A stayer is someone — or some animal, especially a horse — who can keep going all the way to the end of something long and hard. The word comes from horse racing, and that is still where you hear it most.

A stayer is指的是 someone某個人—— or some animal, especially a horse或某隻動物，尤其是馬—— who can keep going能夠一路撐下去， all the way to the end直到結束 of something long and hard一件又長又辛苦的事。 The word comes from horse racing這個字來自賽馬， and that is still而現在也還是 where you hear it most你最常聽到它的地方。

Some horses are fast over a short distance but tire quickly; a stayer is the opposite. It may not be the quickest at the start, but over a long race it is still running strongly when the fast ones have slowed down. So the word carries a quiet compliment about endurance, not speed. People also use it about a person in a job, a sport, or a long project: 'he's a real stayer' means he will not give up halfway, he will still be there at the end.

Some horses are fast有些馬跑得快， over a short distance短距離裡 but tire quickly但很快就累了； a stayer is the oppositestayer正好相反。 It may not be the quickest牠可能不是跑最快的， at the start一開始， but但 over a long race在一場長跑裡， when the fast ones have slowed down等快的馬都慢下來了， it is still running strongly牠還在強勁地跑。 So所以 the word carries這個字帶著 a quiet compliment一種低調的讚美， about endurance讚的是耐力， not speed不是速度。 People also use it about a person大家也會用它來形容一個人， in a job, a sport, or a long project在工作、運動或長期計畫裡： 'he's a real stayer'說「他是個真正的stayer」 means意思是 he will not give up halfway他不會半途而廢， he will still be there at the end到最後他還會在。

It is not a very common word in everyday conversation. You meet it in sports writing, in racing talk, and sometimes in older-sounding praise from an older speaker. Younger people are more likely to say 'she never gives up' or 'he's got stamina'.

It is not a very common word這不是一個很常見的字， in everyday conversation在日常對話裡。 You meet it你會遇到它， in sports writing在體育寫作、 in racing talk賽馬談話裡， and sometimes有時也 in older-sounding praise出現在聽起來老派的讚美裡， from an older speaker來自年長的人。 Younger people are more likely to say年輕人比較會說 'she never gives up'「她從不放棄」 or或 'he's got stamina'「他很有耐力」。

One more thing worth noticing: 'stayer' does NOT mean a person who stays somewhere, even though the word looks like it should. A person staying in a hotel is a guest. A person who stays in a country is a resident. English is untidy this way — the shape of the word promises one meaning and the language delivers another.

One more thing worth noticing還有一件值得注意的事： even though the word looks like it should雖然這個字看起來應該是這個意思， 'stayer' does NOT mean但「stayer」並不是指 a person who stays somewhere待在某個地方的人。 A person staying in a hotel住在飯店裡的人 is a guest是guest（房客）。 A person who stays in a country住在一個國家裡的人 is a resident是resident（居民）。 English is untidy this way英文在這方面就是亂： the shape of the word字的長相 promises one meaning承諾一個意思， and the language delivers another語言卻給你另一個。