A thimble is a small hard cap that you put over the end of your finger — almost always the middle finger — when you sew by hand. When you push a needle through cloth, the back end of the needle presses into your finger, and if the cloth is thick, that hurts, or the needle slips. The thimble takes the push instead of your skin.

A thimble頂針 is a small hard cap是一個小小的硬套子 that you put over the end of your finger你把它套在手指尖上 — almost always the middle finger幾乎都是套在中指上 when you sew by hand在你用手縫東西的時候 When you push a needle through cloth當你把針推過布料時 the back end of the needle presses into your finger針的後端會壓進你的手指 and if the cloth is thick如果布很厚 that hurts, or the needle slips就會很痛，或者針會滑掉 The thimble takes the push instead of your skin頂針會代替你的皮膚承受這股壓力

Old ones are metal, usually with tiny dents all over the surface so the end of the needle catches in a dent and does not slide off; newer ones can be plastic or leather.

Old ones are metal舊式的頂針是金屬做的 usually with tiny dents all over the surface表面通常布滿小凹點 so the end of the needle catches in a dent and does not slide off這樣針尾就能卡在凹點裡不會滑掉 newer ones can be plastic or leather新一點的可能是塑膠或皮革做的

It is a small, homely thing, and for most people now it belongs to a grandmother's sewing basket rather than to daily life, so English speakers meet the word more often in stories, in the game Monopoly (a thimble used to be one of the little metal pieces), and in the phrase for a very small amount, than in real sewing. Because a thimble holds almost nothing, people also use it as a picture of tininess: a thimbleful of whisky.

It is a small, homely thing這是個小巧、家常的東西 and for most people now對現在大多數人來說 it belongs to a grandmother's sewing basket rather than to daily life它比較屬於祖母的針線籃而不是日常生活 so English speakers meet the word more often所以英語使用者更常在 in stories, in the game Monopoly (a thimble used to be one of the little metal pieces), and in the phrase for a very small amount故事裡、大富翁遊戲裡（thimble以前是遊戲裡的一個小金屬棋子）、以及形容極少量的說法裡遇到這個字 than in real sewing而不是在真正縫紉的時候 Because a thimble holds almost nothing因為頂針幾乎裝不了什麼 people also use it as a picture of tininess人們也會用它來比喻極少量 a thimbleful of whisky一「thimbleful」(一頂針份量)的威士忌

There is a second, technical sense you may see in engineering or on boats — a metal ring fitted inside a loop of rope or cable to stop it wearing through — but that one is specialist, and a learner will very rarely need it.

There is a second, technical sense還有第二種技術上的意思 you may see in engineering or on boats你可能會在工程或船上看到 — a metal ring fitted inside a loop of rope or cable to stop it wearing through裝在繩索或纜線圈內側、防止磨損的金屬環 but that one is specialist但這是專業用法 and a learner will very rarely need it學習者很少會需要用到