A spillover is what happens when something that starts in one place does not stay there — it runs out and affects something next to it. Picture a cup that is too full: the water that goes over the edge is the spillover. English uses that picture for situations, not just liquid.

A spillover外溢（現象）is what happens指的是when something that starts in one place當某個東西起於一處does not stay there沒有留在原地——it runs out and affects something next to it而是溢出去，影響到旁邊的東西。Picture想像a cup that is too full一個裝得太滿的杯子：the water that goes over the edge溢出邊緣的水就是is the spillover所謂的spillover。English英文uses that picture for situations不只用來說液體也用這個畫面來說各種情況，not just liquid而不只是液體。

If a war in one country makes its neighbour take in many refugees, that is a spillover. If your stress at work follows you home and you are short with your family, that is spillover too.

If a war in one country makes its neighbour take in many refugees如果一國的戰爭讓鄰國湧入大量難民，that is a spillover那就是一種spillover。If your stress at work follows you home如果你工作上的壓力跟著你回家and you are short with your family讓你對家人也不耐煩，that is spillover too這也是一種spillover。

It is usually a noun, and you often see the pattern 'a spillover from X' or 'the spillover of X into Y': 'the spillover from the banking crisis', 'a spillover of violence into the next town'. It is also used before another noun: 'spillover effect', 'spillover damage'. You will meet it a lot in news, business writing, and economics, where it has a slightly technical feel — economists talk about 'spillover effects' when one country's policy changes another country's economy.

It is usually a noun它通常當名詞用，and you often see the pattern常見的句型是'a spillover from X'「從X而來的spillover」or 'the spillover of X into Y'或「X溢入Y的spillover」：'the spillover from the banking crisis'「銀行危機帶來的外溢效應」、'a spillover of violence into the next town'「暴力外溢到鄰鎮」。It is also used before another noun它也可以放在另一個名詞前面：'spillover effect'「外溢效應」、'spillover damage'「外溢損害」。You will meet it a lot你會很常在in news, business writing, and economics新聞、商業寫作和經濟報導裡遇到它，where it has a slightly technical feel在那裡它帶點專業味——economists talk about 'spillover effects'經濟學家會說「外溢效應」when one country's policy changes another country's economy指一國的政策影響到另一國的經濟。

Two things worth noticing. First, the meaning is usually bad or at least unwanted, because problems spread more visibly than good things do — but it is not always bad. People do say 'a positive spillover', for example when a new train station brings business to the whole area.

Two things worth noticing有兩件事值得注意。First第一，the meaning is usually bad or at least unwanted意思通常偏負面，或至少是不受歡迎的，because problems spread more visibly than good things do因為問題比好事更容易明顯擴散——but it is not always bad但也不一定都是壞事。People do say確實有人會說'a positive spillover'「正向外溢」，for example比如說when a new train station brings business to the whole area當一個新車站為整個地區帶來生意的時候。

Second, there is an older, plainer use: the extra people or things that do not fit. A church might open a 'spillover room' for the crowd that will not fit in the main hall. That use is still alive and is completely neutral.

Second第二，there is an older, plainer use還有一個比較舊、比較樸素的用法：the extra people or things that do not fit指容納不下、多出來的人或東西。A church一間教會might open a 'spillover room'可能會加開一個「分流會場」for the crowd that will not fit in the main hall給主會場裝不下的人潮用。That use這個用法is still alive依然在用and is completely neutral而且完全是中性的。

British writing sometimes keeps the hyphen, 'spill-over'; American writing almost always writes it as one word. The verb phrase behind it stays two words: the problem 'spilled over into' other areas.

British writing英式寫法sometimes keeps the hyphen有時會保留連字號，'spill-over'寫成spill-over；American writing而美式寫法almost always writes it as one word幾乎都寫成一個字。The verb phrase behind it背後的動詞片語stays two words仍然是兩個字：the problem 'spilled over into' other areas問題「spilled over into（溢流到）」其他領域。