The word "pencil" has a funny old meaning.
pencil这个词，有个好玩的老意思。
It comes from a Latin word for "little tail".
它来自一个拉丁词，意思是“小尾巴”。
Long ago, people wrote with a tiny brush.
很早以前，人们写字用一把小刷子。
That brush looked like a short tail.
那把小刷子，看着就像一条短尾巴。
So people called it a "little tail".
于是人们就管它叫“小尾巴”。
Today we write with a pencil, not a brush.
现在我们用铅笔写字，不用小刷子啦。
But the name still keeps the little tail.
但这个名字，还留着那条小尾巴呢。
