A tarantula is a big hairy spider. In everyday English the word means the large, thick-legged, furry spiders kept as pets and shown in films — the ones from tropical America, some big enough to sit across your hand.

A tarantula a tarantula is是 a big hairy spider一種毛茸茸的大蜘蛛。In everyday English在日常英語裡 the word這個字 means指的是 the large, thick-legged, furry spiders那種腿粗、毛多的大蜘蛛，kept as pets and shown in films被當寵物養、也常出現在電影裡——the ones from tropical America產自熱帶美洲的那種，some big enough to sit across your hand有些大到可以整隻趴在你的手掌上。

Dictionaries usually call them poisonous, and they do have venom, but for almost all species a bite on a human is about as bad as a bee sting; the hairs they flick off their bodies, which itch badly, are the bigger nuisance. So the fear they cause is out of proportion to the danger, which is exactly why films use them.

Dictionaries usually call them poisonous字典通常說牠們有毒，and而 they do have venom牠們確實有毒液，but但 for almost all species對幾乎所有種類來說，a bite on a human咬到人一口 is about as bad as a bee sting大概跟被蜜蜂螫差不多；the hairs they flick off their bodies牠們從身上彈出來的那些毛，which itch badly會讓人癢得很厲害，are the bigger nuisance反而才是比較麻煩的地方。So所以 the fear they cause牠們引起的恐懼 is out of proportion to the danger跟實際的危險程度不成比例，which is exactly why這正是為什麼 films use them電影愛用牠們。

There is an older, narrower meaning: a particular wolf spider found around Taranto in southern Italy. That is the original tarantula, and it is the one in the old story about the dancing cure.

There is an older, narrower meaning還有一個比較舊、比較窄的意思：a particular wolf spider一種特定的狼蛛，found around Taranto in southern Italy出現在義大利南部塔蘭托附近。That那 is the original tarantula才是最早的tarantula，and而且 it is the one就是 in the old story about the dancing cure在那個關於跳舞治療的古老傳說裡的那一種。

Scientists still use the name that way, but if a normal English speaker says 'tarantula', they mean the big furry pet-shop kind. The plural can be 'tarantulas' or, more formally, 'tarantulae' — use 'tarantulas'.

Scientists科學家 still use the name that way仍然這樣用這個名字，but但 if a normal English speaker says 'tarantula'如果一般英語使用者說'tarantula'，they mean他們指的是 the big furry pet-shop kind寵物店裡那種毛茸茸的大蜘蛛。The plural複數 can be 'tarantulas'可以是'tarantulas'，or, more formally, 'tarantulae'或比較正式的'tarantulae'——use 'tarantulas'用'tarantulas'就好。