A harridan is a bad-tempered, sharp, unpleasant woman — the kind of person a story paints as always scolding, never kind. It is an insult, and an old-fashioned one. You will almost never hear it in ordinary talk now.

A harridan is a bad-tempered, sharp, unpleasant woman harridan是指脾氣壞、尖銳、討人厭的女人 — the kind of person a story paints as always scolding, never kind故事裡會把她畫成總是在罵人、從不溫柔的那種人. It is an insult, and an old-fashioned one這是個侮辱性的字，而且很老派. You will almost never hear it in ordinary talk now你現在幾乎不會在一般對話裡聽到它.

It turns up in older novels, in period drama, or when a writer wants a nasty, slightly literary jab.

It turns up in older novels它會出現在較舊的小說裡, in period drama古裝劇裡, or when a writer wants a nasty, slightly literary jab或是作者想要一個帶點文學味、刻薄的一擊時.

Though actually, it was never a fair or neutral word even when it was more common: it is used only of women, never of men, and it flattens a whole person into “difficult” because she is not sweet. It is closer to “a fierce woman people are a little afraid of” than to a careful description.

Though actually不過事實上, it was never a fair or neutral word even when it was more common就算在它比較常用的年代，這也從來不是個公平或中立的字: it is used only of women, never of men它只用來說女人，從不用來說男人, and it flattens a whole person into “difficult” because she is not sweet而且它把一整個人簡化成「難相處」，只因為她不夠溫柔. It is closer to “a fierce woman people are a little afraid of”它比較接近「一個讓人有點怕的兇悍女人」 than to a careful description而不是一個仔細的描述.

Do not use it about someone real; it will sound both rude and oddly dated.

Do not use it about someone real不要拿這個字去說真實存在的人; it will sound both rude and oddly dated這樣會顯得既無禮又莫名地過時.