A synapse is the tiny meeting point between two nerve cells, especially in the brain. The surprise is that the two cells do not actually touch — there is a very small gap, and a message crosses it as a little squirt of chemicals from one side to the other. So a synapse is really a junction with a gap in it, not a join.

A synapse issynapse 指的是 the tiny meeting point between two nerve cells兩個神經細胞之間微小的接觸點, especially in the brain尤其是在腦部裡。 The surprise is that令人意外的是 the two cells do not actually touch這兩個細胞其實並沒有真的碰在一起 — there is a very small gap中間有一個非常小的間隙, and a message crosses it as a little squirt of chemicals from one side to the other訊息是以一小股化學物質的形式，從一邊噴射到另一邊來傳過去的。 So a synapse is really所以 synapse 其實是 a junction with a gap in it一個中間有間隙的連接點, not a join而不是真的接在一起。

Your brain has an enormous number of them, and learning something changes them: connections that get used a lot grow stronger, and ones you never use fade. That is why teachers and writers borrow the word outside science, and say things like 'my synapses aren't firing this morning' to mean their brain feels slow — that use is loose and joking, not technical.

Your brain has an enormous number of them你的大腦裡有數量龐大的 synapse, and learning something changes them而學習新東西會改變它們: connections that get used a lot grow stronger常常被用到的連結會變強, and ones you never use fade從來不用的則會逐漸消失。 That is why teachers and writers borrow the word outside science這就是為什麼老師和作家會把這個字借到科學以外的地方用, and say things like 'my synapses aren't firing this morning'說出像「my synapses aren't firing this morning」這樣的話 to mean their brain feels slow意思是自己今天腦袋轉不動 — that use is loose and joking, not technical這種用法是隨口、開玩笑的，不是專業術語。

There is also a rarer verb, 'to synapse', used by biologists for two cells forming such a connection; ordinary people never use it. The plural is 'synapses', with the last part sounding like '-seez'.

There is also a rarer verb, 'to synapse'還有一個比較少見的動詞用法「to synapse」, used by biologists for two cells forming such a connection生物學家用它來指兩個細胞形成這種連結; ordinary people never use it一般人完全不會這樣用。 The plural is 'synapses'複數是「synapses」, with the last part sounding like '-seez'最後一部分念起來像「-seez」。