An electronic musical instrument, usually with a keyboard, that makes sound electronically. Because the sound is built up from scratch rather than coming from a physical string or reed, one synthesizer can produce many different sounds — an imitation of a violin, an organ, a drum, or a sound that no real instrument has ever made. That last part is what musicians find exciting; the imitations were only ever half the point.

An electronic musical instrument一種電子樂器, usually with a keyboard通常帶有鍵盤, that makes sound electronically用電子方式發出聲音。Because the sound is built up from scratch rather than coming from a physical string or reed因為聲音是從零合成出來的，而不是來自實際的弦或簧片, one synthesizer can produce many different sounds一台synthesizer可以做出很多不同的聲音 — an imitation of a violin, an organ, a drum像模仿小提琴、風琴、鼓, or a sound that no real instrument has ever made或是任何真實樂器都做不出來的聲音。That last part is what musicians find exciting最後這一點才是讓樂手興奮的地方; the imitations were only ever half the point單純模仿其他樂器從來就只是一半的重點。

It appeared in popular music in the late 1960s and 1970s and shaped the sound of the 1980s completely, and today most electronic and pop music you hear started life on one, often as software on a computer rather than a physical box. The word is fully standard and neutral, though in everyday speech people usually shorten it to 'synth'.

It appeared in popular music in the late 1960s and 1970s它在1960年代末和1970年代出現在流行音樂裡 and shaped the sound of the 1980s completely徹底塑造了1980年代的音樂樣貌, and today most electronic and pop music you hear started life on one而今天你聽到的大部分電子和流行音樂，最初都是從一台synthesizer開始的, often as software on a computer rather than a physical box而且常常是電腦裡的軟體，而不是一個實體的機器。The word is fully standard and neutral這個字完全是標準又中性的用詞, though in everyday speech people usually shorten it to 'synth'不過日常口語裡大家通常會簡稱'synth'。

You will also meet the word outside music, in a more literal way: a 'speech synthesizer' is the machine or software that turns text into a spoken voice — the technology Stephen Hawking used, and the same idea behind the voices in your phone. Anything that puts pieces together to make a whole can be called a synthesizer, but music and speech are where you will actually meet the word.

You will also meet the word outside music你也會在音樂以外的地方遇到這個字, in a more literal way用法更字面一點: a 'speech synthesizer' is the machine or software that turns text into a spoken voice'speech synthesizer'（語音合成器）是把文字變成說話聲音的機器或軟體 — the technology Stephen Hawking used就是霍金當年用的那項技術, and the same idea behind the voices in your phone也是你手機裡那些語音背後同樣的原理。Anything that puts pieces together to make a whole can be called a synthesizer任何把零件組合成一個整體的東西都可以叫synthesizer, but music and speech are where you will actually meet the word但你實際上會遇到這個字，多半是在音樂和語音這兩個領域。

Note the spelling: British writing often uses -iser, American -izer, and both are correct.

Note the spelling要注意拼法: British writing often uses -iser英式寫法常用-iser, American -izer美式則用-izer, and both are correct兩種拼法都是對的。