Adolescence is the stretch of years when a child is turning into an adult — schoolbooks often say about 12 to 18, though actually the body and the mind do not switch on a birthday. It is the time of growing fast, of puberty, of moods, of wanting more freedom, of still needing care.

Adolescence青春期 is the stretch of years when a child is turning into an adult是指一個孩子逐漸長成大人的那段歲月 — schoolbooks often say about 12 to 18教科書常說大約是12到18歲, though actually不過其實 the body and the mind do not switch on a birthday身體和心智並不會在某個生日那天突然切換。It is the time of growing fast這是快速成長的時期, of puberty也是青春期發育的時期, of moods情緒起伏的時期, of wanting more freedom渴望更多自由的時期, of still needing care但仍然需要被照顧的時期。

Doctors, teachers, and newspapers use this word; families more often say the teenage years. It names the period, not the person (the person is an adolescent).

Doctors, teachers, and newspapers use this word醫生、老師、報紙都會用這個詞; families more often say the teenage years而家人更常說青少年時期。It names the period, not the person它指的是這段時期，而不是這個人 (the person is an adolescent這個人則叫做 an adolescent)。

It is a neutral, slightly formal noun. People argue about when it ends — some laws say 18, and some brains keep changing into the twenties — so treat ‘12 to 18’ as the usual picture, not a hard fence.

It is a neutral, slightly formal noun它是一個中性、稍微正式的名詞。People argue about when it ends人們會爭論它到底什麼時候結束 — some laws say 18有些法律說是18歲, and some brains keep changing into the twenties而有些人的大腦一直到二十幾歲都還在變化 — so treat '12 to 18' as the usual picture所以把「12到18歲」當成一般的參考範圍就好, not a hard fence而不是一個絕對的界線。