Your tonsils are the two small, soft, roundish lumps of flesh on each side at the back of your throat. You can usually see them if you open your mouth wide in front of a mirror and say 'ah' — that is exactly why the doctor asks you to do that.

Your tonsils扁桃腺 are the two small, soft, roundish lumps of flesh on each side at the back of your throat是喉嚨後方兩側，兩塊小小、軟軟、圓圓的肉。You can usually see them if you open your mouth wide in front of a mirror and say 'ah'你通常只要在鏡子前把嘴巴張大、發出「啊」的聲音，就看得到它們 — that is exactly why the doctor asks you to do that這正是醫生為什麼會叫你這樣做。

They are part of the body's defence system: they sit right where air and food come in, and they catch germs there. Being at the front line is also why they get infected so easily, especially in children.

They are part of the body's defence system它們是身體防禦系統的一部分： they sit right where air and food come in它們正好位在空氣和食物進來的地方, and they catch germs there在那裡攔截細菌。Being at the front line is also why they get infected so easily正因為位在最前線，它們也才這麼容易被感染, especially in children尤其是小孩子。

The word is used in the plural almost all the time, because you have two and they act together: 'my tonsils are swollen', 'he had his tonsils out when he was six'. That last phrase, 'have your tonsils out', is the everyday way English speakers describe the operation to remove them — you will hear it far more often than the medical name.

The word is used in the plural almost all the time這個字幾乎總是用複數, because you have two and they act together因為你有兩顆，而且它們是一起運作的： 'my tonsils are swollen'像'my tonsils are swollen'（我的扁桃腺腫了）, 'he had his tonsils out when he was six'還有'he had his tonsils out when he was six'（他六歲的時候把扁桃腺拿掉了）。That last phrase, 'have your tonsils out'最後那個說法'have your tonsils out', is the everyday way English speakers describe the operation to remove them是英語使用者形容切除手術的日常說法 — you will hear it far more often than the medical name你聽到這個說法的機會，遠比聽到醫學名稱多得多。

Doctors used to remove children's tonsils very readily; these days they are more careful about it, and only do it when the infections keep coming back.

Doctors used to remove children's tonsils very readily醫生以前很輕易就會幫小孩摘除扁桃腺; these days they are more careful about it現在他們比較謹慎, and only do it when the infections keep coming back只有在反覆感染的情況下才會這麼做。