A microbe is a living thing so small that you need a microscope to see it. Bacteria are microbes; so are many tiny fungi and other little lives in soil, water, and on our skin.

A microbe ismicrobe是 a living thing so small一種小到 that you need a microscope to see it需要顯微鏡才能看見的生物。Bacteria are microbes細菌是microbe; so are many tiny fungi and other little lives許多微小的真菌，還有其他小生命也是 in soil, water, and on our skin在土壤、水裡，以及我們皮膚上。

Some microbes make people ill — those are the ones everyday English calls germs — but though actually, most microbes do not attack us. Plenty of them help us, for example in the gut, or by breaking down dead plants.

Some microbes make people ill有些microbe會讓人生病——those are the ones everyday English calls germs這些就是日常英文裡叫做germs的那種——but though actually但不過實際上, most microbes do not attack us大部分的microbe並不會攻擊我們。Plenty of them help us很多microbe反而對我們有幫助, for example in the gut例如在腸道裡, or by breaking down dead plants或是幫忙分解死掉的植物。

Scientists still argue about viruses: a virus is even smaller, and some people say it is not truly “alive,” yet in ordinary talk viruses still get called microbes. Microbe is a slightly more textbook word than germ; in class and in health news you will hear both.

Scientists still argue about viruses科學家對病毒還有爭論: a virus is even smaller病毒更小, and some people say it is not truly "alive,"有些人說它不算真正「活著」 yet in ordinary talk viruses still get called microbes不過在一般說法裡，病毒還是會被叫做microbe。Microbe is a slightly more textbook word than germMicrobe這個字比germ更偏教科書一點; in class and in health news you will hear both在課堂上和健康新聞裡，兩個字你都會聽到。