To transcend something is to rise above it, to go past the limit it sets.

To transcend somethingTranscend某個東西，is意思是 to rise above it超越它，to go past the limit it sets越過它所設下的界線。

Music transcends language: it reaches people who share no words. A film transcends its small budget: the money should have limited it, but it turned out better than that limit allowed. The word carries a sense of climbing out of a box that was supposed to hold you, and it usually carries approval — what transcends is admired.

Music音樂 transcends languagetranscend語言：it它 reaches people who share no words能觸及那些沒有共同語言的人。A film一部電影 transcends its small budgettranscend它的小成本：the money照理說資金 should have limited it應該限制了它，but但 it turned out better than that limit allowed成果卻超出那個限制所允許的水準。The word這個字 carries a sense of climbing out of a box帶有一種爬出箱子的感覺 that was supposed to hold you那個箱子原本該困住你，and而且 it usually carries approval它通常帶有讚賞的意味——what transcends is admired能transcend的東西是受人欽佩的。

Two flavours worth separating. The everyday one means simply 'to be greater than, to go beyond' — problems that transcend national borders, a talent that transcends her age. The heavier one is religious and philosophical: to transcend the physical world, to transcend the self, meaning to move to a level above ordinary human experience altogether.

Two flavours worth separating有兩種語感值得分開來看。The everyday one日常的那種 means simply單純意思是 'to be greater than, to go beyond'「超過、超出」——problems that transcend national borders像是transcend國界的問題，a talent that transcends her age transcend她年齡的天分。The heavier one比較重的那種 is religious and philosophical是宗教和哲學上的用法：to transcend the physical worldtranscend物質世界，to transcend the selftranscend自我，meaning意思是 to move to a level above ordinary human experience altogether移動到一個完全超乎一般人類經驗的層次。

Because of that second flavour the word always sounds serious and slightly lofty; you would not use it about small things. 'This soup transcends' is a joke, and English speakers do make that joke.

Because of that second flavour因為有那第二種語感，the word這個字 always sounds serious and slightly lofty聽起來總是很嚴肅、有點高高在上；you would not use it about small things你不會用它來講小事情。'This soup transcends'「This soup transcends（這碗湯超凡入聖）」 is a joke是個玩笑話，and而 English speakers do make that joke英語使用者真的會這樣開玩笑。