If something is topical, people are interested in it right now because it connects to what is happening in the news at this moment. A topical joke, a topical song, a topical drama — these are about things everyone has been reading about this week. The important part is the timing, not the importance: something can be very important and still not be topical, if nobody happens to be talking about it.

If something is topical如果某件事是 topical（時事的）, people are interested in it right now表示大家現在對它有興趣 because it connects to what is happening in the news at this moment因為它跟此刻新聞正在發生的事有關。A topical jokeA topical joke（時事笑話）, a topical songa topical song（時事歌曲）, a topical dramaa topical drama（時事劇） — these are about things everyone has been reading about this week這些講的都是這星期大家都在關注的事。The important part is the timing, not the importance重點在於時機，不在於重要性: something can be very important一件事可能非常重要 and still not be topical但還是不算 topical, if nobody happens to be talking about it如果剛好沒有人在談論它。

And topical things go stale. A topical joke from three years ago often means nothing to you now, because the news it hung on has gone.

And而且 topical things topical 的東西 go stale會變得過時。A topical joke from three years ago三年前的一個 topical 笑話 often means nothing to you now現在對你來說常常一點意義也沒有, because the news it hung on has gone因為它依附的新聞已經過去了。

Medicine uses the same word in a completely separate way: a topical cream or topical medicine is one you put on the skin at the spot that hurts, instead of swallowing it. That sense is very common on medicine boxes and in doctors' talk, and it comes from the same 'place' root — it works on the place, not on the whole body.

Medicine uses the same word in a completely separate way醫學上會用同一個字，但意思完全不同: a topical cream or topical medicinetopical cream（外用藥膏）或 topical medicine（外用藥） is one you put on the skin at the spot that hurts是塗在皮膚痛的地方的藥, instead of swallowing it而不是吞下去的。That sense is very common on medicine boxes and in doctors' talk這個意思在藥盒上和醫生的用語裡非常常見, and it comes from the same 'place' root而且它來自同一個「地方」的字根 — it works on the place, not on the whole body意思是作用在那個部位，而不是整個身體。

There is also a drier, more academic use meaning simply 'to do with a topic' — 'a topical index' groups things by subject. If you meet the word in a review, an exam question or a newspaper, the 'in the news' meaning is almost always the one intended.

There is also還有 a drier, more academic use一個比較乾、比較學術的用法 meaning simply 'to do with a topic'單純指「跟主題有關」 — 'a topical index' groups things by subject像「a topical index（主題索引）」就是照主題分類東西。If you meet the word in a review, an exam question or a newspaper如果你在書評、考題，或報紙裡遇到這個字, the 'in the news' meaning is almost always the one intended幾乎都是指「跟時事有關」的那個意思。