To tote something is to carry it — usually something with a bit of weight or bulk, and usually as a regular thing rather than once. You tote a bag of books to school every day, a camera around a city, a heavy toolbox from job to job. There is a small flavour of effort and of lugging it about with you, so it fits objects you haul rather than things you slip in a pocket. It is American, informal, and a little old-fashioned or folksy in feeling — you meet it more in writing, in songs, and in journalism than in a Taiwanese classroom.

To tote somethingTo tote某樣東西 is to carry it就是扛著它 usually something with a bit of weight or bulk通常是有點重量或體積的東西 and而且 usually as a regular thing rather than once通常是常態性地做，不是只做一次。 You你 tote a bag of books to school every day可能每天扛一袋書去上學 a camera around a city扛著相機在城市裡走 a heavy toolbox from job to job或是把沉重的工具箱從一個工地扛到另一個工地。 There is a small flavour of effort and of lugging it about with you這個字帶有一點費力、拖著走的味道 so所以 it fits objects you haul rather than things you slip in a pocket比較適合你要「扛」的物品，而不是可以隨手塞進口袋的東西。 It它 is American, informal, and a little old-fashioned or folksy in feeling是個美式、口語、帶點老派或鄉土味的字 you你 meet it more in writing, in songs, and in journalism than in a Taiwanese classroom在寫作、歌曲和新聞報導裡遇到它，會比在台灣課堂上遇到它多得多。

It is very common in two fixed places, though. One is *tote bag*: a big, flat, open cloth bag with two handles, the kind bookshops and museums sell, which everyone knows. The other is *gun-toting*, used before a noun, meaning carrying a gun — "gun-toting cowboys" — which is almost always a little disapproving or half-joking.

It它 is very common in two fixed places, though不過在兩個固定的說法裡非常常見。 One一個 is *tote bag*是*tote bag* a big, flat, open cloth bag with two handles一種大大、扁扁、開口的布袋，有兩條提把 the kind bookshops and museums sell就是書店和博物館在賣的那種 which everyone knows大家都認識。 The other另一個 is *gun-toting*是*gun-toting* used before a noun放在名詞前面用 meaning carrying a gun意思是「帶著槍」 「gun-toting cowboys」「gun-toting cowboys（帶槍的牛仔）」 which is almost always a little disapproving or half-joking幾乎總是帶點不認同或半開玩笑的語氣。

There is also a separate noun *tote*, short for the totalisator at a racecourse — the machine that works out the betting odds — but that is British, narrow, and not what you will meet first.

There is also a separate noun *tote*還有一個獨立的名詞*tote* short for the totalisator at a racecourse是賽馬場「彩池投注計算機」（totalisator）的簡稱 the machine that works out the betting odds就是算出賭盤賠率的那台機器 but但 that is British, narrow, and not what you will meet first這個用法是英式的、範圍很窄，不是你最先會遇到的意思。

Where the word came from is genuinely unclear. Some scholars link it to a Low German word for a horn-shaped paper bag; others think it came into American English from an African language brought by enslaved people, comparing Kongo *tota*. Neither story is settled, so an honest teacher says "probably" and stops there.

Where the word came from這個字從哪裡來 is genuinely unclear其實並不清楚。 Some scholars有些學者 link it to a Low German word for a horn-shaped paper bag認為它跟低地德語裡一種角狀紙袋的字有關 others也有人 think it came into American English from an African language brought by enslaved people認為它是被奴役的人帶進美式英文的一種非洲語言 comparing Kongo *tota*並拿剛果語的*tota*來比較。 Neither story is settled兩種說法都沒有定論 so所以 an honest teacher says 「probably」 and stops there誠實的老師會說「大概」，然後就打住。