A person who begs humbly for something — usually from someone with power over them, or from a god. It means the same as supplicant; the two words are twins, arriving in English by slightly different roads.

A person who begs humbly for something謙卑地乞求某樣東西的人 — usually from someone with power over them通常是向有權力壓過他們的人 or from a god或向神明乞求 It means the same as它的意思跟 supplicantsupplicant一樣 the two words are twins這兩個字是雙胞胎 arriving in English by slightly different roads只是以稍微不同的路徑進入英語

It is a literary and old-fashioned word. You meet it in poetry, in translations of Greek tragedy, in the Bible, in histories of kings and courts. A modern newspaper would not use it.

It is a literary and old-fashioned word它是個文學性、老派的字 You meet it你會 in poetry, in translations of Greek tragedy, in the Bible, in histories of kings and courts在詩、希臘悲劇的翻譯、聖經，和王室宮廷史裡遇到它 A modern newspaper現代的報紙 would not use it不會用它

Its natural picture is someone on their knees, hands out, asking for mercy or help they have no right to demand.

Its natural picture它自然浮現的畫面 is someone on their knees, hands out是有人跪著、伸出雙手 asking for mercy or help they have no right to demand乞求他們無權要求的憐憫或幫助

Suppliant is also an adjective, meaning "begging, pleading" — "a suppliant gesture", "suppliant hands", "a suppliant tone". In fact many writers use the adjective more often than the noun.

Suppliant is also an adjectiveSuppliant也可以當形容詞 meaning 'begging, pleading'意思是「乞求的、哀求的」 — 'a suppliant gesture''一個哀求的手勢' 'suppliant hands''哀求的雙手' 'a suppliant tone''哀求的語氣' In fact many writers事實上很多作家 use the adjective more often than the noun用形容詞比用名詞更常見

What matters most is the feeling: a suppliant is not a customer making a request, and not an equal asking a favour. The word carries powerlessness.

What matters most is the feeling最重要的是那種感覺 a suppliant is nota suppliant不是 a customer making a request一個提出要求的顧客 and not an equal asking a favour也不是一個平輩在請個小忙 The word carries powerlessness這個字帶著「無力」的感覺

Modern writers sometimes use it with a bitter edge to criticise a situation — "the country was reduced to a suppliant at the bank's door" — meaning the country had lost all its bargaining power and could only beg.

Modern writers現代作家 sometimes use it with a bitter edge有時會帶著苦澀的口氣用它 to criticise a situation批評一個處境 — 'the country was reduced to a suppliant at the bank's door''這個國家淪為銀行門口的一個suppliant' — meaning意思是 the country had lost all its bargaining power這個國家失去了所有議價的籌碼 and could only beg只能乞求