A mantelpiece is the shelf that runs along the top of the frame around a fireplace, often wood or stone. People stand a clock there, or photographs, candles, or little prizes — it is the show shelf in the room, the place your eye goes when you walk in.

A mantelpiece壁爐架 is the shelf是一塊架子 that runs along the top of the frame around a fireplace沿著壁爐外框上緣延伸， often wood or stone通常是木頭或石頭做的。People stand a clock there大家會在上面放時鐘， or photographs, candles, or little prizes或是照片、蠟燭、小獎盃—— it is the show shelf in the room這是房間裡的展示架， the place your eye goes when you walk in走進去的時候視線會先看到的地方。

In British English this is the everyday home word; Americans often say just mantel for the same shelf, or for the whole frame.

In British English在英式英文裡 this is the everyday home word這是講家裡時的日常用詞； Americans often say just mantel美國人常常只說mantel for the same shelf指同一塊架子， or for the whole frame或是指整個外框。

It belongs to houses with a real fire, so in a Taiwan apartment you meet it more in stories and films than on the wall. It is ordinary, a little old-fashioned, not a technical word.

It belongs to houses with a real fire它是有真的壁爐的房子才有的東西， so in a Taiwan apartment所以在台灣的公寓裡 you meet it more in stories and films than on the wall你比較會在故事和電影裡遇到它，而不是在牆上看到。It is這個詞 ordinary很普通， a little old-fashioned有點過時， not a technical word不是專業術語。

Though actually, people still call it a mantelpiece when the fire is fake — a wooden frame with no chimney — because the shelf is doing the same job.

Though actually不過其實， people still call it a mantelpiece大家還是會叫它mantelpiece when the fire is fake就算壁爐是假的—— a wooden frame with no chimney一個沒有煙囪的木頭外框—— because the shelf is doing the same job因為那塊架子做的是一樣的工作。