The eardrum is a thin, tight piece of skin stretched inside your ear, like the skin on a small drum. When sound hits it, it shakes, and that shaking is how hearing starts. You cannot see it from the outside; the flap on the side of your head is not the eardrum.

The eardrumEardrum（耳膜） is a thin, tight piece of skin stretched inside your ear是耳朵裡面繃緊的一小片薄皮，like the skin on a small drum就像小鼓上的那層皮。When sound hits it聲音打到它的時候，it shakes它會震動，and that shaking is how hearing starts而那個震動就是聽覺開始的方式。You cannot see it from the outside你從外面是看不到它的；the flap on the side of your head你頭側邊那片軟骨（耳廓） is not the eardrum不是耳膜。

Everyday English says eardrum; a doctor may say tympanic membrane, which is the same thing in clinic language.

Everyday English says eardrum日常英文說 eardrum；a doctor may say tympanic membrane醫生可能會說 tympanic membrane（鼓膜），which is the same thing in clinic language在醫療用語裡指的是同一個東西。

A very loud bang, a bad ear infection, or a fast change of pressure (a plane, a deep dive) can tear it. It often heals, but it hurts and hearing can drop for a while. Though actually, “that concert burst my eardrums” is often only a joke about volume — but a real blast can do real harm, so the joke sits close to a true warning.

A very loud bang, a bad ear infection, or a fast change of pressure一聲很大的巨響、嚴重的耳朵感染，或是壓力快速改變（a plane, a deep dive)（像坐飛機、潛很深），can tear it都可能把它弄破。It often heals它通常會癒合，but it hurts and hearing can drop for a while但會痛，而且聽力可能會暫時下降。Though actually不過實際上，"that concert burst my eardrums" is often only a joke about volume「那場演唱會震破了我的耳膜」通常只是在開音量太大的玩笑——but a real blast can do real harm但真正的爆炸確實可能造成真的傷害，so the joke sits close to a true warning所以這個玩笑其實離真正的警告不遠。