A reprobate is someone who behaves in a bad, immoral way — and the word is often said with a half-smile. You might call a friend who drinks too much and tells terrible jokes “you old reprobate” and still pour them a drink. That is the usual modern use: a badly behaved person, but not one you are sending to court.

A reprobate is someone who behaves in a bad, immoral wayreprobate是指行為不良、不道德的人——and the word is often said with a half-smile而且說這個字的時候常常帶著一點笑意。You might call a friend你可能會叫一個朋友 who drinks too much and tells terrible jokes愛喝酒又老講爛笑話的那種 'you old reprobate''你這個老reprobate'，and still pour them a drink然後還是幫他倒一杯酒。That is the usual modern use這是現代常見的用法：a badly behaved person是指行為不好的人，but not one you are sending to court但不是要送他上法庭的那種。

Though actually, the word is older and darker. It came from Latin for “rejected, condemned,” and in old church writing a reprobate was a person believed to be turned away by God, with no hope of being saved. That heavy sense lives in old books now.

Though actually不過實際上，the word is older and darker這個字的來源更古老、也更陰暗。It came from Latin for 'rejected, condemned'它源自拉丁文，意思是「被拒絕、被判定有罪」，and in old church writing而在古老的教會文獻裡，a reprobate was a person believed to be turned away by God一個reprobate是被相信被上帝拋棄的人，with no hope of being saved沒有得救的希望。That heavy sense lives in old books now這種沉重的意思現在活在舊書裡。

You will not hear teenagers use it on the bus; it belongs to stories, colourful newspapers, and older speakers being funny on purpose. It can also be an adjective: reprobate behaviour.

You will not hear teenagers use it on the bus你不會聽到青少年在公車上用這個字；it belongs to stories它比較屬於故事、colourful newspapers誇張的小報新聞，and older speakers being funny on purpose還有年紀較大的人故意講來搞笑。It can also be an adjective它也可以當形容詞：reprobate behaviourreprobate behaviour（無賴般的行為）。

Do not treat the joke as the only meaning, and do not treat it as a technical word for a criminal.

Do not treat the joke as the only meaning不要把玩笑話的用法當成唯一的意思，and do not treat it as a technical word for a criminal也不要把它當成指「罪犯」的專門術語。