A detractor is a person who talks someone or something down — they point out faults, spread doubt, and try to make the good look smaller than it is. A critic can still be fair, and may even like the work; a detractor has already taken a side against it.

A detractor is a person who talks someone or something downdetractor是一種說別人或別的東西壞話的人——they point out faults, spread doubt他們會挑毛病、散播懷疑，and try to make the good look smaller than it is想辦法讓好的地方看起來沒那麼好。A critic can still be fair, and may even like the work評論者(critic)還是可以很公正，甚至可能喜歡這個作品；a detractor has already taken a side against it但detractor早就已經站在反對這個作品的那一邊。

Though actually, newspapers often use the two words as if they were the same. You meet it in fairly careful English: “her detractors say…”, “despite his detractors…”.

Though actually, newspapers often use the two words as if they were the same不過其實，報紙常常把這兩個字當成同一個意思用。You meet it in fairly careful English你會在相當講究的英文裡遇到它："her detractors say…", "despite his detractors…"像『her detractors say…』、『despite his detractors…』這種說法。

It is not a playground word. The speaker is not always lying; they may believe the unkind picture. What marks the word is the aim: to pull the person’s standing down, not just to describe.

It is not a playground word這不是操場上小孩會用的字。The speaker is not always lying說話的人不一定是在說謊，they may believe the unkind picture他們可能真的相信那個不留情面的形象。What marks the word is the aim這個字的關鍵在於「目的」：to pull the person's standing down, not just to describe是要把那個人的地位拉下來，而不只是單純描述。