A talkie is a film with sound in it — you can hear the actors speak.

A talkietalkie有聲電影 is a film with sound in it是一種有聲音的電影—— you can hear the actors speak你可以聽到演員說話.

The word only makes sense because of history: the first films had no sound at all. People watched the picture and read the words on the screen, and a piano or an orchestra played in the cinema.

The word only makes sense because of history這個字只有從歷史來看才說得通: the first films had no sound at all最早的電影完全沒有聲音. People watched the picture and read the words on the screen人們看著畫面、讀著銀幕上的字幕, and a piano or an orchestra played in the cinema而戲院裡則有鋼琴或樂團現場演奏.

Then, at the end of the 1920s, films with recorded speech arrived, and people called them talkies to mark the difference. 'The Jazz Singer' (1927) is the film usually named as the one that started it.

Then, at the end of the 1920s然後在1920年代末, films with recorded speech arrived有錄音對白的電影出現了, and people called them talkies to mark the difference人們就叫它們talkies，來標示這個差別. 'The Jazz Singer' (1927) is the film usually named as the one that started it《The Jazz Singer》（1927年）通常被認為是開啟這一切的電影.

So 'talkie' is not really the opposite of a bad film or a quiet film — it is the opposite of a 'silent film'. Because every film today has sound, nobody calls a new film a talkie.

So 'talkie' is not really the opposite of a bad film or a quiet film所以'talkie'其實不是『爛片』或『安靜的電影』的反義詞—— it is the opposite of a 'silent film'它是'silent film（默片）'的反義詞. Because every film today has sound因為現在的每部電影都有聲音, nobody calls a new film a talkie沒有人會把一部新電影叫做talkie.

You will meet the word in two places: when people talk about film history ('the first talkies', 'when talkies came in'), and in a joking, old-fashioned way, the way someone might say 'the pictures' instead of 'the cinema'. It feels friendly and a little bit dated, not formal.

You will meet the word in two places你會在兩種地方遇到這個字: when people talk about film history當人們在講電影史的時候 ('the first talkies', 'when talkies came in')（像'the first talkies最早的有聲電影'、'when talkies came in有聲電影出現的時候'）, and in a joking, old-fashioned way以及用一種開玩笑、老派的方式, the way someone might say 'the pictures' instead of 'the cinema'就像有人會說'the pictures'而不說'the cinema'一樣. It feels friendly and a little bit dated這個字聽起來親切又有點過時, not formal但不是正式用語.

There is also 'walkie-talkie', the small radio you hold in your hand and speak into — that word borrowed the same '-talkie' piece, but it is a separate word and has nothing to do with films.

There is also 'walkie-talkie'還有一個'walkie-talkie（對講機）', the small radio you hold in your hand and speak into就是你握在手上、對著它說話的小型無線電, that word borrowed the same '-talkie' piece那個字借用了同樣的'-talkie'部分, but it is a separate word但它是完全不同的字, and has nothing to do with films跟電影一點關係都沒有.