Wormwood is a plant — a grey-green herb with a famously bitter taste. Two things to know about it.

Wormwood is a plant這個字是指一種植物 —— a grey-green herb with a famously bitter taste是一種灰綠色、以味道極苦出名的藥草。Two things to know about it關於它有兩件事要知道。

First, the plant itself: people have used it for centuries in medicine (to kill stomach worms, among other things) and in drinks. It is what gives absinthe its taste, and it is also in vermouth, the wine used in cocktails.

First, the plant itself第一,就植物本身而言: people have used it for centuries in medicine幾百年來人們把它用在醫藥上 (to kill stomach worms, among other things像是拿來殺腸胃裡的寄生蟲之類的) and in drinks也用在飲料裡。It is what gives absinthe its taste苦艾酒absinthe的味道就是它給的, and it is also in vermouth而且苦艾酒vermouth裡也有它, the wine used in cocktails就是雞尾酒裡用的那種酒。

Second, and this is where students meet it in books: because the taste is so bitter, 'wormwood' has become a word for bitterness itself — for the sour, painful feeling left by loss, jealousy, or defeat. The Bible uses it this way, and so does older English writing: 'the memory was wormwood to him' means the memory was bitter to him.

Second, and this is where students meet it in books第二點,也是學生在書裡會遇到它的地方: because the taste is so bitter因為味道太苦了, 'wormwood' has become a word for bitterness itself'wormwood'這個字就變成了「苦」本身的代名詞 —— for the sour, painful feeling left by loss, jealousy, or defeat指失去、嫉妒或挫敗留下的那種酸楚、痛苦的感覺。The Bible uses it this way聖經裡就是這樣用它, and so does older English writing早期的英文寫作也是: 'the memory was wormwood to him''the memory was wormwood to him'這句話 means the memory was bitter to him意思是這段回憶對他來說很苦澀。

You will also meet the fixed pair 'gall and wormwood', two bitter things together, meaning deep bitterness. This second use is formal and literary, not something you would say to a friend.

You will also meet the fixed pair 'gall and wormwood'你還會遇到'gall and wormwood'這個固定搭配, two bitter things together兩種苦的東西放在一起, meaning deep bitterness意思是深深的苦澀。This second use is formal and literary這第二種用法很正式、很文學, not something you would say to a friend不是你會對朋友隨口說的話。

The name is one of the great English accidents. It has nothing to do with worms or with wood.

The name is one of the great English accidents這個字的名字是英文裡一個很大的意外。It has nothing to do with worms or with wood它跟worm(蟲)或wood(木頭)一點關係都沒有。

Old English called the plant 'wermōd'; over the centuries English speakers heard the two halves as the familiar words 'worm' and 'wood' and re-spelled it to match — helped, no doubt, by the fact that the plant really was used against worms. The same Old English word travelled through French and Italian and came back to English as 'vermouth', so wormwood and vermouth are the same word twice.

Old English called the plant 'wermōd'古英文把這種植物叫做'wermōd'; over the centuries English speakers heard the two halves as the familiar words 'worm' and 'wood'幾百年下來,講英文的人把這個字的兩半聽成了熟悉的'worm'和'wood'這兩個字 and re-spelled it to match於是就照著這樣重新拼寫 —— helped, no doubt, by the fact that the plant really was used against worms這當然也是因為這種植物真的被拿來對付寄生蟲。The same Old English word travelled through French and Italian這個古英文字經過法文和義大利文流傳 and came back to English as 'vermouth'又以'vermouth'的形式回到英文裡, so wormwood and vermouth are the same word twice所以wormwood和vermouth其實是同一個字出現了兩次。