An urchin is a poor child who lives rough on the streets — dirty, in torn clothes, with no one really looking after them.

An urchin這個字講的是 is a poor child一個窮孩子 who lives rough on the streets在街頭過著艱苦生活 — dirty髒兮兮, in torn clothes穿著破衣服, with no one really looking after them也沒有人真正照顧他.

The word carries a picture with it: a small, quick, cheeky child begging or stealing to eat, the kind you meet in Dickens or in a stage musical about old London. That picture matters, because the word now feels old-fashioned and literary.

The word這個字 carries a picture with it帶著一幅畫面：a small, quick, cheeky child一個瘦小、機靈、調皮的孩子 begging or stealing to eat為了吃飯而乞討或偷東西, the kind you meet in Dickens就是你在狄更斯小說裡 or in a stage musical about old London或講舊倫敦的舞台音樂劇裡會遇到的那種孩子. That picture matters這幅畫面很重要, because the word now feels因為這個字現在給人的感覺 old-fashioned and literary老派又文學。

Real social workers today say 'street child' or 'homeless child'; 'urchin' belongs to stories set in the past.

Real social workers today現在真正的社工 say 'street child' or 'homeless child'會說『street child』或『homeless child』；'urchin'『urchin』這個字 belongs to stories set in the past則屬於設定在過去的故事。

It is not a cruel word — it usually comes with the writer's pity, and often a little affection for the child's toughness — but it does look at the child from the outside, so do not use it about a real child you know.

It is not a cruel word它不是一個殘忍的字 — it usually comes with通常帶著 the writer's pity作者的憐憫, and often a little affection for the child's toughness也常帶點對孩子韌性的欣賞 — but it does look at the child from the outside但它終究是從外面在看這個孩子, so do not use it所以不要拿這個字 about a real child you know去講你認識的真實孩子。

You will also see 'street urchin', which means the same thing with the picture spelled out.

You will also see你也會看到 'street urchin'『street urchin』, which means the same thing意思一樣 with the picture spelled out只是把畫面講得更清楚。

Two other uses to file away. Modern speakers sometimes use it playfully about a child who is simply messy: 'come here, you little urchin', said fondly to a kid covered in mud.

Two other uses to file away還有兩個用法值得記一下. Modern speakers現代人 sometimes use it playfully有時會開玩笑地用它 about a child who is simply messy來講一個只是很邋遢的孩子: 'come here, you little urchin'『come here, you little urchin』, said fondly是疼愛地說的 to a kid covered in mud對著一身泥的孩子。

And the word appears in 'sea urchin', the round spiny sea animal — that is the older meaning showing through, because 'urchin' once meant hedgehog.

And the word appears in而且這個字也出現在 'sea urchin'『sea urchin』(海膽), the round spiny sea animal那種圓圓帶刺的海洋動物 — that is the older meaning showing through這其實是比較舊的意思在裡面, because 'urchin' once meant hedgehog因為 urchin 以前的意思就是刺蝟。