A carapace is the hard shell on the outside of some animals, especially on the back. A crab has one; a tortoise or turtle has one; some insects have a hard cover that people also call a carapace. It is armour: it protects the soft body underneath.

A carapace is the hard shell on the outside of some animals, especially on the backcarapace（背甲）是某些動物身體外側的硬殼，特別是在背部。A crab has one螃蟹有一個; a tortoise or turtle has one陸龜或海龜也有一個; some insects have a hard cover that people also call a carapace有些昆蟲的硬殼，大家也叫它 carapace。It is armour這是一種盔甲：it protects the soft body underneath保護底下柔軟的身體。

Though actually, English speakers do not use it for every hard cover. An egg shell is not a carapace. A snail’s spiral house is usually just a shell.

Though actually, English speakers do not use it for every hard cover不過其實，英語使用者不會把每一種硬殼都叫做 carapace。An egg shell is not a carapace蛋殼就不是 carapace。A snail's spiral house is usually just a shell蝸牛的螺旋殼通常只叫 shell。

You hear carapace most with crabs, lobsters, and tortoises, and then, in careful writing, as a picture-word for any hard outside that hides what is inside — a person who never shows feeling may be said to have a carapace, but that is stretched, literary use. In biology it stays literal.

You hear carapace most with crabs, lobsters, and tortoises你最常在螃蟹、龍蝦和陸龜／海龜身上聽到 carapace, and then, in careful writing, as a picture-word for any hard outside that hides what is inside接著，在講究的文章裡，它也被當成比喻詞，形容任何隱藏內在的堅硬外殼——a person who never shows feeling may be said to have a carapace一個從不表露情緒的人，也可能被說成有一層 carapace, but that is stretched, literary use不過那是延伸出去的文學用法。In biology it stays literal在生物學裡，它仍然是字面上的意思。