To equivocate is to avoid a clear yes or no by using words that can be heard two ways, so nobody can pin you down. Politicians get accused of this a lot.

To equivocate isequivocate指的是 to avoid a clear yes or no避免給出明確的是或不是， by using words that can be heard two ways用可以聽成兩種意思的話， so nobody can pin you down這樣就沒人能抓住你的話柄。Politicians政治人物 get accused of this a lot常常被人這樣指控。

It is not exactly the same as lying — you may not have said a false fact — though actually people often feel cheated anyway, because they asked a straight question and you would not give a straight answer.

It is not exactly the same as lying這跟說謊不完全一樣——you may not have said a false fact你可能沒說出一個假的事實——though actually不過其實 people often feel cheated anyway人們還是常常覺得被騙了，because因為 they asked a straight question他們問的是一個直接的問題， and而 you would not give a straight answer你卻不給一個直接的答案。

The word is formal. In casual talk you might say someone is being vague, dodging the question, or talking in circles. The old idea behind it is “to call two things by the same name,” and that double naming became a way of slipping out of a corner.

The word is這個詞是 formal正式的。In casual talk在口語裡 you might say你可能會說 someone is being vague某人講話很模糊、dodging the question迴避問題，or或是 talking in circles在繞圈子。The old idea behind it is這個詞背後的舊觀念是 "to call two things by the same name,"「用同一個名字稱呼兩件事」， and而 that double naming那種雙重的稱呼 became a way of slipping out of a corner變成了一種脫身的辦法。