Surrealism is a style of art and writing from the early 20th century — it started in the 1920s, mostly in France — where the artist puts things together that do not belong together, so the picture feels like a dream. A clock melting over a tree branch. A man in a suit with an apple in front of his face.

Surrealism is Surrealism是 a style of art and writing一種藝術和寫作風格 from the early 20th century從二十世紀初——it started in the 1920s起源於1920年代，mostly in France主要在法國——where the artist puts things together藝術家把東西放在一起 that do not belong together這些東西本來不屬於一起，so讓 the picture feels like a dream畫面感覺像在作夢。A clock melting over a tree branch一個融化在樹枝上的時鐘。A man in a suit with an apple in front of his face一個穿西裝、臉前面擋著一顆蘋果的男人。

The idea behind it was serious: those artists believed the strange part of your mind, the part that makes dreams, was more honest than the tidy part that makes sense, so they tried to let it out on purpose.

The idea behind it was serious這背後的想法其實很認真：those artists believed那些藝術家相信 the strange part of your mind你心裡奇怪的那部分，the part that makes dreams也就是做夢的那部分，was more honest比...更誠實 than the tidy part that makes sense整整齊齊、講道理的那部分，so所以 they tried to let it out on purpose他們故意想辦法把它釋放出來。

When people say "Surrealism" with a big S, they usually mean that art movement — Dalí, Magritte, the poet André Breton who wrote the rules for it.

When people say "Surrealism" with a big S當大家講「Surrealism」、S大寫的時候，they usually mean通常指的是 that art movement那個藝術運動——Dalí, Magritte達利、馬格利特，the poet André Breton還有詩人安德烈·布勒東 who wrote the rules for it寫下這個運動規則的。

But most people today use "surreal" (the adjective) much more loosely, for anything real that feels impossibly strange: "It was surreal seeing my teacher at the night market in shorts." Nothing dreamlike happened; it just did not fit. That loose use is very common and completely fine in everyday talk.

But但 most people today use "surreal" (the adjective)現在大部分人用「surreal」這個形容詞 much more loosely用得鬆很多，for anything real that feels impossibly strange用在任何真實但感覺誇張到不可能的事情上："It was surreal seeing my teacher at the night market in shorts."「在夜市看到老師穿短褲，感覺好超現實。」Nothing dreamlike happened沒有發生什麼像夢一樣的事；it just did not fit只是感覺不對勁而已。That loose use這種鬆散的用法 in everyday talk在日常對話裡 is very common and completely fine非常常見，完全沒問題。

The full word "surrealism" stays more formal — you meet it in museums, art class, and film reviews. Note also that "surreal" and "unreal" are not the same: unreal means not real, surreal means real but wrong-feeling.

The full word "surrealism"完整的字「surrealism」 stays more formal則比較正式——you meet it你會遇到它 in museums, art class, and film reviews在美術館、藝術課、影評裡。Note also另外要注意，that "surreal" and "unreal" are not the same「surreal」跟「unreal」不一樣：unreal means not realunreal的意思是不真實，surreal means real but wrong-feelingsurreal的意思是真實但感覺不對勁。