A speakeasy was a secret bar in the United States in the 1920s and early 1930s, during Prohibition — the years when the law banned making and selling alcohol. People still wanted to drink, so bars went underground: behind an unmarked door, in a basement, at the back of a shop that pretended to sell something else. You often needed to know someone, or say the right word at the door, to get in.

A speakeasy一間speakeasy was a secret bar是一種秘密酒吧，in the United States in the 1920s and early 1930s存在於一九二零年代到三零年代初的美國，during Prohibition正值禁酒令時期——the years when the law banned making and selling alcohol也就是法律禁止製造和販售酒類的那些年。People人們 still wanted to drink還是想喝酒，so bars went underground所以酒吧就轉入地下：behind an unmarked door藏在沒有標示的門後面，in a basement在地下室裡，at the back of a shop that pretended to sell something else或藏在一間假裝賣別的東西的店鋪後面。You often needed to know someone你常常需要認識某個人，or say the right word at the door或在門口說出正確的暗語，to get in才能進去。

The name tells you the whole story. You had to speak easy — that is, speak quietly, keep your voice down, do not draw attention. The plural is speakeasies.

The name這個名字 tells you the whole story把整個故事都告訴你了。You had to speak easy你必須speak easy（放輕聲說話）——that is也就是說 speak quietly, keep your voice down, do not draw attention要小聲說話、壓低音量、不要引人注意。The plural複數形式 is speakeasies是speakeasies。

Here is the part a dictionary line can miss: the word is very much alive today, but with the meaning turned around. A modern 'speakeasy bar' is completely legal. It just copies the style — a hidden entrance, no sign, a dark room, 1920s music, old-fashioned cocktails.

Here is the part a dictionary line can miss這裡有個字典簡短的解釋容易漏掉的地方：the word這個詞 is very much alive today在今天依然非常活躍，but with the meaning turned around不過意思已經整個翻轉過來了。A modern 'speakeasy bar'一間現代的「speakeasy bar」 is completely legal是完全合法的。It它 just copies the style只是模仿那種風格——a hidden entrance, no sign, a dark room, 1920s music, old-fashioned cocktails隱藏的入口、沒有招牌、昏暗的房間、二零年代的音樂，還有復古的調酒。

Taipei and Taichung have plenty of them, and this is almost certainly where a young person will meet the word first. So when you read it, check the date: 1920s America means the real illegal thing; today it means a bar that is playing dress-up. Because of the history, the word carries a nice flavour of glamour and secrets rather than of crime, even though the original ones were genuinely against the law.

Taipei and Taichung台北和台中 have plenty of them有不少這樣的地方，and this is almost certainly where a young person will meet the word first而這幾乎可以肯定是年輕人最先接觸到這個詞的地方。So when you read it所以當你讀到這個詞時，check the date要先看清楚年代：1920s America一九二零年代的美國指的是 means the real illegal thing真正違法的那種東西；today而今天 it means a bar that is playing dress-up指的則是一間在玩復古扮裝的酒吧。Because of the history因為這段歷史，the word這個詞 carries a nice flavour of glamour and secrets帶著一種迷人又神秘的味道，rather than of crime而不是犯罪的味道，even though the original ones were genuinely against the law即使最初那些真的是違法的。