A carcinogen is a substance that can cause cancer. It might be a chemical, a kind of radiation, or another thing that, with enough contact over time, raises the chance that cells go wrong.

A carcinogen致癌物 is是 that can cause cancer可能導致癌症的 a substance一種物質 It它 might be可能是 a chemical, a kind of radiation, or another thing一種化學物質、一種輻射，或另一種東西， that, with enough contact over time只要長期接觸得夠多， raises就會提高 the chance that cells go wrong細胞出錯的機率

Cigarette smoke contains carcinogens. Some workplace chemicals and some kinds of pollution are labelled this way.

Cigarette smoke香菸的煙 contains含有 carcinogens致癌物 Some workplace chemicals有些職場的化學物質， and some kinds of pollution還有某些污染， are labelled this way也被這樣稱呼

The word is careful, and that care matters: ‘can cause’ is not the same as ‘will give everyone cancer after one touch’. Scientists test, argue, and rank how strong the evidence is; a thing can be a known carcinogen, a probable one, or still under study.

The word這個字 is careful用得很小心， and that care matters而這份小心很重要： 'can cause'「可能導致」 as跟 'will give everyone cancer after one touch'「碰一次就會讓所有人得癌症」 is not the same不一樣 Scientists科學家 test, argue, and rank會測試、爭論，並排出 how strong the evidence is證據有多強； a thing一個東西 can be可能是 a known carcinogen, a probable one, or still under study已知的致癌物、很可能是致癌物，或者還在研究中

You will hear this on health warnings, in the news, and in science class. It is a formal, serious word.

You你 on health warnings, in the news, and in science class在健康警語、新聞，還有科學課裡 will hear this會聽到這個字 It is這是 a formal, serious word一個正式、嚴肅的字

People do not use it for a food they merely dislike, and it is not the name of the illness itself — the illness is cancer; the carcinogen is something that can help start it.

People人 do not use it for a food they merely dislike不會把這個字用在自己只是不喜歡的食物上， and而且 it is not the name of the illness itself它也不是那個疾病本身的名字—— the illness is cancer那個疾病是癌症； the carcinogen致癌物 is是 something that can help start it可能幫助引發它的東西