An artefact is a thing people made, not a stone or bone that nature left alone — a tool, a pot, a weapon, a coin — and we keep it because it tells us about life in the past. Museums are full of them. That is the main meaning for learners, and it is the one you will meet in history class.

An artefact文物 is a thing people made是人做出來的東西，not a stone or bone that nature left alone不是大自然留下的石頭或骨頭——a tool, a pot, a weapon, a coin像是工具、陶罐、武器、錢幣——and we keep it我們把它保存下來 because it tells us about life in the past因為它能告訴我們過去的生活。Museums博物館裡 are full of them到處都是這種東西。That這個意思 is the main meaning for learners是學習者最主要要知道的意思，and it is the one you will meet in history class也是你在歷史課會遇到的意思。

British spelling is artefact; American spelling is artifact. Same word, same sound.

British spelling英式拼法 is artefact是 artefact；American spelling美式拼法 is artifact是 artifact。Same word同一個字，same sound唸法也一樣。

Scientists and doctors stretch it: an artefact can also be a mark that looks like a result but was made by the machine or the method, not by the thing you meant to study. A strange line on a body scan, for example, may be “just an artefact”. In that second sense it is a warning: do not trust the picture too fast.

Scientists and doctors科學家和醫生 stretch it把這個詞用得更廣：an artefact can also be a mark「artefact」也可以指一種痕跡 that looks like a result看起來像是個結果 but was made by the machine or the method但其實是儀器或方法造成的，not by the thing you meant to study不是你原本要研究的那個東西造成的。A strange line on a body scan身體掃描上一條奇怪的線，for example舉例來說，may be "just an artefact"可能「只是個偽影」。In that second sense在這第二個意思裡 it is a warning這個詞是一種提醒：do not trust the picture too fast別太快就相信眼前的畫面。

The history sense feels neutral and a little formal; the science sense is specialist talk. Neither sense means “a piece of art”, even though the letters look that way.

The history sense歷史上的這個意思 feels neutral and a little formal感覺中性、有點正式；the science sense科學上的這個意思 is specialist talk則是專業術語。Neither sense這兩個意思都 means "a piece of art"不是指「一件藝術作品」，even though the letters look that way雖然拼字看起來很像。