A yew is a kind of tree with dark green leaves shaped like short flat needles, and small soft red fruits that look a bit like berries. It stays green all year, it grows very slowly, and it can live an extremely long time — some yews in England are said to be over a thousand years old.

A yew is a kind of tree with dark green leaves shaped like short flat needlesyew是一種樹，葉子深綠色，形狀像短而扁的針，and small soft red fruits that look a bit like berries還有柔軟的紅色小果實，有點像莓果。It stays green all year它整年都是綠的，it grows very slowly長得非常慢，and it can live an extremely long time而且可以活非常久——some yews in England are said to be over a thousand years old英格蘭有些yew據說超過一千年。

The word also means the wood of that tree, which is hard but bends well, so in old England people made the famous longbow from yew. In Britain you very often see yew trees in church graveyards, so for British people the word carries a quiet feeling of old churches, death and long memory; poems use it that way.

The word also means the wood of that tree這個字也指這種樹的木材，which is hard but bends well木質堅硬但很有彈性，so in old England people made the famous longbow from yew所以古英格蘭人用yew做出有名的長弓。In Britain在英國 you very often see yew trees in church graveyards你常常會在教堂墓園裡看到yew樹，so for British people the word carries a quiet feeling of old churches, death and long memory所以對英國人來說這個字帶著一種老教堂、死亡和悠長記憶的沉靜感覺；poems use it that way詩裡也是這樣用它。

Gardeners also plant yew as a hedge, because you can cut it into neat walls and shapes.

Gardeners also plant yew as a hedge園丁也把yew種成樹籬，because you can cut it into neat walls and shapes因為可以把它修剪成整齊的牆面和形狀。

One important fact: nearly all of a yew tree is poisonous — the leaves, the seeds, the bark. Only the soft red part around the seed is not, but nobody should test that. Interestingly, one of the real medicines used against cancer, paclitaxel (Taxol), first came from the bark of a yew.

One important fact一個重要的事實：nearly all of a yew tree is poisonousyew樹幾乎全株都有毒——the leaves, the seeds, the bark葉子、種子、樹皮都是。Only the soft red part around the seed is not只有種子外面那層軟軟的紅色部分沒有毒，but nobody should test that但沒有人應該去試。Interestingly有趣的是，one of the real medicines used against cancer, paclitaxel (Taxol), first came from the bark of a yew用來對抗癌症的一種真正藥物紫杉醇（Taxol）最初就是來自yew的樹皮。

You can say "a yew" or "a yew tree"; both are normal. As a describing word it means made of yew wood: a yew bow, a yew table.

You can say "a yew" or "a yew tree"你可以說「a yew」或「a yew tree」；both are normal兩種都很正常。As a describing word當形容詞用 it means made of yew wood意思是yew木做的：a yew bowyew木弓，a yew tableyew木桌。