When a show, a song, or a talk finishes, people often hit their hands together — they clap — and sometimes they shout. That sound, from many people at once, is applause.

When a show, a song, or a talk finishes當一場表演、一首歌、或一場演講結束時，people often hit their hands together大家常常把手拍在一起——they clap也就是拍手——and sometimes they shout有時候還會歡呼。That sound, from many people at once那個很多人同時發出的聲音 is applause就是applause（掌聲）。

It is how a crowd says they liked it, or well done. You hear it in a theatre, at a concert, after a speech, and at a sports match when something good happens.

It is這是 how a crowd says they liked it, or well done群眾表達「我喜歡」或「做得好」的方式。You hear it你會聽到它 in a theatre, at a concert, after a speech在劇院裡、演唱會上、演講結束後，and at a sports match when something good happens還有運動比賽出現好表現的時候。

A round of applause is one burst of clapping. Polite applause is clapping that is not very warm: people are being nice, not excited.

A round of applauseA round of applause（一陣掌聲）is one burst of clapping是一次短暫的拍手。Polite applausePolite applause（禮貌性的掌聲）is clapping that is not very warm是不太熱烈的拍手：people are being nice, not excited大家只是客氣，不是真的興奮。

Writers also stretch it: if someone won applause, people praised them, even if nobody in the room actually clapped.

Writers also stretch it作家也會延伸這個用法：if someone won applause如果有人won applause（贏得掌聲），people praised them意思是大家稱讚了他，even if nobody in the room actually clapped就算現場根本沒人真的拍手。

Applause is a noun. The matching verb is applaud: you applaud a singer; the applause is the sound you make.

Applause is a nounApplause是名詞。The matching verb is applaud對應的動詞是applaud：you applaud a singer你applaud（為...鼓掌）一位歌手；the applause is the sound you make而applause就是你發出的那個聲音。