An unguent is a thick, oily or greasy substance that you rub on the skin.

An unguent is a thick, oily or greasy substanceAn unguent是一種濃稠、油油膩膩的物質 that you rub on the skin你會拿來抹在皮膚上的。

It is a formal, old-sounding word for what most people today just call an ointment or a cream. The oiliness matters: an unguent is not watery like a lotion — it is heavy, it sits on the skin, it shines a little.

It is a formal, old-sounding word它是一個聽起來正式、老派的詞 for what most people today just call an ointment or a cream指的是現在大部分人只會叫ointment（藥膏）或cream（乳霜）的東西。 The oiliness matters油膩的程度很重要： an unguent is not watery like a lotionunguent不像lotion（化妝水）那樣水水的—— it is heavy它很厚重， it sits on the skin會停留在皮膚上， it shines a little而且會有點亮亮的。

You will meet this word in three places, and the feeling changes each time.

You will meet this word in three places你會在三種地方遇到這個字， and the feeling changes each time而且每一種給人的感覺都不一樣。

In old stories, religion and history, it is a perfumed oil used in ceremonies — kings were anointed with unguents, bodies were prepared with them, and the word carries that ancient, ritual smell.

In old stories, religion and history在古老的故事、宗教跟歷史裡， it is a perfumed oil used in ceremonies它是儀式中用的香油—— kings were anointed with unguents國王會被用unguents行塗油禮， bodies were prepared with them屍體也會用它來處理， and the word carries that ancient, ritual smell這個字因此帶有那種古老、儀式感的氣味。

In medicine, especially older medical writing, it is a healing ointment put on a wound or on sore skin.

In medicine, especially older medical writing在醫學裡，尤其是較舊的醫學文獻中， it is a healing ointment put on a wound or on sore skin它是一種塗在傷口或疼痛皮膚上的療傷藥膏。

And in modern writing, when someone says unguent about a normal jar of face cream, they are almost always being playful or slightly mocking — making an expensive cosmetic sound like a magic potion.

And in modern writing而在現代文章裡， when someone says unguent about a normal jar of face cream當有人拿unguent來形容一罐普通的面霜時， they are almost always being playful or slightly mocking他們幾乎都是在開玩笑或帶點嘲諷—— making an expensive cosmetic sound like a magic potion把昂貴的保養品講得像魔法藥水一樣。

Almost nobody says this word in ordinary conversation. If a friend hurt their arm, you would say "put some cream on it", never "apply an unguent".

Almost nobody says this word in ordinary conversation幾乎沒有人在日常對話裡會說這個字。 If a friend hurt their arm如果朋友手受傷了， you would say 'put some cream on it'你會說「擦點藥膏吧」， never 'apply an unguent'絕不會說「apply an unguent」。

So when a writer chooses unguent instead of cream, the choice itself is doing work — it is reaching for something ancient, or luxurious, or faintly funny.

So when a writer chooses unguent instead of cream所以當作家選用unguent而不是cream時， the choice itself is doing work這個選擇本身就在傳達訊息—— it is reaching for something ancient, or luxurious, or faintly funny它想要的是一種古老、奢華、或帶點好笑的感覺。

The plural is unguents, and it very often appears in the plural, because the word likes to describe a whole collection of oils and perfumes rather than one tube of medicine.

The plural is unguents複數形是unguents， and it very often appears in the plural而且它很常以複數形出現， because the word likes to describe a whole collection of oils and perfumes因為這個字喜歡描述一整批的油跟香膏， rather than one tube of medicine而不是一條藥膏。