A foreword is a short piece of writing at the very front of a book, before the real chapters start. It introduces the book or the writer. Often it is not written by the author: a teacher, a famous reader, or a friend writes it to tell you why the book matters.

A forewordforewordis a short piece of writing at the very front of a book是放在一本書最前面的一小段文字，before the real chapters start在正式章節開始之前。It introduces the book or the writer它介紹這本書或作者。Often通常，it is not written by the author它不是作者自己寫的：a teacher, a famous reader, or a friend writes it是老師、有名的讀者、或朋友寫的to tell you why the book matters告訴你這本書重要在哪裡。

That is the messy truth people mix up: a preface is more often the author's own opening words; a foreword is more often someone else's. Though actually, publishers are not always tidy about the two names, and some books use them as if they were the same.

That is the messy truth people mix up這就是大家常搞混的那個亂七八糟的事實：a preface序言is more often the author's own opening words比較常是作者自己的開場白；a foreword推薦序is more often someone else's比較常是別人寫的。Though actually不過其實，publishers are not always tidy about the two names出版社在這兩個名稱上也不見得分得很清楚，and some books use them as if they were the same有些書會把它們當成同一件事來用。

It is a book word, not an everyday spoken word. You open a novel and see Foreword, then maybe Preface, then Chapter 1.

It is a book word它是書面用字，not an everyday spoken word不是日常口語會講的字。You open a novel你翻開一本小說and see Foreword看到Foreword，then maybe Preface接著可能是Preface，then Chapter 1然後才是Chapter 1。