Vegetarianism is the practice, or the belief system, of not eating meat or fish. It is the name for the whole idea, not for a person — a person is a vegetarian.

Vegetarianism is the practice素食主義是這種做法, or the belief system或這套信念, of not eating meat or fish就是不吃肉也不吃魚。It is the name for the whole idea它是整個這個概念的名稱, not for a person不是指一個人 —— a person is a vegetarian一個人要叫vegetarian(素食者)。

Because it ends in -ism, it works like a topic word: you talk *about* vegetarianism, you argue for or against it, you write an essay on it. It is a fairly formal, written-sounding word; in everyday speech people simply say "I'm vegetarian" or "she doesn't eat meat".

Because it ends in -ism因為字尾是-ism, it works like a topic word它的用法就像一個主題詞: you talk about vegetarianism你會談論vegetarianism這件事, you argue for or against it會贊成或反對它, you write an essay on it會寫一篇關於它的文章。It is a fairly formal, written-sounding word這是一個相當正式、書面感的字; in everyday speech people simply say "I'm vegetarian" or "she doesn't eat meat"日常口語裡大家只會說"I'm vegetarian"或"she doesn't eat meat"。

People choose it for different reasons — health, animals, religion, the environment — and the word covers all of them without saying which.

People choose it for different reasons人們選擇吃素的理由各不相同 —— health, animals, religion, the environment健康、動物、宗教、環境 —— and the word covers all of them without saying which而這個字把這些理由全部包含在內,不特別指明是哪一種。

In practice most vegetarians still eat eggs and dairy; not eating any animal product at all is veganism, a stricter thing with its own word.

In practice most vegetarians still eat eggs and dairy實際上大多數vegetarian還是會吃蛋和乳製品; not eating any animal product at all完全不吃任何動物性產品 is veganism才叫veganism, a stricter thing with its own word是更嚴格的做法,有自己專屬的字。

The word is uncountable, so no 'a' and no plural.

The word is uncountable這個字是不可數名詞, so no 'a' and no plural所以前面不加'a',也沒有複數形式。