Aeronautics is the science of designing and flying planes — how aircraft stay up, how they are built, how they are steered. It sits beside aviation, the everyday word for flying and the air business. Though actually, people are not always tidy: newspapers often give aviation to the industry and aeronautics to the science, but you will see both.

Aeronautics「Aeronautics」 is the science of designing and flying planes是設計和駕駛飛機的科學 — how aircraft stay up飛機怎麼飛起來, how they are built怎麼被建造, how they are steered怎麼被操控。 It sits beside它跟...放在一起 aviation「aviation航空」, the everyday word for flying and the air business日常用來指飛行和航空產業的詞。 Though actually不過實際上, people are not always tidy大家用得並不總是那麼整齊: newspapers often give報紙常常把 aviation to the industry「aviation」用在產業上 and aeronautics to the science把「aeronautics」用在科學上, but you will see both但兩種用法你都會看到。

Universities may say aeronautical engineering for the course. Older use could include balloons and airships, not only jets.

Universities may say大學可能會稱 aeronautical engineering「aeronautical engineering航空工程」 for the course這門課。 Older use比較舊的用法 could include也可能包括 balloons and airships熱氣球和飛船, not only jets不只是噴射機。

It is a formal, technical word. A family going on holiday is not doing aeronautics; they are just flying.

It is a formal, technical word這是一個正式、技術性的詞。 A family going on holiday一家人去度假 is not doing aeronautics不算是在做「aeronautics」; they are just flying他們只是在搭飛機而已。

The -s is like physics or mathematics: it names the field, and it takes a singular verb (aeronautics is…).

The -s這個字尾的-s is like physics or mathematics跟「physics物理」或「mathematics數學」一樣: it names the field它指的是一個學門, and it takes a singular verb而且動詞要用單數 (aeronautics is…)(aeronautics is…)。