Bitumen is the thick, black, sticky stuff used to bind the top of roads and to waterproof roofs. It comes from oil, and sometimes from natural pools in the ground. When it is hot it pours; when it cools it sets hard but still a little flexible.

Bitumen is the thick, black, sticky stuff瀝青是一種濃稠、黑黑、黏黏的東西 used to bind the top of roads and to waterproof roofs用來鋪路面的黏合材料，也用來讓屋頂防水. It comes from oil它來自石油, and sometimes from natural pools in the ground有時候也來自地底天然的油池. When it is hot it pours熱的時候它會流動; when it cools it sets hard but still a little flexible冷卻之後會變硬，但還是帶點彈性

In British English, bitumen is often the binder, and asphalt is the mix of bitumen plus stone that you actually drive on. In American English, people usually just say asphalt for both.

In British English在英式英語裡, bitumen is often the binderbitumen通常指的是那個黏合劑本身, and asphalt is the mix of bitumen plus stone that you actually drive on而asphalt則是bitumen加石頭混合、你實際開車經過的那層路面. In American English而在美式英語裡, people usually just say asphalt for both大家通常兩個都直接說asphalt

It is a technical word, not a kitchen word. You might also meet it as a verb in older or specialist writing: to bitumen a surface is to coat it with this stuff — though actually, most people today would say ‘to asphalt’ or ‘to tar’ it instead.

It is a technical word這是一個專業用語, not a kitchen word不是廚房裡會用到的字. You might also meet it as a verb in older or specialist writing在比較舊的或專業的文章裡你也可能看到它當動詞用: to bitumen a surface is to coat it with this stuff「to bitumen」一個表面就是用這種東西塗覆它 — though actually不過事實上, most people today would say 'to asphalt' or 'to tar' it instead現在大家通常會說「to asphalt」或「to tar」