This word has an older, general meaning and a much more common modern meaning, and mixing them up can make a sentence sound strange. The old, wide meaning is simply 'dealing with each other' — talking, trading, meeting, any kind of contact between people or countries.

This word這個字 has an older, general meaning有一個比較舊、比較廣的意思， and也有 a much more common modern meaning一個現在常見得多的意思， and而 mixing them up把兩個意思搞混 can make a sentence sound strange句子會顯得很奇怪。 The old, wide meaning舊的、廣義的意思 is simply單純是 'dealing with each other'「彼此往來」—— talking, trading, meeting講話、貿易、見面， any kind of contact between people or countries人跟人或國家跟國家之間任何形式的接觸。

You still see this in careful, old-fashioned writing: 'social intercourse' just means people mixing and talking together. But today, if someone says 'intercourse' with no other word next to it, almost everyone will think of sex — it is the polite, clinical word doctors and textbooks use for that.

You你 still see this in careful, old-fashioned writing還是會在講究、老派的文章裡看到這個用法： 'social intercourse'「social intercourse」 just means的意思就是 people mixing and talking together人們互相交流、聊天。 But但 today今天， if someone says如果有人說 'intercourse'「intercourse」 with no other word next to it旁邊沒有加別的字， almost everyone will think of sex幾乎所有人都會想到性—— it這 is the polite, clinical word是比較正式、臨床的說法 doctors and textbooks use for that醫生和教科書用來指這件事。

So this word quietly split into two lives: a very formal old meaning about contact in general, and a very specific modern meaning about sex. Because of that split, it is not a word you reach for in everyday talk anymore.

So所以 this word這個字 quietly split into two lives悄悄地分裂成兩種人生： a very formal old meaning about contact in general一個是非常正式的舊意思，講一般的接觸， and而 a very specific modern meaning about sex一個是非常specific的現代意思，講性。 Because of that split因為這個分裂， it這 is not a word已經不是一個 you reach for in everyday talk anymore你日常會話裡會想到要用的字了。