Plywood is a strong, flat board made by sticking several very thin sheets of wood on top of each other. Each thin sheet is a ply.

Plywood夾板 is a strong, flat board made by sticking several very thin sheets of wood on top of each other是把好幾層很薄的木片疊起來黏在一起做成的堅固平板。Each thin sheet is a ply每一層薄木片叫做ply。

The sheets are usually laid so the grain — the lines in the wood — runs different ways in different layers. That crossing is the point: plywood does not split as easily as one thick piece of wood, and it stays flatter.

The sheets are usually laid so the grain — the lines in the wood — runs different ways in different layers這些木片通常會排列成讓木紋(木頭裡的紋路)在不同層朝不同方向。That crossing is the point這種交錯排列才是重點: plywood does not split as easily as one thick piece of wood夾板不像一整塊厚木頭那麼容易裂開, and it stays flatter而且比較不會變形。

Builders use it for floors, walls, roofs, furniture, packing cases, and cheap shelves. You buy it in big boards at a timber yard or hardware shop.

Builders use it for floors, walls, roofs, furniture, packing cases, and cheap shelves建築工人用它來做地板、牆壁、屋頂、家具、包裝箱,還有便宜的層架。You buy it in big boards at a timber yard or hardware shop你可以在木材行或五金行買到大片的夾板。

It is an everyday materials word, not a fancy one; you hear it on building sites and in DIY talk.

It is an everyday materials word這是日常會用到的建材字, not a fancy one不是什麼講究的字; you hear it on building sites and in DIY talk在工地和DIY討論裡都聽得到。

People sometimes say plywood for any cheap board, but that is loose. Real plywood is layers of real wood glued together, not the other man-made boards made from chips or dust.

People sometimes say plywood for any cheap board有些人會把任何便宜的板材都叫做plywood, but that is loose但這樣講不夠精確。Real plywood is layers of real wood glued together真正的夾板是好幾層真木頭黏在一起, not the other man-made boards made from chips or dust不是那些用木屑或木粉做成的人造板。