A whirligig is a toy that spins. The word covers several spinning things: a child's spinning top, a pinwheel on a stick that turns in the wind, and the garden ornaments made of thin blades or little wooden figures that whirl when the wind catches them.

A whirligigWhirligig這個字is a toy that spins指一種會旋轉的玩具。The word covers several spinning things這個字涵蓋好幾種會轉的東西：a child's spinning top小朋友玩的陀螺，a pinwheel on a stick that turns in the wind插在棍子上、被風吹著轉的風車，and the garden ornaments made of thin blades or little wooden figures還有用薄葉片或小木頭人偶做成的庭院擺飾，that whirl when the wind catches them被風吹到就會轉動。

In older English it also meant a merry-go-round at a fair.

In older English在比較舊的英文裡，it also meant這個字也指a merry-go-round旋轉木馬at a fair市集裡的。

Two other uses are worth knowing. A 'whirligig beetle' is a real insect — the small black beetle you see spinning in fast circles on the top of a pond. And figuratively, 'the whirligig of' something means the fast, dizzying, ever-turning way life or events go round: Shakespeare's line 'the whirligig of time brings in his revenges' gave English the phrase 'the whirligig of time', and people still write about 'the whirligig of fashion' or 'the whirligig of politics' — meaning things keep coming round again.

Two other uses另外還有兩種用法are worth knowing值得知道。A 'whirligig beetle'『whirligig beetle』（豉蟲）is a real insect是真的昆蟲——the small black beetle就是那種黑色小甲蟲you see spinning in fast circles你會看到牠快速轉圈圈on the top of a pond在池塘水面上。And figuratively而比喻用法上，'the whirligig of' something『the whirligig of』加上某個東西means the fast, dizzying, ever-turning way life or events go round指人生或世事那種快速、令人頭暈、不停打轉的樣子：Shakespeare's line 'the whirligig of time brings in his revenges'莎士比亞的名句『the whirligig of time brings in his revenges』（時間的巨輪帶來他的報應）gave English the phrase 'the whirligig of time'讓英文有了『the whirligig of time』這個說法，and people still write about 'the whirligig of fashion' or 'the whirligig of politics'現在人們還是會寫『the whirligig of fashion』或『the whirligig of politics』——meaning things keep coming round again意思是事情不斷地繞回來重演。

The word itself sounds old and playful; a modern child would say 'spinning top' or 'pinwheel', so when a writer chooses 'whirligig' it is usually for the charm of the sound.

The word itself sounds old and playful這個字本身聽起來古老又帶點玩味；a modern child would say 'spinning top' or 'pinwheel'現代小孩會說『spinning top』或『pinwheel』，so when a writer chooses 'whirligig'所以當作家選用『whirligig』這個字，it is usually for the charm of the sound通常是為了它聲音上的趣味。

It is countable: one whirligig, several whirligigs.

It is countable這是可數名詞：one whirligig一個是whirligig，several whirligigs好幾個就是whirligigs。