Rapids are a part of a river where the water moves very fast over rocks and turns white and noisy. People say shoot the rapids or white-water rapids; boats can have a wild ride there.

Rapids rapids（急流） are a part of a river是河流的一段， where the water moves very fast over rocks水流很快地衝過岩石， and turns white and noisy變成白花花又很吵的樣子。People say shoot the rapids or white-water rapids人們會說shoot the rapids（衝急流）或white-water rapids（激流）； boats can have a wild ride there船在那裡會被晃得很劇烈。

The word is almost always plural in ordinary English: the rapids, even when you mean one stretch. It is an outdoor word — hiking, canoeing, nature films — not a feelings word.

The word is almost always plural這個字幾乎都用複數， in ordinary English: the rapids日常英語裡是the rapids， even when you mean one stretch就算你指的只是一段也一樣。It is an outdoor word這是個戶外活動的詞— hiking, canoeing, nature films健行、划獨木舟、自然紀錄片— not a feelings word不是拿來講感覺的字。

It sits next to rapid (fast), because the water is rapid there. Though actually, you would not call a fast road 'rapids'; this picture stays with rivers, and in stories sometimes other rushing water. It is not rapidity (the speed itself) and not a rapid test (that rapid only means 'quick').

It sits next to rapid (fast)它跟rapid（快的）這個字有關， because the water is rapid there因為那裡的水流很快。Though actually不過事實上， you would not call a fast road ‘rapids’你不會把一條快速道路叫做rapids； this picture stays with rivers這個畫面只留給河流， and in stories sometimes other rushing water故事裡有時候也可以用在其他湍急的水。It is not rapidity (the speed itself)它不是rapidity（速度本身這個抽象概念）， and not a rapid test也不是rapid test（快篩）裡的rapid， (that rapid only means ‘quick’)（那個rapid只是「快」的意思）。