The branch of physics that studies forces on things that are NOT moving — or more exactly, things that are not speeding up or slowing down. If a bridge stays up, a ladder leans against a wall without sliding, a book sits on a table: statics explains why. All the pushes and pulls cancel out, so nothing changes.

The branch of physics that studies forces on things that are NOT moving靜力學（statics）是物理學裡研究「沒有在動」的東西所受的力的一個分支——or more exactly, things that are not speeding up or slowing down或更精確地說，是研究沒有在加速也沒有在減速的東西。If a bridge stays up如果一座橋撐得住不塌，a ladder leans against a wall without sliding一把梯子靠在牆上不會滑掉，a book sits on a table一本書放在桌上不動：statics explains why statics 解釋的就是為什麼。All the pushes and pulls所有的推力和拉力 cancel out會互相抵銷，so nothing changes所以什麼都不會變動。

Its partner is dynamics, which handles things that ARE moving and changing speed; together they make up mechanics. Engineers who design buildings study statics first, because a building that will not stand still is not a building.

Its partner是它的搭檔 is dynamics是 dynamics（動力學）, which handles things that ARE moving and changing speed負責處理真的在動、速度也在變化的東西；together they make up mechanics兩個合起來就構成了力學（mechanics）。Engineers who design buildings設計建築物的工程師 study statics first會先學靜力學，because a building that will not stand still is not a building因為一棟站不穩的建築物根本就不算是建築物。

Two grammar notes, because this word is strange. It ends in -s but it is singular: statics IS a difficult subject, not statics ARE. That is normal for school subjects — physics, mathematics, economics, politics all do it.

Two grammar notes兩個文法上要注意的地方，because this word is strange因為這個字有點奇怪。It它 ends in -s but it is singular字尾有 -s，但它是單數：statics IS a difficult subject要說 statics IS a difficult subject，not statics ARE不是 statics ARE。That那樣 is normal for school subjects對學科名稱來說是正常的——physics, mathematics, economics, politics all do it像 physics、mathematics、economics、politics 都是這樣。

And note the completely separate word static, which for most people means the crackling noise on a radio or the little shock you get from a doorknob — that one is far more common in daily life. Statics, the science, you will only meet in a physics or engineering classroom.

And而且，note the completely separate word static要注意另一個完全不同的字 static，which for most people means the crackling noise on a radio or the little shock you get from a doorknob對大多數人來說指的是收音機裡的沙沙雜音，或摸到門把時被電到的那種小小電擊——that one那個字 is far more common in daily life在日常生活裡常見得多。Statics, the science靜力學這門科學，you你 will only meet in a physics or engineering classroom只會在物理課或工程課教室裡遇到。