`Staffordshire` is a county — an administrative area, a bit like a 縣 — in the middle of England, north-west of Birmingham. It is a place name, so it takes a capital letter and no "the".

`Staffordshire`Staffordshire is a county是一個郡 — an administrative area, a bit like a 縣一種行政區域，有點像台灣的縣 — in the middle of England位於英格蘭中部, north-west of Birmingham伯明罕的西北邊。It is a place name它是地名, so it takes a capital letter所以字首要大寫 and no "the"而且前面不加the。

What makes the name worth knowing for a learner is that it stands for a thing, not just a spot on a map.

What makes the name worth knowing for a learner這個名字對學習者來說值得認識的地方 is that it stands for a thing在於它代表的是一個東西, not just a spot on a map而不只是地圖上的一個點。

The northern part of the county, around the towns of Stoke-on-Trent, was for two centuries the centre of the British pottery industry — so much so that the area is simply called "the Potteries". The clay and the coal were both in the ground there.

The northern part of the county這個郡的北部, around the towns of Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent一帶的城鎮, was for two centuries有兩百年的時間是 the centre of the British pottery industry英國陶瓷業的中心 — so much so that the area is simply called "the Potteries"中心到這一帶乾脆就被叫做「the Potteries」。The clay and the coal黏土和煤炭 were both in the ground there在當地都有。

Famous makers like Wedgwood and Spode worked there, and "Staffordshire" on the bottom of a plate, or in a phrase like "a Staffordshire figure" or "Staffordshire pottery", tells you the china came from that tradition. Antique dealers still use the word this way.

Famous makers like Wedgwood and SpodeWedgwood和Spode這些名牌 worked there都在那裡生產過, and "Staffordshire" on the bottom of a plate盤子底部寫著「Staffordshire」, or in a phrase like "a Staffordshire figure" or "Staffordshire pottery"或是像「a Staffordshire figure」「Staffordshire pottery」這種說法, tells you the china came from that tradition都是在告訴你這件瓷器出自那個傳統。Antique dealers古董商 still use the word this way到現在還是這樣用這個字。

So when you meet it in a sentence about cups and plates, the writer may be talking less about geography than about a kind of quality and a kind of history.

So所以 when you meet it in a sentence about cups and plates當你在講杯盤的句子裡看到這個字, the writer may be talking less about geography than about a kind of quality and a kind of history作者說的可能比較不是地理，而是一種品質、一種歷史。

One small thing about pronouncing it: the ending -shire, at the end of a county name, is said weakly — closer to "-sher" than to the word "shire" on its own.

One small thing about pronouncing it發音上有個小地方: the ending -shire, at the end of a county name郡名結尾的-shire, is said weakly念得比較輕 — closer to "-sher"比較接近「-sher」 than to the word "shire" on its own而不是shire這個字單獨念的樣子。