The system that takes calls coming into a big place — a company, a hotel, a hospital — and sends each one to the right person inside. Also the people who do that work: "call the switchboard and ask for Dr Lin", "switchboard put me through to accounts".

The system that takes calls coming into a big place這是一套接收大場所來電的系統 — a company, a hotel, a hospital像公司、飯店、醫院 — and sends each one to the right person inside再把每通電話轉給裡面正確的人。Also the people who do that work也可以指做這份工作的人: "call the switchboard and ask for Dr Lin"像"call the switchboard and ask for Dr Lin"（打去總機找林醫生）, "switchboard put me through to accounts"或"switchboard put me through to accounts"（總機幫我轉到會計部）。

The picture behind the word is old. It really was a board covered in sockets, and an operator sat in front of it plugging a cable from your line into the line of the person you wanted. Those boards are gone, but the word stayed for the job they did, even now that a computer does the switching and a person just answers.

The picture behind the word is old這個字背後的畫面很古早。It really was a board covered in sockets它以前真的是一塊布滿插孔的板子, and an operator sat in front of it plugging a cable from your line into the line of the person you wanted接線生坐在前面，把你這條線的線頭插進你想找的那個人的線裡。Those boards are gone那些板子已經不見了, but the word stayed for the job they did但這個字留了下來，指的還是那份工作, even now that a computer does the switching and a person just answers就算現在轉接是電腦在做，人只負責接聽。

You will meet it most in phrases: the main switchboard, the switchboard number, a switchboard operator. There is also a nice everyday expression, "the switchboard lit up" — meaning huge numbers of people rang in at once, usually to complain or to react to something on the radio or television.

You will meet it most in phrases你最常在這些詞組裡遇到它: the main switchboard像the main switchboard（總機台）, the switchboard number或the switchboard number（總機號碼）, a switchboard operator或a switchboard operator（總機接線員）。There is also a nice everyday expression還有一個很生動的日常說法, "the switchboard lit up""the switchboard lit up"（總機爆線了） — meaning huge numbers of people rang in at once意思是一大堆人同時打電話進來, usually to complain or to react to something on the radio or television通常是要抱怨，或是對廣播、電視上的某件事做出反應。

In electricity, the same word means a panel of switches that controls the power in a building. Same idea: one place where all the lines meet and get sent onward.

In electricity在電力方面, the same word means a panel of switches that controls the power in a building同一個字指的是控制一棟建築供電的開關面板。Same idea概念是一樣的: one place where all the lines meet and get sent onward就是所有線路匯集、再被送出去的那一個地方。