A weasel is a small wild animal with a long thin body, short legs and brown fur, related to the stoat, otter and mink. It hunts mice, rats, rabbits and birds, and it is famous for two things: being very slim — so slim it can follow its dinner down a hole — and being a bold, fast, clever hunter for its size. Weasels live in Europe, North America and much of Asia; they are not common in Taiwan's daily life, so most students meet the word in stories, cartoons and idioms rather than in a field.

A weasel is a small wild animal weasel 是一種小型野生動物 with a long thin body, short legs and brown fur身體細長、腿短、毛是棕色的, related to the stoat, otter and mink和白鼬、水獺、貂是親戚。It hunts牠會獵捕 mice, rats, rabbits and birds老鼠、兔子和鳥類, and it is famous for two things而牠有兩點出名: being very slim非常纖細──so slim it can follow its dinner down a hole細到可以鑽進洞裡追獵物──and being a bold, fast, clever hunter for its size以及以牠的體型來說，是個大膽、敏捷、聰明的獵手。Weasels live in Weasel 生活在 Europe, North America and much of Asia歐洲、北美和亞洲大部分地區; they are not common in Taiwan's daily life牠們在台灣日常生活裡並不常見, so most students meet the word in stories, cartoons and idioms rather than in a field所以大部分學生是在故事、卡通和成語裡認識這個字，而不是在野外。

That cleverness gave the word its second life. Call a person a weasel and you mean someone sneaky and untrustworthy — a person who slips out of promises, twists the truth, and always finds a way to escape blame. It is an insult, mild but real, and quite common in American English.

That cleverness gave the word its second life這份聰明讓這個字有了第二種意思。Call a person a weasel如果你說一個人是 weasel, and you mean someone sneaky and untrustworthy意思是這個人狡猾、不可信──a person who slips out of promises, twists the truth, and always finds a way to escape blame一個會逃避承諾、扭曲事實、總能找到辦法脫罪的人。It is an insult這是一種侮辱, mild but real雖然不算太重但確實是罵人, and quite common in American English而且在美式英語裡相當常見。

From that comes the verb, born around 1900. To weasel out of something means to avoid a duty or promise by clever excuses: "He weaselled out of paying his share." You will nearly always meet it with "out of". Note that a weasel does not lie boldly; a weasel wriggles.

From that comes the verb由此衍生出動詞用法, born around 1900大約在 1900 年左右出現。To weasel out of something意思是 weasel out of something means to avoid a duty or promise by clever excuses用巧妙的藉口逃避責任或承諾: "He weaselled out of paying his share."「他找藉口逃掉了該付的那份錢。」You will nearly always meet it with "out of"你幾乎都會看到它和「out of」一起用。Note that請注意 a weasel does not lie boldly weasel 不會明目張膽地說謊; a weasel wriggles而是會扭來扭去地閃躲。

The whole picture is escape through a narrow gap. The most useful phrase for your students is "weasel words" — language chosen to sound like a promise while promising nothing. "Results may vary." "We aim to reply within 24 hours." "Some experts say." Advertisements and politicians live on these, and once you can name them, you start seeing them everywhere.

The whole picture is escape through a narrow gap整個畫面就是從一個窄縫裡溜走。The most useful phrase for your students對你的學生來說最有用的片語 is "weasel words"就是「weasel words」（模稜兩可的話術）──language chosen to sound like a promise while promising nothing刻意選用、聽起來像承諾但其實什麼都沒承諾的話。"Results may vary." "We aim to reply within 24 hours." "Some experts say."「結果因人而異。」「我們會盡量在 24 小時內回覆。」「有些專家表示。」Advertisements and politicians live on these廣告和政治人物就是靠這些話過活, and once you can name them一旦你能認出它們, you start seeing them everywhere你就會開始到處看見它們。