Molasses is a thick, dark, sticky liquid left behind when people make sugar from sugar cane, and sometimes from sugar beet. It is sweet, but not in a bright, light way: it tastes deep, like cooked or almost-burnt sugar.

Molasses is a thick, dark, sticky liquidmolasses是一種濃稠、深色、黏黏的液體 left behind when people make sugar from sugar cane是人們用甘蔗製糖後剩下來的東西，and sometimes from sugar beet有時候也用甜菜。It is sweet它是甜的，but not in a bright, light way但不是那種明亮、輕盈的甜：it tastes deep, like cooked or almost-burnt sugar味道很濃，像煮過或快燒焦的糖。

The darkest kind, often called blackstrap, is so strong it is nearly bitter, and people use it more for cooking than for spreading on bread. In American kitchens this is an ordinary jar — gingerbread, baked beans, some sauces.

The darkest kind, often called blackstrap顏色最深的一種常叫做blackstrap，is so strong it is nearly bitter濃到幾乎是苦的，and people use it more for cooking than for spreading on bread人們比較常拿它來煮東西，而不是塗麵包。In American kitchens在美國的廚房裡，this is an ordinary jar這是很常見的一罐東西 — gingerbread, baked beans, some sauces薑餅、烤豆子、一些醬料。

In Britain, cooks more often say treacle for the same sort of thing, though American recipes still say molasses, so British bakers learn both. It is a mass noun: you say some molasses, a spoon of molasses, not “a molasses” or “two molasses.” People also stretch it for anything that moves too slowly — “the traffic was molasses” — because the liquid itself is so heavy and slow.

In Britain在英國，cooks more often say treacle廚師比較常說treacle for the same sort of thing來指同樣的東西，though American recipes still say molasses不過美式食譜還是說molasses，so British bakers learn both所以英國的烘焙者兩個都得學。It is a mass noun它是個不可數名詞：you say some molasses, a spoon of molasses你會說some molasses、a spoon of molasses，not “a molasses” or “two molasses.”而不會說「a molasses」或「two molasses」。People also stretch it人們也會把這個詞用得更廣 for anything that moves too slowly來指任何動得太慢的東西 — “the traffic was molasses”像「the traffic was molasses」（車流像molasses一樣） — because the liquid itself is so heavy and slow因為這種液體本身又重又慢。

That stretch is informal.

That stretch is informal這種延伸用法是口語的。

Honey comes from bees; molasses comes from sugar plants. They can sit on the same shelf, but they are not the same.

Honey comes from bees蜂蜜來自蜜蜂；molasses comes from sugar plantsmolasses來自甘蔗類植物。They can sit on the same shelf它們可能放在同一層架子上，but they are not the same但它們不是同一種東西。