When something is associative, it pulls another thing into your mind.

When something is associative當某個東西是 associative（有聯想性）的, it pulls another thing into your mind它會把另一件事拉進你的腦海裡。

A smell can be strongly associative: one sniff of a soap and you are back in your grandmother's bathroom.

A smell can be strongly associative味道可以有很強的聯想性: one sniff of a soap聞一下肥皂的味道 and you are back in your grandmother's bathroom你就回到了奶奶家的浴室。

Teachers talk about associative memory when you remember a word because it sits next to another word in your head, not because you sat down and drilled it. The feeling is “this goes with that,” even if you cannot say why.

Teachers talk about老師會講 associative memory聯想記憶 when you remember a word就是你會記得一個字, because it sits next to another word in your head是因為它在你腦中跟另一個字放在一起, not because you sat down and drilled it而不是因為你坐下來死背過它. The feeling is那種感覺是 'this goes with that,'『這個跟那個是一起的』, even if you cannot say why即使你說不出為什麼。

Though actually, maths uses the same word in a colder way: the associative law just means you can group numbers differently and still get the same answer — (2+3)+4 is the same as 2+(3+4). Everyday reading almost never needs that maths sense; the “this reminds me of that” sense is the one you will meet.

Though actually不過事實上, maths uses the same word in a colder way數學也用同一個字，但用得比較冷冰冰: the associative law associative law（結合律） just means只是說 you can group numbers differently and still get the same answer數字怎麼分組結果都一樣 — (2+3)+4 is the same as 2+(3+4) (2+3)+4 跟 2+(3+4) 是一樣的. Everyday reading日常閱讀 almost never needs that maths sense幾乎不會用到那個數學意思；the 'this reminds me of that' sense『這讓我想到那個』的意思 is the one you will meet才是你會遇到的。

It is a fairly formal, school-and-book adjective, not a word people toss around in the night market.

It is它是 a fairly formal, school-and-book adjective一個相當正式、書卷氣的形容詞, not a word people toss around in the night market不是夜市裡大家隨口會講的字。