Graphite is a soft black or dark grey stuff, a form of carbon. The “lead” in a pencil is not the metal lead at all — it is graphite mixed with clay.

Graphite石墨is a soft black or dark grey stuff是一種軟軟的黑色或深灰色物質，a form of carbon是碳的一種型態。The "lead" in a pencil鉛筆裡的「lead」is not the metal lead at all根本不是金屬鉛——it is graphite mixed with clay是石墨混合黏土做的。

Graphite feels a little slippery because it is made of thin sheets that slide over each other, so people also put it in locks and machines instead of oil. It is used in some paints and in electrical equipment, because it can carry electricity.

Graphite feels a little slippery石墨摸起來有點滑，because it is made of thin sheets that slide over each other因為它是由一片片會互相滑動的薄層組成，so people also put it in locks and machines instead of oil所以大家也會把它放進鎖和機器裡代替油。It is used in some paints and in electrical equipment它也用在一些油漆和電子設備裡，because it can carry electricity因為它可以導電。

The name comes from a Greek word for “to write,” which is a fair name: that is what a pencil does. Graphene, the famous super-thin material, is basically one sheet of graphite.

The name comes from a Greek word for "to write,"這個名字來自一個希臘字，意思是「寫」，which is a fair name這名字取得很貼切——that is what a pencil does因為那正是鉛筆在做的事。Graphene, the famous super-thin material石墨烯，那個有名的超薄材料，is basically one sheet of graphite基本上就是一層石墨。

Graphite is a school-science word and a workshop word; in daily talk most people still say “pencil lead.”

Graphite is a school-science word and a workshop wordgraphite是個學校自然課和工廠會用的字；in daily talk most people still say "pencil lead."但日常說話大部分人還是說「pencil lead（鉛筆芯）」。