A terrarium is a clear glass or plastic container with soil and small plants growing inside it, kept indoors as decoration. Usually it is closed or nearly closed, so water rises off the plants, gathers on the glass, and drips back down — a tiny world that mostly waters itself.

A terrarium is a clear glass or plastic container生態瓶是一種透明的玻璃或塑膠容器 with soil and small plants growing inside it裡面裝著土壤和生長中的小植物, kept indoors as decoration放在室內當裝飾用。 Usually it is closed or nearly closed通常它是封閉或接近封閉的, so water rises off the plants所以水氣會從植物上升起, gathers on the glass凝聚在玻璃上, and drips back down再滴落回去 — a tiny world that mostly waters itself是一個大致能自己澆水的小世界。

People keep them on desks and shelves; making them is a popular hobby, and shops sell little tools with long handles for reaching inside.

People keep them on desks and shelves大家會把它們擺在書桌和架子上; making them is a popular hobby自己動手做也是很受歡迎的嗜好, and shops sell little tools with long handles for reaching inside商店還會賣長柄的小工具，方便伸進去整理。

The word is also used for a glass tank where someone keeps a small land animal — a lizard, a snake, a spider — the dry cousin of a fish tank. Both uses are normal; which one a listener pictures depends on the room.

The word is also used for a glass tank這個字也用來指一種玻璃缸 where someone keeps a small land animal裡面養著小型陸生動物 — a lizard, a snake, a spider像是蜥蜴、蛇、蜘蛛 — the dry cousin of a fish tank可以說是魚缸的乾燥版親戚。 Both uses are normal兩種用法都很常見; which one a listener pictures depends on the room聽的人會想到哪一種，要看是在什麼場合講。

It is a slightly bookish word: everyday speakers may just say 'a glass jar with plants in it', and the word turns up more in shops, catalogues, and hobby videos than in casual talk.

It is a slightly bookish word這是一個稍微書面的字: everyday speakers may just say 'a glass jar with plants in it'一般人可能就直接說「裝了植物的玻璃罐」, and the word turns up more in shops, catalogues, and hobby videos than in casual talk這個字比較常出現在商店、型錄和嗜好類影片裡，而不是日常閒聊中。