The changing of one substance or one kind of thing into a different substance or kind of thing. Not just a new shape or a new colour — the thing itself becomes something else. Water freezing into ice is not really transmutation, because it is still water. Lead becoming gold would be.

The changing of one substance or one kind of thing指一種物質或一種東西 into a different substance or kind of thing變成另一種不同的物質或東西。Not just a new shape or a new colour不只是形狀或顏色的改變 — the thing itself becomes something else是那個東西本身變成別的東西。Water freezing into ice水結成冰 is not really transmutation不算真正的transmutation, because it is still water因為它仍然是水。Lead becoming gold鉛變成金子 would be就算。

That gold example is where the word lives in most people's heads. For hundreds of years, alchemists tried to find a way to turn cheap metal into gold, and 'transmutation' was their word for it. Modern science did eventually change one element into another inside a nuclear reactor, and scientists still call that transmutation — so the word has a real technical home in physics and chemistry today, especially when people talk about transmutation of nuclear waste into safer material.

That gold example這個「變金子」的例子 is where the word lives in most people's heads就是大部分人腦中對這個字的印象。For hundreds of years好幾百年來, alchemists tried to find a way to turn cheap metal into gold煉金術士一直試著找方法把便宜的金屬變成黃金, and 'transmutation' was their word for it'transmutation'就是他們用來稱呼這件事的字。Modern science did eventually change one element into another inside a nuclear reactor現代科學後來確實在核反應爐裡把一種元素變成另一種元素, and scientists still call that transmutation科學家仍然把這件事稱作transmutation — so the word has a real technical home in physics and chemistry today所以這個字在今天的物理和化學領域裡有一個真正的專業地位, especially when people talk about transmutation of nuclear waste into safer material尤其是在講把核廢料轉化成更安全物質的transmutation的時候。

Outside science, it is used for deep change in general: the transmutation of grief into art, the transmutation of a hobby into a career. Used this way it sounds serious, a little old-fashioned, a little grand — a writer's word, not a chatting word.

Outside science在科學之外, it is used for deep change in general它也用來泛指深刻的轉變: the transmutation of grief into art像悲傷轉化成藝術的transmutation, the transmutation of a hobby into a career興趣愛好轉變成職業的transmutation。Used this way這樣用的時候 it sounds serious, a little old-fashioned, a little grand聽起來很嚴肅，帶點老派、有點宏大 — a writer's word, not a chatting word是作家會用的字，不是聊天會用的字。

It is a noun; the verb is 'transmute'. Common pattern: 'the transmutation of A into B'.

It is a noun這是名詞; the verb is 'transmute'動詞是'transmute'。Common pattern常見的句型是: 'the transmutation of A into B''the transmutation of A into B'（A轉化成B）。