Quiescent means not developing and not doing anything just now — but only for a time.

Quiescent這個字 means not developing and not doing anything just now意思是目前沒有在發展、也沒有在做什麼 — but only for a time——但只是暫時的。

A volcano can be quiescent for twenty years and still not be dead. A disease can lie quiescent, then return. A cell, a political movement, even a bank account can be called quiescent when it is still there, only quiet in its work.

A volcano一座火山 can be quiescent for twenty years可以靜止二十年 and still not be dead卻還沒有真正死掉。A disease一種疾病 can lie quiescent可以暫時潛伏不發作，then return然後又復發。A cell, a political movement, even a bank account一個細胞、一場政治運動，甚至一個銀行帳戶 can be called quiescent都可以被稱為quiescent when it is still there只要它還存在，only quiet in its work只是暫時沒有在活動。

The word is formal and scientific; you will meet it in textbooks and careful news, not in the playground. It sits next to quiet in the family, though actually it is not about noise.

The word這個字 is formal and scientific是正式又偏科學的用語；you will meet it你會在 in textbooks and careful news教科書和用詞嚴謹的新聞裡遇到它，not in the playground而不是在遊樂場那種場合。It它 sits next to quiet in the family在字源家族裡跟quiet很接近，though actually不過其實 it is not about noise它講的不是聲音。

A quiescent volcano is not “a volcano that makes no sound”; it is a volcano that is not erupting. The important extra is the “for now”: sleeping, paused, waiting, not finished and not gone. If something is over forever, we do not reach for this word.

A quiescent volcano一座quiescent的火山 is not “a volcano that makes no sound”不是指「不會發出聲音的火山」，it is a volcano that is not erupting而是指目前沒有在噴發的火山。The important extra重要的補充是 is the “for now”「目前」這個限定：sleeping, paused, waiting沉睡、暫停、等待，not finished and not gone還沒結束，也還沒消失。If something is over forever如果一件事永遠結束了，we do not reach for this word我們就不會用這個字。