A backstabber is someone who secretly does you harm, especially by saying bad things about you to other people, so they can get ahead. The picture is old and nasty: stabbing a person in the back, where they cannot see the knife coming.

A backstabber is someonebackstabber 指的是一個人 who secretly does you harm會偷偷傷害你, especially by saying bad things about you to other people尤其是在別人面前說你的壞話, so they can get ahead好讓自己往上爬。The picture is old and nasty這個畫面又老又惡毒: stabbing a person in the back從背後刺一個人一刀, where they cannot see the knife coming讓對方看不到刀子過來。

Nobody is talking about a real knife here, though actually the metaphor is so strong that people still feel the shock of it. It is informal, and it is an insult.

Nobody is talking about a real knife here這裡沒有人真的在講一把刀, though actually the metaphor is so strong不過這個比喻其實很強烈 that people still feel the shock of it強烈到大家還是感覺得到那種驚嚇。It is informal這是口語用字, and it is an insult而且是一種侮辱。

The person is the backstabber; the secret unkind behaviour is backstabbing. You use it about work, friendship, and politics — anywhere trust was supposed to hold.

The person is the backstabber那個人就叫 backstabber; the secret unkind behaviour is backstabbing那種偷偷摸摸的不厚道行為就叫 backstabbing。You use it about work, friendship, and politics你可以用在工作、友情、政治上——anywhere trust was supposed to hold任何原本該有信任存在的地方。

Saying hard things to someone’s face is not this; the whole point is that it happens behind them.

Saying hard things to someone's face當面對一個人說難聽的話 is not this不算是這個; the whole point is that it happens behind them重點就在於這件事是在對方背後發生的。