Peacetime is the stretch of time when a country is not at war. It is a noun, and it usually comes without 'the' or 'a' — we say 'in peacetime', 'during peacetime', not 'in the peacetime'.

Peacetime is the stretch of timepeacetime是指那段時間 when a country is not at war一個國家沒有在打仗的時候。It is a noun它是名詞，and it usually comes without 'the' or 'a'而且通常不加the或a — we say 'in peacetime', 'during peacetime'我們說'in peacetime'、'during peacetime'，not 'in the peacetime'不會說'in the peacetime'。

You will most often meet it in contrast with 'wartime': a peacetime army is smaller, peacetime rules are gentler, food is easy to buy in peacetime. That contrast is doing most of the work — people rarely say 'peacetime' unless war is somewhere in the picture, either just finished, feared, or being remembered.

You will most often meet it你最常會遇到它 in contrast with 'wartime'是跟'wartime'（戰時）對照著出現的：a peacetime army is smaller承平時期的軍隊比較小，peacetime rules are gentler承平時期的規定比較寬鬆，food is easy to buy in peacetime承平時期食物也容易買到。That contrast is doing most of the work這種對照才是重點所在 — people rarely say 'peacetime' unless war is somewhere in the picture人們很少無緣無故說'peacetime'，除非畫面裡有戰爭的影子，either just finished, feared, or being remembered不管是剛結束、令人擔心，還是被人記著的。

Notice that it is about the country, not about you. A person can have a calm, peaceful life during a war; that is not peacetime. A country can be in peacetime while your own life is full of trouble.

Notice that it is about the country要注意，這個詞說的是國家，not about you不是說你自己。A person can have a calm, peaceful life during a war一個人在戰爭期間也可能過著平靜安穩的生活；that is not peacetime但那不是peacetime。A country can be in peacetime一個國家可以處於peacetime，while your own life is full of trouble就算你自己的生活一團亂。

Also, 'peacetime' does not really mean the world is quiet — it means this particular country is not fighting. Historians and news writers use it in a slightly loose way too: they might call the 1930s peacetime even though small conflicts were going on somewhere.

Also, 'peacetime' does not really mean the world is quiet另外，'peacetime'其實不是說整個世界都很平靜 — it means this particular country is not fighting它是說「這個國家」沒有在打仗。Historians and news writers use it in a slightly loose way too歷史學家和新聞寫作者用這個詞時也會用得比較鬆：they might call the 1930s peacetime他們可能會把1930年代叫做peacetime，even though small conflicts were going on somewhere即使某些地方仍有小規模的衝突在發生。

It can sit in front of another noun as a describing word — peacetime economy, peacetime service, the biggest tax rise in peacetime.

It can sit in front of another noun as a describing word它可以放在另一個名詞前面當形容詞用 — peacetime economy承平經濟、peacetime service承平時期的兵役、the biggest tax rise in peacetime承平時期最大的加稅幅度。