A low box or frame filled with clean sand for small children to dig and build in, usually in a garden, a park or a kindergarten. That is the everyday sense, and it is American English — in Britain the same thing is a 'sandpit'.

A low box or frame filled with clean sand一個裝滿乾淨沙子的矮箱子或框架, for small children to dig and build in給小小孩挖沙、堆東西用的, usually in a garden, a park or a kindergarten通常設在花園、公園或幼稚園裡。That is the everyday sense這是日常的意思, and it is American English而且是美式英語的說法 — in Britain the same thing is a 'sandpit'在英國同樣的東西叫'sandpit'。

Two extensions worth knowing, because your students will meet them sooner than the real box.

Two extensions worth knowing有兩個延伸用法值得知道, because your students will meet them sooner than the real box因為學生會比認識真正的沙坑更早遇到這兩個用法。

In computing, a sandbox is a walled-off space where a program can run without touching anything else on the machine: if the program is bad, the damage stays inside. You will hear 'run it in a sandbox' and the verb 'to sandbox something'. That name came straight from the children's box — a place where you can make a mess safely.

In computing在電腦領域裡, a sandbox is a walled-off spacesandbox是一個被隔開的空間 where a program can run without touching anything else on the machine程式可以在裡面執行，不會碰到機器上其他的東西: if the program is bad如果那個程式有問題, the damage stays inside損害也只會留在裡面。You will hear 'run it in a sandbox' and the verb 'to sandbox something'你會聽到'run it in a sandbox'，還有動詞'to sandbox something'的用法。That name came straight from the children's box這個名字就是直接從小孩玩的沙箱來的 — a place where you can make a mess safely一個可以安全弄亂也沒關係的地方。

More widely now, any protected space for trying things out gets called a sandbox: a bank testing a new service under a lighter set of rules, or a piece of software with a 'sandbox account' for practice. Games use it too — a 'sandbox game' is one with no fixed story where you build and wander as you like, like Minecraft.

More widely now現在用得更廣, any protected space for trying things out gets called a sandbox任何用來試東西的受保護空間都可以叫做sandbox: a bank testing a new service under a lighter set of rules像銀行在比較寬鬆的規則下測試新服務, or a piece of software with a 'sandbox account' for practice或是軟體裡有個練習用的'sandbox account'。Games use it too遊戲也會用這個詞 — a 'sandbox game' is one with no fixed story'sandbox game'是指沒有固定劇情的遊戲 where you build and wander as you like你可以隨意建造、隨意閒晃, like Minecraft就像《Minecraft》一樣。

There is also a small note about children: the sandbox is where children first learn to share, so English has the idiom 'plays well in the sandbox', said about a grown adult at work who cooperates with other people.

There is also a small note about children還有一個跟小孩有關的小知識: the sandbox is where children first learn to share沙坑是小孩最早學會分享的地方, so English has the idiom 'plays well in the sandbox'所以英文有個說法叫'plays well in the sandbox', said about a grown adult at work who cooperates with other people用來形容一個成年人在職場上很會跟別人合作。