Boilerplate is a standard piece of writing, or a ready-made design, that you can use again and again with almost no change — the same paragraphs at the end of every contract, the same “about us” text, the same legal warning. Lawyers, businesses, and computer programmers all use the word.

Boilerplateboilerplate is a standard piece of writing是一段標準化的文字， or或者 a ready-made design現成的格式， that you can use again and again with almost no change你可以一次又一次拿來用，幾乎不用修改 — the same paragraphs at the end of every contract像是每份合約結尾都一樣的段落、 the same "about us" text每次都一樣的「about us」文字、 the same legal warning一樣的法律警語。 Lawyers律師、 businesses企業、 and and computer programmers寫程式的人 all use the word都會用這個字。

It can sound a little impatient: boilerplate is the stuff nobody really reads, but it has to be there. You can also use it as a describing word: boilerplate language, a boilerplate clause.

It它 can sound a little impatient聽起來可能有點不耐煩： boilerplateboilerplate is the stuff nobody really reads就是那種沒有人真的會去讀的東西， but但 it has to be there又非放在那裡不可。 You你 can also use it as a describing word也可以把它當形容詞用： boilerplate languageboilerplate language、 a boilerplate clausea boilerplate clause。

Though actually, the name is a picture from metalwork. A boiler plate was a thick steel sheet used to build a boiler (first recorded around 1793). Later, newspapers bought ready-made metal printing plates with syndicated articles already on them, so the same text could be printed in many towns. From that came today’s meaning: standard text you reuse.

Though actually不過其實， the name這個名字的畫面 is a picture from metalwork其實來自金屬加工。 A boiler plateboiler plate was a thick steel sheet原本是厚鋼板 used to build a boiler用來打造鍋爐 (first recorded around 1793)（最早的紀錄大約在一七九三年）。 Later後來， newspapers報社 bought ready-made metal printing plates會買現成的金屬印刷版 with syndicated articles already on them上面已經印好了聯合供稿的文章， so所以 the same text could be printed in many towns同一篇文章就可以在很多城鎮印出來。 From that came從這裡發展出 today's meaning現在的意思： standard text you reuse可以重複使用的標準文字。