A style of story — books, films, comics, games — set in a made-up world that looks like the 1800s, the age of steam engines. There are amazing machines in it: flying ships, robots, time machines. But they are built the old way, out of brass and gears and steam, not electricity or computers. So it is a kind of science fiction that runs backwards: the future as people in 1880 might have imagined it.

A style of story這是一種故事風格 — books, films, comics, games書、電影、漫畫、遊戲 — set in a made-up world背景設在一個虛構世界 that looks like the 1800s, the age of steam engines看起來像1800年代、蒸汽引擎時代的。There are amazing machines in it裡面有各種驚人的機器: flying ships, robots, time machines飛行船、機器人、時光機。But they are built the old way但它們是用老方法做的, out of brass and gears and steam用黃銅、齒輪和蒸汽, not electricity or computers而不是電力或電腦。So it is a kind of science fiction that runs backwards所以這是一種反著跑的科幻: the future as people in 1880 might have imagined it那是1880年代的人可能會想像出來的未來。

The word is also used for a LOOK, and this is how most students will meet it. Clothes, watches, lamps, phone cases, a whole coffee shop can be called steampunk if they have that brass-and-gear feeling. Here the word has drifted a long way from stories — a steampunk keyboard is not telling anyone a story, it just looks like that. People also use it as an adjective (a steampunk dress, steampunk art) more often than as a noun now.

The word is also used for a LOOK這個字也被用來形容一種「外觀」, and this is how most students will meet it而這是大多數學生會遇到的用法. Clothes, watches, lamps, phone cases, a whole coffee shop衣服、手錶、燈具、手機殼，甚至整間咖啡廳 can be called steampunk都可以被稱作steampunk if they have that brass-and-gear feeling只要有那種黃銅加齒輪的感覺. Here the word has drifted a long way from stories在這裡，這個字已經離故事很遠了 — a steampunk keyboard is not telling anyone a story一個steampunk鍵盤不是在跟誰說故事, it just looks like that它只是長那個樣子. People also use it as an adjective現在人們也更常把它當形容詞用 (a steampunk dress, steampunk art)（a steampunk dress、steampunk art） more often than as a noun now而不是名詞。

It is a young word, from 1987, made as a joke by the writer K. W. Jeter, and it kept the joke's shape.

It is a young word, from 1987,這是個很年輕的字，1987年出現的 made as a joke by the writer K. W. Jeter,是作家K. W. Jeter開的一個玩笑造出來的字 and it kept the joke's shape.而且它保留了那個玩笑的形狀。

It has no formal feeling and no rude feeling; it is simply a fan word that escaped into the world of design.

It has no formal feeling and no rude feeling它沒有正式的感覺，也沒有粗俗的感覺; it is simply a fan word它單純是個粉絲用語 that escaped into the world of design跑進了設計的世界。