Involving only a small number of things, a small amount of money, or a small area. It describes the size of an operation, not the size of an object. A small-scale farm, a small-scale study, a small-scale experiment, small-scale fighting near the border.

Involving only a small number of things, a small amount of money, or a small area只牽涉到少量的東西、少量的錢，或是一小塊地方。It describes the size of an operation它形容的是一項行動的規模，not the size of an object不是一個物體的大小。A small-scale farma small-scale farm（小規模農場）、a small-scale studya small-scale study（小規模研究）、a small-scale experimenta small-scale experiment（小規模實驗）、small-scale fighting near the bordersmall-scale fighting near the border（邊境附近的小規模衝突）。

The important thing is that it is neutral. "Small-scale" does not mean poor or unimportant — it just tells you the size of what is being done. A small-scale business can be excellent; a small-scale trial can be exactly the right first step.

The important thing is that it is neutral重點是它是中性的。"Small-scale" does not mean poor or unimportant「Small-scale」不代表差或不重要——it just tells you the size of what is being done它只是告訴你正在做的事情規模有多大。A small-scale business can be excellenta small-scale business（小規模的事業）可以做得很出色；a small-scale trial can be exactly the right first stepa small-scale trial（小規模試驗）可能正是最合適的第一步。

Compare it with "petty" or "minor", which do carry judgement. Its partner is "large-scale", and the pair is very common in reports, news, and academic writing. Because they come in a pair, they are often used to contrast: "small-scale farmers" against "large-scale agriculture", where the phrase quietly does political work — the small ones are the many, the local, the ones at risk.

Compare it with "petty" or "minor"拿它跟「petty」或「minor」比較看看，which do carry judgement這兩個字確實帶有評價的意味。Its partner is "large-scale"它的搭檔是「large-scale」，and the pair is very common in reports, news, and academic writing這一對詞在報告、新聞和學術寫作裡非常常見。Because they come in a pair因為它們是成對出現的，they are often used to contrast常常被用來做對比："small-scale farmers" against "large-scale agriculture"「small-scale farmers」（小農）對比「large-scale agriculture」（大規模農業），where the phrase quietly does political work這個講法悄悄地帶有政治意味——the small ones are the many, the local, the ones at risk小規模的那一方是多數、是在地的、是處於風險中的一群。

There is a second, more technical use with models and maps, where "scale" means how much the real thing has been shrunk down. That use follows different logic and confuses even native speakers, so leave it for later.

There is a second, more technical use with models and maps還有第二種比較技術性的用法，用在模型和地圖上，where "scale" means how much the real thing has been shrunk down這時候「scale」指的是真實的東西被縮小了多少倍。That use follows different logic這種用法的邏輯不一樣and confuses even native speakers連母語者都會搞混，so leave it for later先擺一邊晚點再說。