A washerwoman was a woman who earned money by washing other people's clothes, usually at home or at a river, before washing machines and laundries existed. It was heavy, badly paid work — hours of hot water, hard soap and scrubbing — and it was one of the very few jobs open to poor women who had no education, so the word carries a whole social position with it, near the bottom.

A washerwoman was是 a woman一個女人, who earned money靠賺錢的方式 by washing other people's clothes就是幫別人洗衣服, usually at home or at a river通常在家裡或河邊, before washing machines and laundries existed在洗衣機和洗衣店出現之前。It was heavy, badly paid work這是又粗重又低薪的工作 — hours of hot water, hard soap and scrubbing好幾個小時的熱水、硬肥皂和刷洗 — and it was one of the very few jobs而且是少數幾種 open to poor women who had no education開放給沒受過教育的窮苦女性的工作之一, so the word carries a whole social position with it所以這個詞帶著一整個社會地位, near the bottom接近最底層。

That is why it turns up so often in old novels and history books, and why calling a modern woman a washerwoman would be an insult about her class, not a description of her job. Use it about the past.

That is why it turns up so often這就是為什麼它常常出現 in old novels and history books在舊小說和歷史書裡, and why calling a modern woman a washerwoman也是為什麼把現代女性叫做washerwoman would be an insult about her class會是對她階級的一種侮辱, not a description of her job而不是在描述她的工作。Use it about the past把它用在過去的事情上。

There is no living job with this name today; a person who does this work now would be a laundry worker, and the shop is a laundry or a laundrette. You may also meet "washerman", much rarer, and "laundress", which sounds slightly more genteel for the same work.

There is no living job with this name today今天已經沒有用這個名稱的工作了; a person who does this work now現在做這種工作的人 would be a laundry worker叫做洗衣工, and the shop is而店則叫做 a laundry or a laundrette洗衣店。You may also meet你可能還會遇到 "washerman"「washerman」這個字, much rarer但少見得多, and "laundress"還有「laundress」, which sounds slightly more genteel for the same work聽起來對同樣的工作優雅一點。