When something flatlines, it stays at a low level and does not go up or down — like a graph that has become a straight line. News and business people say it about sales, wages, or test scores that are stuck.

When something flatlines當某樣東西flatline的時候, it stays at a low level and does not go up or down就是停在一個低點，不上不下 — like a graph that has become a straight line就像一張圖表變成了一條直線。News and business people say it about sales, wages, or test scores that are stuck新聞和商業人士會用這個字來形容停滯不動的銷售額、薪資，或測驗分數

It often sounds a bit gloomy: not “steady and fine,” but “stuck and not getting better.” The picture comes from hospital screens: a heart that has stopped draws a flat line, and in that older medical use, to flatline can mean to die. In this everyday use, nobody has died; the number has just stopped moving.

It often sounds a bit gloomy這個字聽起來常常有點悲觀: not "steady and fine," but "stuck and not getting better."不是「穩定沒事」，而是「卡住、沒有變好」。The picture comes from hospital screens這個畫面來自醫院的螢幕: a heart that has stopped draws a flat line心跳停止的時候會畫出一條平的線, and in that older medical use, to flatline can mean to die在那個比較舊的醫學用法裡，flatline可以指「死亡」。In this everyday use, nobody has died但在這個日常用法裡，沒有人真的死掉; the number has just stopped moving只是那個數字不動了而已

Informal to neutral; more in the papers than in a child’s classroom. You can also use it as a noun: a long flatline on a chart.

Informal to neutral語氣算是非正式到中性, more in the papers than in a child's classroom比較常出現在報紙上，而不是小孩的教室裡。You can also use it as a noun你也可以把它當名詞用: a long flatline on a chart像圖表上一段長長的flatline（停滯線）