Modernism, in this use, is a way of making art and buildings that threw out old decoration and leaned on simple shapes and new factory-made stuff — steel, glass, concrete, plastic. Learner’s books often pin it to the 1940s to the 1960s: clean lines, boxy towers, furniture with thin legs. The feeling is “we live in a new age, so the look should be new too” — no extra flowers carved into the wall, no copying of old palaces.

Modernism Modernism(現代主義) in this use在這個意思裡 is a way of making art and buildings是一種創作藝術和建築的方式，that threw out old decoration拋棄了舊式的裝飾，and leaned on simple shapes and new factory-made stuff依靠簡單的形狀和新的工業材料——steel, glass, concrete, plastic鋼鐵、玻璃、混凝土、塑膠。Learner's books學習型的書 often pin it to常常把它定在 the 1940s to the 1960s1940到1960年代：clean lines, boxy towers, furniture with thin legs俐落的線條、方盒子般的高樓、細腳家具。The feeling is那種感覺是「we live in a new age, so the look should be new too我們活在一個新時代，所以外觀也該是新的」——no extra flowers carved into the wall牆上不要多刻花紋，no copying of old palaces也不要模仿舊時代的宮殿。

You meet the word in art class, design, and architecture. Fairly formal.

You你 meet the word會遇到這個字 in art class, design, and architecture在美術課、設計，還有建築領域裡。Fairly formal相當正式。

Though actually, those dates are tidier than the real story. Many teachers use Modernism for a longer wave that starts much earlier in the 1900s, when painters and writers were already breaking the old rules; they may use other names for the later, cleaner buildings. The sense here is that later simple-shape, man-made-material look.

Though actually不過事實上，those dates那些年代 are tidier than the real story比真實的歷史整齊。Many teachers很多老師 use Modernism會用Modernism這個詞 for a longer wave來指一段更長的潮流 that starts much earlier in the 1900s早在1900年代就開始了，when painters and writers were already breaking the old rules當時畫家和作家已經在打破舊規則；they may use other names他們可能會用別的名稱 for the later, cleaner buildings來稱呼後來那種更簡潔的建築。The sense here這裡指的意思 is that later simple-shape, man-made-material look是後來那種形狀簡單、使用人造材料的樣貌。

It is not “anything from now.” A painting from last year is of today; it is not modernism just because it is new. And it is not the everyday word modern, as in a new phone.

It它 is not "anything from now"不是「任何現在的東西」。A painting from last year一幅去年畫的畫 is of today是屬於現在的；it is not modernism just because it is new但它不會因為新就是modernism。And而且 it is not the everyday word modern它也不是日常說的modern(現代的)這個字，as in a new phone像新手機那種用法。