Carboniferous describes something that produces or holds carbon, especially in the form of coal. The picture to keep is old plant matter, buried and pressed until it is on the way to coal.

Carboniferous這個字 describes所形容的是 something that produces or holds carbon會產生碳、或含有碳的東西 especially in the form of coal尤其是以煤的形式。The picture to keep is要記住的畫面是 old plant matter古老的植物殘骸 buried and pressed被掩埋、擠壓 until it is on the way to coal直到快要變成煤。

Geologists also use Carboniferous as a name for a long stretch of Earth’s past — hundreds of millions of years ago — when huge wet forests grew, died, and later became a great deal of the coal people dig up. That is why the name feels like ‘coal-bearing time’.

Geologists also use Carboniferous地質學家也把 Carboniferous as a name for a long stretch of Earth’s past用作地球過去一段很長時期的名稱 hundreds of millions of years ago幾億年前 when huge wet forests grew, died,當時巨大濕潤的森林生長、死去 and later became a great deal of the coal people dig up後來變成了人們現在挖出的許多煤。That is why這就是為什麼 the name feels like ‘coal-bearing time’這個名字給人的感覺像是「產煤的時代」。

You will almost never hear this in a café. It belongs to earth science, museums, and geology papers.

You will almost never hear this你幾乎不會聽到有人講這個字 in a café在咖啡廳裡。It belongs to它比較常出現在 earth science, museums, and geology papers地球科學、博物館、還有地質學論文裡。

Though actually, it does not mean ‘made of pure carbon’ the way diamond or graphite is. A carboniferous rock is tied to that coal-making story: it contains coal, or it comes from the age when a lot of coal was laid down. If you only need ‘has carbon in it’, a simpler word will usually do; this one is the coal-and-deep-time word.

Though actually,不過其實 it does not mean ‘made of pure carbon’它不是指「純碳做成的」 the way diamond or graphite is像鑽石或石墨那樣。A carboniferous rockcarboniferous 的岩石 is tied to that coal-making story跟這個「產煤」的故事有關: it contains coal它含有煤, or it comes from the age when a lot of coal was laid down或是來自大量煤形成的那個年代。If you only need ‘has carbon in it’,如果你只是要表達「裡面有碳」 a simpler word will usually do通常用更簡單的字就可以; this one is the coal-and-deep-time word這個字則是專門講煤、講遠古時代的字。