AWOL means you are not where you are supposed to be, and nobody gave you permission to go. It began in the United States army as a short way to say “absent without official leave.” A soldier who is AWOL has left their post or camp without the papers that say they may.

AWOL這個詞 means的意思是 you are not where you are supposed to be你不在你應該在的地方，and nobody gave you permission to go而且沒有人准你離開。It它 began in the United States army起源於美軍，as a short way to say "absent without official leave."是「absent without official leave（未經正式准假而缺席）」的縮寫說法。A soldier who is AWOL一個 AWOL 的軍人 has left their post or camp已經離開了自己的崗位或營區 without the papers that say they may卻沒有准許他離開的文件。

In that world it is serious — a military offence — though actually it is not always the same as desertion, which is leaving and not meaning to come back.

In that world在那個世界（軍隊）裡 it is serious這是很嚴重的事——a military offence是一種軍法上的罪——though actually it is not always the same as desertion不過其實它不完全等於「desertion（逃兵）」，which is leaving and not meaning to come back逃兵是指離開而且根本不打算回來。

Outside the army, people borrowed it. A classmate who vanishes from a group project, a drummer who does not show, a friend who promised to come to dinner and then disappeared: people say they went AWOL. That looser use is informal, a bit jokey, and it still carries “missing without a good excuse.” You can use it as an adjective (He is AWOL) or as a noun in the set phrase go AWOL.

Outside the army在軍隊之外，people borrowed it大家也借用了這個詞。A classmate who vanishes from a group project小組報告忽然消失不見的同學，a drummer who does not show沒出現的鼓手，a friend who promised to come to dinner and then disappeared說好要來吃飯卻突然人間蒸發的朋友：people say they went AWOL大家會說他們「AWOL了」。That looser use這種比較寬鬆的用法 is informal, a bit jokey是口語的，帶點開玩笑的味道，and it still carries "missing without a good excuse."但還是帶有「沒理由就消失」的意思。You你 can use it as an adjective (He is AWOL)可以當形容詞用（He is AWOL），or as a noun in the set phrase go AWOL或是用在固定片語 go AWOL 裡當名詞用。

Most people say the letters, A-W-O-L; some say it as one word, like “AY-wol.”

Most people大部分人 say the letters, A-W-O-L會把字母一個一個唸出來，A-W-O-L；some也有人 say it as one word把它當一個字唸，like "AY-wol."像是「AY-wol」。