如果是實際的東西，牛奶、…更多收起
可以想成一滴顏料落進一壺清水。量很少，壺也沒破，但整壺水的顏色都變了，而且倒不回去。落進去的如果是實際的東西，牛奶、井水、空氣就不能用了。落進去的如果是一件不光彩的事，一個名字或一個結果就以同樣的方式變了色：什麼都沒毀掉，可是大家看它的眼光回不去了。From the word’s history
Taint comes from Old French teint, the past participle of teindre 'to dye', from Latin tingere; tint is the same root. The dye is not a metaphor added later — it is where the word starts.
taint 來自古法文 teint，那是 teindre（染色）的過去分詞，再往前是拉丁文 tingere；tint（色調）同源。所以「染色」不是後來才加上去的比喻，而是這個字的出發點。
Wiktionary entry 'taint' (Middle French teint < Old French teint, past participle of teindre, < Latin tinctum / tingere; compare tint), supplied in this evidence packet as kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:669487268.
Two branches
名聲上的那層顏色
把那滴顏料換成一件不光彩的事，把水換成一個人、一場選舉、一個獎。東西本身沒有變，變的是顏色——也就是別人看它的眼光。
verb · C1
To make a person, a group, a result or a situation look bad because it is connected with something wrong. It is often used in the passive: be tainted by something.
玷污