A V-chip is a small part built into a television that lets parents block programmes they do not want their children to see. It works with the rating that a programme carries — the little box in the corner saying who the programme is suitable for. A parent sets the television to refuse anything above a chosen level, locks the setting with a password, and after that the television will not show those programmes even if the child changes channel to them.

A V-chip是 is a small part built into a television是內建在電視裡的一個小零件，that lets parents block programmes they do not want their children to see讓家長可以封鎖不想讓孩子看到的節目。It works with the rating that a programme carries它是搭配節目所帶的分級標示運作的——the little box in the corner saying who the programme is suitable for就是螢幕角落那個小方框，寫著這個節目適合誰看。A parent sets the television to refuse anything above a chosen level家長把電視設定成拒絕播放超過某個等級的內容，locks the setting with a password用密碼鎖住這個設定，and after that the television will not show those programmes even if the child changes channel to them之後就算孩子轉台過去，電視也不會播出那些節目。

The V stands for violence, because worry about violence on TV is what pushed the law through, but in practice the chip blocks by rating, so sex and rough language get caught too. In the United States a law from 1996 made this chip compulsory in new sets, so the word turns up a lot in writing from the late 1990s and early 2000s about children and television.

The V stands for violence這個 V 代表 violence（暴力），because worry about violence on TV is what pushed the law through因為就是對電視暴力的擔憂推動了這條法律通過，but in practice the chip blocks by rating不過實際上這晶片是依照分級來封鎖的，so sex and rough language get caught too所以色情和粗俗語言也會一併被擋下來。In the United States在美國 a law from 1996 made this chip compulsory in new sets1996年的一項法律規定新電視都必須內建這個晶片，so the word turns up a lot in writing from the late 1990s and early 2000s about children and television所以這個詞在1990年代末到2000年代初，關於兒童與電視的文章裡經常出現。

Today it sounds a bit old. Children watch on phones and streaming apps, which have their own parental controls, so people now say "parental controls" or "parental lock" far more often than V-chip. You will still meet the word in articles about that period, in arguments about who should protect children from media, and sometimes as a joke — people say things like "I wish life had a V-chip".

Today it sounds a bit old現在聽起來有點過時了。Children watch on phones and streaming apps孩子現在是用手機和串流App看節目，which have their own parental controls這些平台有自己的家長監護功能，so people now say "parental controls" or "parental lock" far more often than V-chip所以人們現在更常說「parental controls（家長監護）」或「parental lock（家長鎖）」，而不是 V-chip。You will still meet the word in articles about that period你還是會在講那個年代的文章裡遇到這個詞，in arguments about who should protect children from media在誰該保護兒童免受媒體影響的爭論裡，and sometimes as a joke也偶爾當成玩笑話——people say things like "I wish life had a V-chip"人們會說像「我真希望人生也有個 V-chip」這樣的話。

Note that it is written with a capital V and a hyphen.

Note that要注意 it is written with a capital V and a hyphen這個詞是用大寫 V 加連字號寫的。