In the British army, a subaltern is an officer below the rank of captain — in practice a second lieutenant or a lieutenant. It is the lowest officer level: young, newly commissioned, in charge of a platoon of about thirty soldiers, and very much learning the job under older officers and experienced sergeants. The word can also work as an adjective meaning of that junior rank.

In the British army在英國陸軍裡, a subaltern is an officer below the rank of captain subaltern 是指軍階在上尉以下的軍官 — in practice實際上 a second lieutenant or a lieutenant就是少尉或中尉. It is the lowest officer level這是最低的軍官階級: young, newly commissioned年輕、剛被任命, in charge of a platoon of about thirty soldiers帶領大約三十人的一個排, and very much learning the job而且還在努力學習這份工作 under older officers and experienced sergeants在資深軍官和有經驗的士官底下. The word can also work as an adjective這個字也可以當形容詞用 meaning of that junior rank意思是「屬於那個初階軍階的」.

It is an old, formal word and it belongs to a particular world. You meet it in military history, in regimental records, and above all in novels and memoirs of the British Empire — Kipling's young subalterns in India, the subalterns of the First World War. Serving British soldiers today still use it, but a general reader will meet it mostly on the page.

It is an old, formal word這是一個古老、正式的詞, and it belongs to a particular world而且屬於一個特定的世界. You meet it你會在 in military history, in regimental records軍事史、團隊紀錄裡遇到它, and above all尤其是 in novels and memoirs of the British Empire在講大英帝國的小說和回憶錄裡 — Kipling's young subalterns in India吉卜林筆下在印度的年輕 subaltern, the subalterns of the First World War一次大戰時的 subaltern 們. Serving British soldiers today still use it現役的英國軍人今天仍然會用這個詞, but a general reader但一般讀者 will meet it mostly on the page大多是在書頁上遇到它.

There is a second life to this word that a student may run into at university, and it is worth flagging because the two meanings feel unrelated. In academic writing about colonialism and power — postcolonial studies, subaltern studies — the subaltern means people held at the bottom of a social order, whose voices are not recorded by those in power. That use comes through the Italian writer Antonio Gramsci and is now the more commonly encountered sense in the humanities. Same word, ordinary root meaning "lower in rank", two very different rooms.

There is a second life to this word這個字還有第二種生命 that a student may run into at university大學生可能會在學校裡碰到, and it is worth flagging而這值得特別提出來 because the two meanings feel unrelated因為這兩個意思感覺毫不相關. In academic writing about colonialism and power在講殖民主義與權力的學術寫作裡 — postcolonial studies, subaltern studies後殖民研究、庶民研究 — the subaltern means subaltern 指的是 people held at the bottom of a social order被壓在社會底層的人, whose voices are not recorded by those in power他們的聲音不會被掌權者記錄下來. That use comes through the Italian writer Antonio Gramsci這個用法源自義大利作家葛蘭西 and is now the more commonly encountered sense in the humanities而且現在在人文學科裡是更常見的意思. Same word相同的字, ordinary root meaning 'lower in rank'原本字根的意思是「軍階較低」, two very different rooms卻通往兩個非常不同的房間.