A silicate is a kind of solid mineral, very common in the earth. Think of it as a family of rocks and crystals whose chemistry is built around silicon and oxygen, often with metals mixed in.

A silicate矽酸鹽 is a kind of solid mineral是一種固態礦物，very common in the earth在地球裡非常常見。Think of it as a family of rocks and crystals你可以把它想成一整個岩石和結晶的家族，whose chemistry is built around silicon and oxygen它們的化學組成是圍繞著矽和氧建立起來的，often with metals mixed in裡面常常還混著金屬。

Most of the stone under your feet is silicate of one sort or another — granite, mica, clay, even the glassy skin of some lava. Geologists and chemists use the word; ordinary talk just says “rock” or “clay.” Though actually, “silicate” is not one mineral.

Most of the stone under your feet你腳下的石頭大部分 is silicate of one sort or another都是某一種矽酸鹽——granite, mica, clay像花崗岩、雲母、黏土，even the glassy skin of some lava甚至某些熔岩表面那層像玻璃的皮。Geologists and chemists use the word地質學家和化學家會用這個字；ordinary talk just says "rock" or "clay."一般講話就直接說「石頭」或「黏土」。Though actually不過其實，"silicate" is not one mineral"silicate"並不是單一一種礦物。

It is a whole group, the way “salt” in chemistry is a whole group, not only table salt.

It is a whole group它是一整個大類，the way "salt" in chemistry is a whole group就像化學裡的"salt"（鹽類）也是一整個大類，not only table salt而不是只指餐桌上的鹽。

People also say “silicate” in industry for compounds used in glass, cement, and detergents. The everyday object is still the earthy one: the ground itself is largely silicates.

People also say "silicate" in industry業界也會用"silicate"這個字 for compounds used in glass, cement, and detergents來指用在玻璃、水泥，還有清潔劑裡的化合物。The everyday object is still the earthy one日常生活裡遇到的還是那個「泥土」的樣子：the ground itself is largely silicates地面本身大部分就是矽酸鹽。