A small organ in the front of your neck, just below the Adam's apple, shaped a bit like a butterfly. It makes hormones — chemical messengers that go into your blood and set the speed your body runs at: how fast you burn food for energy, your heart rate, your body temperature, your weight, even your mood and how tired you feel.

in the front of your neck在你脖子前面, just below the Adam's apple喉結下方, a small organ有一個小器官, shaped a bit like a butterfly形狀有點像蝴蝶。It makes它會製造 hormoneshormone（賀爾蒙） — chemical messengers一種化學訊息物質 that go into your blood進入你的血液 and set the speed your body runs at設定你身體運作的速度: how fast you burn food for energy你燃燒食物產生能量的速度, your heart rate心跳, your body temperature體溫, your weight體重, even your mood and how tired you feel甚至情緒和疲累的程度。

Doctors talk about it constantly because it goes wrong often, and usually in one of two directions.

Doctors talk about it constantly醫生常常在講它 because因為 it goes wrong often它很常出問題, and usually in one of two directions通常是兩個方向之一。

If it makes too little (an underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism), you feel cold, slow, heavy, and tired, and you may gain weight. If it makes too much (an overactive thyroid, hyperthyroidism), you feel hot, jumpy, and anxious, your heart races, and you may lose weight while eating normally.

If it makes too little如果它分泌太少 (an underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism)（甲狀腺低下，hypothyroidism）, you feel cold, slow, heavy, and tired你會覺得冷、遲鈍、沉重又疲倦, and you may gain weight還可能變胖。If it makes too much如果它分泌太多 (an overactive thyroid, hyperthyroidism)（甲狀腺亢進，hyperthyroidism）, you feel hot, jumpy, and anxious你會覺得熱、緊張又焦慮, your heart races心跳會加快, and you may lose weight while eating normally即使正常吃飯也可能變瘦。

Both are common, both are much more common in women, and both are usually manageable with daily medicine. A swelling of this organ is called a goitre, and it can also grow lumps (nodules), most of which turn out to be harmless.

Both are common這兩種都很常見, both are much more common in women而且都在女性身上更常見, and both are usually manageable with daily medicine通常都可以靠每天吃藥控制。A swelling of this organ這個器官腫起來 is called叫做 a goitre甲狀腺腫, and it can also grow lumps它也可能長出結節 (nodules)（nodules）, most of which turn out to be harmless大部分結果都是良性的。

The word works as a noun ("the thyroid," "her thyroid") and as an adjective ("thyroid gland," "thyroid problems," "thyroid medication"). In everyday speech people shorten the whole story to the organ itself: "She has a thyroid problem" or even "It's her thyroid" means something is wrong with it.

The word works as a noun這個字可以當名詞用 ("the thyroid," "her thyroid")（像"the thyroid"、"her thyroid"）and as an adjective也可以當形容詞用 ("thyroid gland," "thyroid problems," "thyroid medication")（像"thyroid gland"、"thyroid problems"、"thyroid medication"）。In everyday speech在日常說話裡 people shorten the whole story to the organ itself大家會把整件事簡化成只講這個器官: "She has a thyroid problem"「She has a thyroid problem」 or even "It's her thyroid"甚至「It's her thyroid」 means就是指 something is wrong with it它出了問題。