The bar that goes across a vehicle and holds two wheels, one at each end. The wheels turn around it (or turn with it — both designs exist).

The bar那根桿子 that goes across a vehicle and holds two wheels, one at each end橫跨在車輛上，兩端各撐著一個輪子。The wheels輪子 turn around it圍著它轉 (or turn with it或跟著它一起轉 — both designs exist兩種設計都有)。

A car has two: a front axle and a rear axle. A big truck may have three or more, which is why toll roads and bridges sometimes charge by the number of axles.

A car一台車 has two有兩根: a front axle and a rear axle前軸和後軸。A big truck一台大卡車 may have three or more可能有三根以上, which is why所以 toll roads and bridges收費站和橋樑 sometimes charge by the number of axles有時候會按軸數收費。

It is a plain, everyday mechanical word — mechanics, drivers, and children with toy cars all use it. You hear it most when something has gone wrong: 'He hit the kerb and bent the axle,' 'a broken axle'. That is an expensive, stop-the-car kind of problem, so the word carries a little weight of trouble.

It它 is a plain, everyday mechanical word是個很普通、日常的機械用詞 — mechanics, drivers, and children with toy cars all use it修車師傅、開車的人，還有玩玩具車的小孩都會用到。You hear it most當你最常聽到它時 when something has gone wrong通常是出問題的時候: 'He hit the kerb and bent the axle,'像「He hit the kerb and bent the axle」（他撞到路緣、把軸撞彎了）, 'a broken axle'或「a broken axle」（斷軸）。That is an expensive, stop-the-car kind of problem那是一種很花錢、會讓車動不了的問題, so the word carries a little weight of trouble所以這個字帶著一點麻煩的份量。

Be careful with axle and axis. They are cousins in origin but they do different jobs. An axle is a real metal bar you could hold. An axis is an imaginary line something spins around — the Earth's axis, or the x-axis on a graph. Nobody can touch the Earth's axis; a mechanic can touch your axle.

Be careful with axle and axis小心axle跟axis這兩個字。They are cousins in origin它們在字源上算表親, but they do different jobs但做的是不同的工作。An axle axle是 a real metal bar you could hold一根你摸得到的真實金屬桿。An axis axis則是 an imaginary line something spins around一條想像出來、東西繞著它轉的線 — the Earth's axis像地軸, or the x-axis on a graph或圖表上的x軸。Nobody can touch the Earth's axis沒有人摸得到地軸; a mechanic can touch your axle但修車師傅摸得到你的axle。