A Taser is a weapon that looks a bit like a small gun. It fires two little darts that stay joined to it by thin wires, and it sends a strong electric current down those wires into the person's body. The muscles tighten so hard the person cannot control them, and they usually fall over.

A Taser is a weapon that looks a bit like a small gunTaser 是一種長得有點像小手槍的武器。It fires two little darts that stay joined to it by thin wires它會射出兩根用細電線連著槍身的小飛鏢， and it sends a strong electric current down those wires into the person's body再透過那些電線把強力電流送進中彈的人身體裡。The muscles tighten so hard the person cannot control them肌肉會緊縮到人完全控制不住， and they usually fall over通常就會整個人倒下去。

It hurts a great deal but is not meant to kill; police carry one so they have something between shouting and shooting.

It hurts a great deal but is not meant to kill這會非常痛，但目的不是要致命； police carry one so they have something between shouting and shooting警察配備它，是為了在「用喊的」和「開槍」之間多一個選項。

Two things about the word are worth knowing. First, it started as a brand name — a company's product — which is why you often see it with a capital T, and careful newspapers keep the capital. But so many people now use it for any weapon of this kind that the small-letter 'taser' is everywhere too, the same way 'Hoover' or 'Xerox' slipped into ordinary English.

Two things about the word are worth knowing關於這個字有兩件事值得知道。First第一， it started as a brand name它一開始是品牌名——a company's product是某家公司的產品——which is why you often see it with a capital T這就是為什麼你常會看到它T大寫， and careful newspapers keep the capital而講究的報紙會保留大寫。But但是 so many people now use it for any weapon of this kind現在太多人拿它泛指這一類武器， that the small-letter 'taser' is everywhere too所以小寫的 'taser' 也到處都是， the same way 'Hoover' or 'Xerox' slipped into ordinary English就跟 'Hoover'（吸塵器）或 'Xerox'（影印）變成日常英文的情況一樣。

Second, it is also a verb: 'the police tasered him.' A shorter verb 'tase' grew out of it as well, so both 'tasered' and 'tased' are in use.

Second第二， it is also a verb它也可以當動詞： 'the police tasered him.'像 'the police tasered him.'（警察電擊了他）。A shorter verb 'tase' grew out of it as well後來還衍生出更短的動詞 'tase'， so both 'tasered' and 'tased' are in use所以 'tasered' 和 'tased' 兩種都有人用。

You will meet the word mostly in news, in crime dramas, and in arguments about the police, because it is a word people fight over — is it a kind way to stop someone, or a way of hurting people who are already helpless? Because the weapon is rare in Taiwan, the word here belongs mostly to foreign news rather than daily life.

You will meet the word mostly in news, in crime dramas, and in arguments about the police你大多會在新聞、犯罪劇、還有討論警察的爭論裡遇到這個字， because it is a word people fight over因為這是個大家會吵的字—— is it a kind way to stop someone到底這是善意地讓人停下來的方法， or a way of hurting people who are already helpless還是傷害已經無力反抗的人的手段？Because the weapon is rare in Taiwan因為這種武器在台灣很少見， the word here belongs mostly to foreign news rather than daily life這個字在這裡大多出現在國外新聞，而不是日常生活裡。