A vice-admiral is a very senior officer in a navy — in Britain and the United States, one of the top ranks. The word names both the rank itself and the person holding it, so you can say 'he was promoted to vice-admiral' and 'Vice-Admiral Nelson gave the order'.

A vice-admiralA vice-admiral（中將） is a very senior officer in a navy是海軍裡非常資深的軍官 — in Britain and the United States, one of the top ranks在英國和美國，是最高階的軍階之一。The word names both the rank itself and the person holding it這個字既指這個軍階本身，也指擔任這個軍階的人, so you can say 'he was promoted to vice-admiral' and 'Vice-Admiral Nelson gave the order'所以你可以說'he was promoted to vice-admiral'（他晉升為中將），也可以說'Vice-Admiral Nelson gave the order'（Nelson中將下了命令）。

In the navy the admiral ranks go, from lower to higher: rear admiral, then vice-admiral, then admiral, then (in wartime or ceremony) admiral of the fleet. So a vice-admiral is above a rear admiral and below a full admiral. A person at this level commands a fleet or a large part of the navy, not a single ship.

In the navy the admiral ranks go, from lower to higher在海軍裡，admiral（將官）的軍階由低到高排列: rear admiral, then vice-admiral, then admiral, then (in wartime or ceremony) admiral of the fleet是rear admiral（少將）、然後vice-admiral（中將）、然後admiral（上將）、再來（戰時或典禮上）是admiral of the fleet（艦隊元帥）。So a vice-admiral is above a rear admiral and below a full admiral所以vice-admiral高於rear admiral，低於admiral。A person at this level commands a fleet or a large part of the navy這個階級的人指揮一支艦隊，或海軍的一大部分, not a single ship而不是單一一艘船。

Note the odd thing about 'vice' here: it does not mean the person is second-in-command to one particular admiral, the way a vice-president serves under one president. It is simply the name of a rank, and there are many vice-admirals at once.

Note the odd thing about 'vice' here注意這裡'vice'這個字有個奇怪的地方: it does not mean the person is second-in-command to one particular admiral它不是說這個人是某一位特定admiral的副手, the way a vice-president serves under one president不像vice-president（副總統）是在某一位總統底下做事那樣。It is simply the name of a rank它單純只是一個軍階的名稱, and there are many vice-admirals at once而且同一時間會有很多位vice-admiral。

As a title before a name it is capitalised and often shortened in writing to 'Vice Adm.' or 'VAdm'. British spelling usually keeps the hyphen; American writing often drops it and writes 'vice admiral'.

As a title before a name當它放在名字前面當頭銜時, it is capitalised要大寫, and often shortened in writing to 'Vice Adm.' or 'VAdm'書寫時也常縮寫成'Vice Adm.'或'VAdm'。British spelling usually keeps the hyphen英式拼法通常保留連字號; American writing often drops it and writes 'vice admiral'美式寫法常常拿掉連字號，寫成'vice admiral'。

You will meet this word mostly in history, news about the navy, and films — it is not an everyday word.

You will meet this word mostly in history, news about the navy, and films你大多會在歷史、海軍相關新聞，和電影裡遇到這個字 — it is not an everyday word這不是一個日常用字。