Margarine is a yellow fat that looks and spreads like butter, but it is not made from cream. It is made from vegetable oils, and in the past from animal fats too. People put it on bread and cook with it.

Margarine margarine（瑪琪琳） is是 a yellow fat that looks and spreads like butter一種看起來、抹起來都像奶油的黃色油脂, but it is not made from cream但不是用鮮奶油做的。It is made from vegetable oils它是用植物油做的, and in the past from animal fats too以前也會用動物性脂肪。People put it on bread and cook with it大家會拿它抹麵包，也會用它來煮菜。

It was invented in the nineteenth century as a cheaper stand-in for butter, and some people still wrinkle their nose at it — they will tell you it is not the real thing. Others use it every day and do not think twice. In Britain, friends and family often just say marge.

It was invented in the nineteenth century它是十九世紀發明的, as a cheaper stand-in for butter當作奶油比較便宜的替代品, and some people still wrinkle their nose at it至今還是有人對它嗤之以鼻 — they will tell you it is not the real thing他們會說這不是真正的奶油。Others use it every day and do not think twice也有人天天用，一點也不覺得有問題。In Britain在英國, friends and family often just say marge親朋好友常常直接就說 marge。

The name is a bit of a surprise: it comes from French, from a fatty acid called margaric acid, and that was named from an old Greek word for pearl, because the crystals had a pearly shine. The food itself does not look like pearls; the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul just liked the look of those crystals. The ending -ine was helped along by words like glycerine.

The name is a bit of a surprise這個名字的由來有點出人意料: it comes from French它來自法文, from a fatty acid called margaric acid源自一種叫 margaric acid（珍珠酸）的脂肪酸, and that was named from an old Greek word for pearl而那個字又是從古希臘文「珍珠」來的, because the crystals had a pearly shine因為那種結晶帶有珍珠般的光澤。The food itself does not look like pearls這個食物本身其實不像珍珠; the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul just liked the look of those crystals是法國化學家 Michel Eugène Chevreul 單純喜歡那種結晶的樣子。The ending -ine was helped along by words like glycerine字尾 -ine 則是受到像 glycerine（甘油）這類字的影響。