Round-the-clock means it does not stop when night comes: the care, the shop, the news desk, the watch on the river — it goes on through all the hours, day and night. The picture is the face of a clock: you travel all the way round it, hour after hour.

Round-the-clockRound-the-clock means指的是 it does not stop when night comes夜晚來了也不會停: the care, the shop, the news desk, the watch on the river照護、商店、新聞編輯台、河邊的守望——it goes on through all the hours都不分晝夜一直持續下去, day and night。The picture它的畫面 is是 the face of a clock時鐘的錶面: you travel all the way round it你繞著它走一圈又一圈, hour after hour一小時接著一小時。

British English likes round-the-clock as a hyphenated adjective before a noun (round-the-clock care, a round-the-clock service). American English often writes around-the-clock, same meaning; you will also hear around the clock as a phrase after the verb (they worked around the clock).

British English英式英文 likes喜歡 round-the-clockround-the-clock as a hyphenated adjective當帶連字號的形容詞 before a noun放在名詞前面 (round-the-clock care, a round-the-clock service)（round-the-clock care、a round-the-clock service）。American English美式英文 often常 writes寫成 around-the-clockaround-the-clock, same meaning意思一樣; you will also hear你也會聽到 around the clockaround the clock as a phrase after the verb放在動詞後面當片語 (they worked around the clock)（they worked around the clock）。

It is ordinary, slightly news-like English — not slang and not stiff.

It is這是 ordinary, slightly news-like English普通、帶一點新聞味的英文 — not slang不是俚語 and也不 stiff太生硬。

Though actually, people stretch it. It does not have to mean every single minute with no rest, in a scientific way; it often just means a very full, almost non-stop service. A hospital can truthfully offer round-the-clock care; a café that stays open ‘late’ is stretching the word if it still closes at midnight.

Though actually不過其實, people stretch it大家會把它講得寬鬆一點。It does not have to mean它不一定要指 every single minute with no rest每一分鐘都不休息, in a scientific way在科學意義上, it often just means它常常只是指 a very full, almost non-stop service非常完整、幾乎不間斷的服務。A hospital醫院 can truthfully offer可以真的提供 round-the-clock careround-the-clock care; a café但一家咖啡廳 that stays open 'late'說自己開到「很晚」 is stretching the word就是把這個字用得過頭了, if it still closes at midnight如果還是半夜就打烊的話。