The technique of sending several separate signals or streams of data over one shared connection at the same time. Where a multiplexer is the device, multiplexing is what it does — the method itself. It is a noun, and it is also the -ing form of the verb multiplex ('the system multiplexes eight channels onto one fibre').

The technique of sending several separate signals or streams of data over one shared connection at the same time這是把好幾個各自獨立的訊號或資料流，同時送進同一條共用線路的技術。Where a multiplexer is the devicemultiplexer是那個裝置，multiplexing is what it does — the method itselfmultiplexing則是它在做的事——也就是方法本身。It is a noun它是名詞，and it is also the -ing form of the verb multiplex同時也是動詞multiplex的-ing形式 ('the system multiplexes eight channels onto one fibre')（例：'the system multiplexes eight channels onto one fibre'）。

Two main flavours come up again and again. In time-division multiplexing, each signal gets a very short turn in strict rotation, so fast that all of them appear continuous. In frequency-division multiplexing, each signal is given its own band, so they travel together without touching, the way many radio stations share the air.

Two main flavours come up again and again有兩種主要的類型一再出現。In time-division multiplexing, each signal gets a very short turn in strict rotation在time-division multiplexing（分時多工）裡，每個訊號依照嚴格輪流順序拿到很短的一段時間，so fast that all of them appear continuous快到看起來每個訊號都是連續的。In frequency-division multiplexing, each signal is given its own band在frequency-division multiplexing（分頻多工）裡，每個訊號會分到自己的頻段，so they travel together without touching, the way many radio stations share the air讓它們可以一起傳送而不互相干擾，就像很多電台共用同一片空氣。

The reason anyone bothers is money and physics: cable, fibre, and radio spectrum are expensive and limited, so squeezing many conversations into one channel is the whole business model of telecoms.

The reason anyone bothers is money and physics大家會這麼做的原因是錢和物理限制：cable, fibre, and radio spectrum are expensive and limited電纜、光纖和無線電頻譜既昂貴又有限，so squeezing many conversations into one channel is the whole business model of telecoms所以把很多通話擠進同一條頻道，就是電信業整個商業模式的核心。

The word has spread beyond hardware — programmers talk about multiplexing network connections, and you will hear people joke about multiplexing their attention across three meetings. That last use is casual and figurative, but it shows the core image clearly: many things sharing one narrow channel by taking turns.

The word has spread beyond hardware這個字已經擴散到硬體之外——programmers talk about multiplexing network connections工程師會說multiplexing網路連線，and you will hear people joke about multiplexing their attention across three meetings你也會聽到有人開玩笑說自己在三個會議之間multiplexing自己的注意力。That last use is casual and figurative最後這種用法是輕鬆、比喻性的，but it shows the core image clearly但它清楚呈現了核心畫面：many things sharing one narrow channel by taking turns很多東西輪流共用一條窄窄的通道。