To ad-lib is to speak or act without a plan, in the moment. The script is gone, or you never had one, or something on stage went wrong and you have to keep going anyway.

To ad-lib is to speak or act without a plan, in the momentad-lib是指沒有計畫、當下臨時說話或做動作。The script is gone可能是稿子不見了，or you never had one或者你本來就沒有稿子，or something on stage went wrong and you have to keep going anyway或者台上出了狀況你還是得硬著頭皮繼續下去。

Actors ad-lib. People giving a speech ad-lib when they lose the next line, or when the room wants a warmer answer than the paper. Musicians do it too, though they more often say improvise.

Actors ad-lib演員會ad-lib。People giving a speech ad-lib上台演講的人也會ad-lib，when they lose the next line, or when the room wants a warmer answer than the paper忘記下一句要講什麼，或現場氣氛需要比講稿更有溫度的回答時。Musicians do it too音樂人也會這樣做，though they more often say improvise只是他們比較常說improvise（即興）。

You can use it as a verb (she ad-libbed a joke) or as a noun (that line was an ad-lib). You will see ad-lib, ad lib, and sometimes adlib; the hyphen is common.

You can use it as a verb可以當動詞用（she ad-libbed a joke她臨場加了一個笑話）or as a noun也可以當名詞用（that line was an ad-lib那句台詞是臨時加的）。You will see ad-lib, ad lib, and sometimes adlib你會看到ad-lib、ad lib，有時候也會寫成adlib；the hyphen is common加連字號的寫法比較常見。

It smells a little of theatre and comedy, and it is not very formal. Though actually, we stretch it a long way off the stage: a teacher with no slides, a host who throws away the cue cards, a friend who answers a hard question by just talking — English still lets you say they ad-libbed.

It smells a little of theatre and comedy這個字帶點劇場和喜劇的味道，and it is not very formal語氣不太正式。Though actually不過實際上，we stretch it a long way off the stage我們把它延伸到離舞台很遠的地方：a teacher with no slides沒帶投影片的老師、a host who throws away the cue cards把提詞卡丟一邊的主持人、a friend who answers a hard question by just talking直接用講的回答難題的朋友——English still lets you say they ad-libbed英文還是會說他們ad-libbed。

It does not have to mean careless. Good performers practise so they can ad-lib well. It also does not mean the whole show was made up; often only a sentence or two is.

It does not have to mean careless這不代表隨便。Good performers practise so they can ad-lib well好的表演者會練習，才能ad-lib得好。It also does not mean the whole show was made up也不代表整場表演都是現編的；often only a sentence or two is通常只有一兩句才是臨時加的。