A neutron is a very tiny piece inside an atom. Atoms are the small bits that make up everything around you — a chair, the air, your body.

A neutron中子 is a very tiny piece inside an atom是原子裡一個非常微小的粒子 Atoms原子 are the small bits that make up everything around you是組成你周圍所有東西的微小單位 a chair, the air, your body像椅子、空氣、你的身體

Inside an atom there are three even smaller pieces: protons, electrons, and neutrons. A proton has a plus charge, an electron has a minus charge, and a neutron has no charge at all. That is why it is called a neutron: it is ‘neutral’.

Inside an atom在原子裡面 there are three even smaller pieces還有三種更小的粒子 protons, electrons, and neutrons質子、電子，和中子 A proton has a plus charge質子帶正電 an electron has a minus charge電子帶負電 and a neutron has no charge at all而中子則完全不帶電 That is why it is called a neutron這就是為什麼它叫neutron it is 'neutral'因為它是「中性的」

Though actually, ‘no charge’ does not mean ‘not important’. Neutrons sit in the middle of the atom, in the nucleus, with the protons, and they help hold that middle together. If you take neutrons away or add too many, the atom can become unstable and even break apart.

Though actually不過其實 'no charge' does not mean 'not important'「不帶電」不代表「不重要」 Neutrons sit in the middle of the atom中子位在原子的中央 in the nucleus也就是原子核裡 with the protons跟質子在一起 and they help hold that middle together幫忙把那個核心維繫在一起 If you take neutrons away or add too many如果拿掉中子，或加太多中子 the atom can become unstable原子就可能變得不穩定 and even break apart甚至分裂

You will meet the word in science class, and in talk about nuclear power; you will not hear it much in everyday chat.

You will meet the word你會遇到這個字 in science class在科學課裡 and in talk about nuclear power還有談論核能的話題裡 you will not hear it much in everyday chat平常聊天不太會聽到

The name was first used in 1899 by the physicist William Sutherland, but people did not all mean the same thing then — sometimes they were talking about what we now call a neutrino. The meaning we use today was set down again by Ernest Rutherford in 1920, next to the word proton.

The name was first used in 1899這個名字最早在1899年被使用 by the physicist William Sutherland使用者是物理學家William Sutherland but people did not all mean the same thing then但當時大家指的不完全是同一件事 sometimes they were talking about what we now call a neutrino有時候他們說的其實是我們現在說的neutrino（微中子） The meaning we use today我們今天用的這個意思 was set down again by Ernest Rutherford in 1920是1920年由Ernest Rutherford重新定義的 next to the word proton跟proton這個字一起