Silicon is a chemical element, symbol Si. In nature it is not a shiny coin-metal sitting by itself; it is locked inside rocks and sand. You can have it as a dark solid or as a powder.

Silicon is a chemical elementSilicon是一種化學元素, symbol Si符號是Si。In nature在自然界裡, it is not a shiny coin-metal sitting by itself它不是單獨存在、閃閃發亮像硬幣的金屬；it is locked inside rocks and sand它被鎖在岩石和沙子裡面。You can have it你可以拿到它 as a dark solid or as a powder以深色固體的形式，或以粉末的形式。

School books say it is used to make glass, bricks, and computer parts. Though actually, that list mixes two stories. Window glass and clay bricks are made from silica and silicates — stuff that contains silicon — not from the pure element. The pure stuff is what factories grow into thin wafers and cut into chips, the little brains inside phones and computers.

School books say課本上說 it is used to make glass, bricks, and computer parts它被用來做玻璃、磚頭，還有電腦零件。Though actually不過其實，that list mixes two stories這份清單混合了兩個不同的故事。Window glass and clay bricks are made from silica and silicates窗戶玻璃和黏土磚是用矽石和矽酸鹽做的 — stuff that contains silicon也就是含有矽的東西 — not from the pure element而不是用純的矽元素做的。The pure stuff is純的那種材料是 what factories grow into thin wafers工廠把它培養成薄薄的晶圓的東西, and cut into chips再切成晶片, the little brains inside phones and computers也就是手機和電腦裡那些小小的大腦。

That is why people stretch the word: they say “silicon” when they mean chips, or the whole computer business, as in Silicon Valley. Chemists still mean the element.

That is why people stretch the word這就是為什麼人們會把這個字用得更寬：they say "silicon" when they mean chips他們說「silicon」的時候其實指的是晶片, or the whole computer business或整個電腦產業, as in Silicon Valley就像Silicon Valley（矽谷）這個說法。Chemists still mean the element化學家講的時候還是指那個元素。

It is a science word, and a news word when the talk is computers. Informal English almost never needs it for sand or glass; there we just say sand or glass.

It is a science word它是一個科學用字, and a news word when the talk is computers而在談電腦的時候也是個新聞用字。Informal English almost never needs it for sand or glass非正式英文講沙子或玻璃時幾乎不需要用到這個字；there we just say sand or glass那時候我們就直接說sand或glass就好。