peddler
/ˈpedlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpedlər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈped-lər/ (ame, mw)
peddler — 名詞
- peddlersingular
- peddlersplural
1. in earlier centuries, a trader who walked or rode from village to village with a
行商；小販
舊時挑著貨物沿街叫賣的人
in earlier centuries, a trader who walked or rode from village to village with a pack of small things like ribbons, pins, pots, or cloth, knocking on doors to find buyers.
A travelling peddler stopped at Mayumi's farmhouse to sell needles and thread.
一名巡迴的行商在 Mayumi 家的農莊停下，兜售針和線。
noun: travelling peddler (historical occupation)
Valentina's great-grandfather worked as a peddler across the Italian countryside in the 1890s.
Valentina 的曾祖父在一八九零年代曾擔任行商，足跡遍及義大利鄉間。
work / serve as a peddler
In Dickens's novels, a kindly peddler often brings news and ribbons into a quiet country village.
在 Dickens 的小說裡，一名和善的小販常會把消息和緞帶帶進寧靜的鄉間村莊。
Cole's grandfather remembered peddlers arriving each spring with brushes, soap, and small mirrors.
Cole 的祖父還記得，每年春天行商總會帶著刷子、肥皂和小鏡子來到村裡。
An old peddler unrolled a wool blanket on the cobblestones and laid out his hand-carved wooden combs.
一名年邁的小販在石板路上攤開一條羊毛毯，把他親手雕的木梳一一擺出來。
- hawker
similar historical sense; often sold loudly in markets rather than door-to-door
- pedlar
British spelling of the same word
- street vendor
modern equivalent for someone selling from a stall or cart
用法筆記
Often used in historical or literary contexts; modern street vendors are usually called 'street vendor' or 'hawker' instead. Frequently appears with 'travelling' or with the goods sold (peddler of needles, peddler of cloth).
常見錯誤
2. a person who keeps pushing a particular idea, theory, or claim on other people —
鼓吹者
不斷向人推銷某種可疑想法或論調的人
a person who keeps pushing a particular idea, theory, or claim on other people — usually with a negative tone, suggesting the idea is questionable, exaggerated, or self-serving.
Critics called the talk-show host a peddler of conspiracy theories during the election.
選舉期間，評論家罵那位談話節目主持人是陰謀論的鼓吹者。
peddler of + abstract noun (typical pattern)
Xiu accused the wellness brand of being a peddler of false hope to anxious parents.
Xiu 指控那家保健品牌專門向焦慮的家長兜售虛假希望。
peddler of false hope / empty promises
On Monday's radio show, Ravindra dismissed the newspaper columnist as a peddler of cheap nostalgia for the 1950s.
週一的廣播節目上，Ravindra 把那位報社專欄作家貶為廉價懷舊的鼓吹者，只會緬懷一九五零年代。
During the campaign, several local politicians acted as peddlers of fear, citing crime statistics the police data didn't support.
選戰期間，幾位地方政客儼然成了恐懼的兜售者，拿警方數據都不支持的犯罪統計來嚇選民。
In her history seminar, Élise warned her students never to trust peddlers of simple answers about the French Revolution.
在她的歷史專題課上，Élise 告誡學生，對於法國大革命，千萬別相信那些只給你簡單答案的鼓吹者。
- purveyor
more formal; can be neutral or positive ('purveyor of fine teas'), unlike peddler which is usually negative
- promoter
neutral; describes the act of pushing without judging the content
- propagandist
stronger and political; suggests organised effort to spread biased ideas
文法句型
peddler of [idea / theory / claim]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of' + an abstract noun (lies, fear, hope, ideas, nostalgia). Usually disapproving — calling someone a peddler of X implies the X is shallow, false, or harmful. Distinguish from sense 1 (a literal seller of physical goods).
常見錯誤
3. someone whose work is to supply banned drugs in small quantities — typically on
毒販
在街頭兜售非法毒品的人
someone whose work is to supply banned drugs in small quantities — typically on a street corner or directly to users — and occasionally describes a seller of stolen goods.
Police arrested a drug peddler outside the train station on Friday night.
警方週五晚間在火車站外逮捕了一名毒販。
drug peddler (typical compound)
Layla testified in court against the peddler who had sold heroin to her brother.
Layla 出庭作證，指控那名毒販曾把海洛因賣給她弟弟。
The Netflix documentary follows Rin, a young peddler selling pills in the back alleys of Yokohama's old port district.
那部 Netflix 紀錄片跟拍 Rin 這名年輕毒販，記錄他在橫濱老港區後巷賣藥丸的日常。
Christopher had been a small-time peddler for two years before he finally entered rehab.
Christopher 當了兩年小毒販，最後才終於進了戒毒中心。
Yumi reported a known peddler operating near her daughter's high school.
Yumi 通報有名已知毒販在她女兒高中附近活動。
- dealer
most common everyday word; 'drug dealer' is more neutral journalistically than 'drug peddler'
- pusher
informal; emphasises actively trying to get people to start using drugs
- trafficker
operates at a larger scale, often across borders; not a street-level seller
文法句型
drug peddler
peddler of [drug name]
用法筆記
Often modified by 'drug', 'small-time', or 'street'. Stronger and more journalistic than 'dealer'; common in news reports and court contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 (legal historical trader) — modern context plus 'drug'/'street'/'illegal' signals this sense.