In computers, a lossy way of making a file smaller throws some of the information away on purpose. A lossy music file (many MP3s) does not keep every tiny sound; a lossy photo (many JPEGs) does not keep every tiny bit of the picture. You often cannot hear or see what was cut, but if you squeeze too hard the song or the picture starts to look or sound wrong.

In computers在電腦領域，a lossy way of making a file smaller有損的壓縮方式 throws some of the information away on purpose會故意丟掉一些資訊。A lossy music file (many MP3s)有損的音樂檔（很多MP3都是） does not keep every tiny sound不會保留每一個細微的聲音，a lossy photo (many JPEGs)有損的照片（很多JPEG都是） does not keep every tiny bit of the picture不會保留畫面裡每一個細節。You often cannot hear or see what was cut你通常聽不出來或看不出來被刪掉了什麼，but if you squeeze too hard但如果壓縮得太狠 the song or the picture starts to look or sound wrong歌曲或圖片就會開始變得怪怪的。

The opposite is lossless: the file gets smaller, but you can get every bit back.

The opposite相反的做法 is lossless叫做無損，the file gets smaller檔案會變小，but you can get every bit back但每一個位元都能還原回來。

Tech people say this all the time; many ordinary speakers do not. Though actually, people sometimes use “lossy” as if it simply meant “bad quality,” but a careful lossy file can still sound or look fine.

Tech people say this all the time科技圈的人常常這樣講，many ordinary speakers do not一般人比較少這樣說。Though actually不過其實，people sometimes use “lossy” as if it simply meant “bad quality,”有些人會把lossy當成就是「品質差」的意思來用，but a careful lossy file can still sound or look fine但只要處理得用心，有損的檔案聽起來或看起來還是可以很好。