"Panto" is the short, friendly, everyday word for "pantomime" — and in British English pantomime means one very particular thing: a funny musical play for families, put on in theatres around Christmas. It takes an old fairy tale (Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk), fills it with jokes, songs, and jokes for the adults that go over the children's heads, and breaks all the usual rules of theatre.

"Panto" is the short, friendly, everyday word for "pantomime"是「pantomime」這個字比較短、親切、日常的說法 — and in British English pantomime means one very particular thing而在英式英文裡，pantomime指的是非常特定的一件事: a funny musical play for families就是一齣給全家看的搞笑歌舞劇, put on in theatres around Christmas在聖誕節前後在劇院上演。It takes an old fairy tale (Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk)它會拿一個老童話（灰姑娘、阿拉丁、傑克與魔豆）, fills it with jokes, songs, and jokes for the adults that go over the children's heads裡面塞滿笑話、歌曲，還有小孩聽不懂、專門講給大人聽的笑話, and breaks all the usual rules of theatre並且打破所有劇場的常規。

An older woman character is played by a man in a huge dress. The hero boy is often played by a young woman.

An older woman character is played by a man in a huge dress一個年長女性的角色，會由一個穿著誇張大裙子的男人來演。The hero boy is often played by a young woman男主角小男孩則常常由年輕女性來演。

The actors talk straight to the audience, and the audience shouts back — "He's behind you!" and "Oh no it isn't!" are lines everybody in Britain knows. Going to the panto is a childhood thing, like a school trip or a family outing in December.

The actors talk straight to the audience演員會直接對觀眾說話, and the audience shouts back而觀眾也會大聲回應——"He's behind you!"「He's behind you!（他在你後面！）」 and "Oh no it isn't!"和「Oh no it isn't!（才沒有！）」 are lines everybody in Britain knows是英國人人都知道的台詞。Going to the panto is a childhood thing去看panto是童年的一件事, like a school trip or a family outing in December就像校外教學，或十二月的家庭出遊。

Two things to notice. First, "panto" is casual: you say it to friends, you see it in newspaper headlines, you would probably write "pantomime" in a formal programme. Second, this British meaning is not what "pantomime" means in most other places, where it suggests silent acting with the hands and face — mime.

Two things to notice有兩件事要注意。First第一, "panto" is casual「panto」是隨性的講法: you say it to friends你會跟朋友這樣說, you see it in newspaper headlines也會在報紙標題上看到, you would probably write "pantomime" in a formal programme但正式節目單上，你大概會寫「pantomime」。Second第二, this British meaning is not what "pantomime" means in most other places這個英式的意思，不是大部分其他地方「pantomime」的意思, where it suggests silent acting with the hands and face — mime在那些地方，pantomime指的是用手和臉表演的默劇——也就是mime。

A panto is the loud opposite of silent.

A panto is the loud opposite of silentPanto恰恰是「安靜」的吵鬧反面。

The word is also used loosely, and a bit rudely, for a public argument or a political mess that everybody can see is fake and performed: "the whole thing was a panto."

The word is also used loosely, and a bit rudely這個字也會被鬆散、甚至有點沒禮貌地拿來用, for a public argument or a political mess that everybody can see is fake and performed指一場大家都看得出來是做戲、演出來的公開爭吵或政治鬧劇: "the whole thing was a panto."像是說「the whole thing was a panto（整件事根本是一場panto）」。