A small bird, common in Europe and Asia, with a long tail that it moves up and down all the time as it walks along the ground. That constant tail movement is where the name comes from, and it is the easiest way to recognise the bird — it does not hop like a sparrow, it walks and trots, and the tail bobs with every step.

A small bird一種小鳥, common in Europe and Asia常見於歐洲和亞洲, with a long tail有條長尾巴, that it moves up and down all the time牠會一直上下擺動, as it walks along the ground一邊沿著地面走。That constant tail movement這種不停擺動尾巴的動作, is where the name comes from就是名字的由來, and it is the easiest way to recognise the bird也是辨認這種鳥最簡單的方法——it does not hop like a sparrow牠不像麻雀那樣用跳的, it walks and trots牠用走和小跑的, and the tail bobs with every step而且尾巴每走一步就會晃一下。

There are several kinds: white wagtails, grey wagtails, yellow wagtails.

There are several kinds有好幾種: white wagtails白鶺鴒, grey wagtails灰鶺鴒, yellow wagtails黃鶺鴒。

This matters for Taiwanese students because you have almost certainly seen one without knowing the English name — the white wagtail 白鶺鴒 is everywhere in Taiwan in winter, walking around riverbanks, car parks and school playgrounds, and enormous flocks roost in city trees. So this is not an exotic foreign word for you; it is the bird outside your window.

This matters for Taiwanese students這對台灣學生特別有意義 because因為 you have almost certainly seen one你幾乎一定看過牠 without knowing the English name卻不知道牠的英文名字——the white wagtail 白鶺鴒白鶺鴒 is everywhere in Taiwan in winter冬天在台灣到處都是, walking around riverbanks, car parks and school playgrounds在河堤、停車場和校園裡走來走去, and enormous flocks roost in city trees還有大群鳥在城市的樹上過夜。So this is not an exotic foreign word for you所以這對你來說不是什麼陌生的外來詞; it is the bird outside your window牠就是你窗外的那隻鳥。

It is a countable noun: one wagtail, two wagtails. Written as one word, no hyphen.

It is a countable noun這是個可數名詞: one wagtail一隻 wagtail, two wagtails兩隻 wagtails。Written as one word寫成一個字, no hyphen中間沒有連字號。