Villainy is very bad, cruel, or criminal behaviour — the kind of thing a wicked person does. It is not just breaking a small rule; it carries the feeling of real evil, of someone who hurts other people on purpose and does not care.

Villainy is very bad, cruel, or criminal behaviour這個字是指非常惡劣、殘忍或帶犯罪性質的行為 —— the kind of thing a wicked person does就是壞人會做的那種事。It is not just breaking a small rule它不只是違反一個小規定; it carries the feeling of real evil而是帶有真正邪惡的感覺, of someone who hurts other people on purpose and does not care就是那種故意傷害別人又毫不在乎的感覺。

You can use it for the behaviour in general ("a life of villainy"), or for one wicked act ("his villainies were finally discovered" — yes, it has a plural, though that use is old-fashioned).

You can use it for the behaviour in general你可以用它來指一般性的這種行為 ("a life of villainy"像"a life of villainy"這樣), or for one wicked act或指一件具體的惡行 ("his villainies were finally discovered"像"his villainies were finally discovered"這樣 —— yes, it has a plural沒錯,這個字有複數形, though that use is old-fashioned不過這種用法已經有點過時)。

Here is the important part: today the word is almost never used with a straight face about real life. It lives in stories — old novels, fairy tales, films about pirates and evil kings. When a modern person does use it about real people, it is usually a joke, or it is being said in a big dramatic voice on purpose, the way you might say "How dare you!" to a friend who took the last piece of cake. A news report about a real crime would say "crime" or "corruption", not "villainy".

Here is the important part重點來了: today the word is almost never used with a straight face about real life今天這個字幾乎不會被人一本正經地拿來說真實生活裡的事。It lives in stories它活在故事裡 —— old novels, fairy tales, films about pirates and evil kings像舊小說、童話、海盜或壞國王的電影。When a modern person does use it about real people現代人如果真的拿它來說真實的人, it is usually a joke通常是在開玩笑, or it is being said in a big dramatic voice on purpose或是故意用很誇張的語氣講, the way you might say "How dare you!" to a friend who took the last piece of cake就像你會對拿走最後一塊蛋糕的朋友誇張地說"How dare you!"一樣。A news report about a real crime would say "crime" or "corruption"新聞報導講真實犯罪時會用"crime"或"corruption", not "villainy"而不會用"villainy"。

So the word has two jobs now: the serious old one inside stories, and the playful one outside them.

So the word has two jobs now所以這個字現在有兩種用法: the serious old one inside stories故事裡那種嚴肅的舊用法, and the playful one outside them和故事之外那種開玩笑的用法。

Note also that English keeps the h in villain but not the sound — nobody says the h.

Note also that English keeps the h in villain還要注意villain這個字保留了h這個字母, but not the sound但沒有保留h的音 —— nobody says the h沒有人會唸出h的音。

And do not mix this word up with village, which looks close but is a different story: this word came through French from a Latin word for a big country house, and the farm workers there were later looked down on by town people, so the word slid from "farm worker" to "low person" to "evil person".

And do not mix this word up with village而且不要把這個字跟village搞混, which looks close but is a different story兩個字看起來很像,但完全是不同的故事: this word came through French from a Latin word for a big country house這個字是經過法文,從一個指大鄉間宅院的拉丁字來的, and the farm workers there were later looked down on by town people而那裡的農場工人後來被城裡人看不起, so the word slid from "farm worker" to "low person" to "evil person"於是這個字的意思就從"農場工人"滑向"低下的人",再滑向"邪惡的人"。