Zinc is a metal — one of the basic elements on the periodic table, symbol Zn. It is a slightly blue-grey silver colour, harder and more brittle than lead, and it melts fairly easily.

Zinc is a metalZinc（鋅）是一種金屬—— one of the basic elements on the periodic table是元素週期表上的基本元素之一， symbol Zn符號是Zn。It它 is a slightly blue-grey silver colour的顏色是帶點藍灰的銀色， harder and more brittle than lead比lead（鉛）更硬也更脆， and it melts fairly easily而且相當容易融化。

You meet it in three main ways. First, as a coating: iron and steel rust, so factories dip or spray them with zinc to keep the air and water off. That is the dull, spotted silver you see on buckets, roofing sheets, fence posts, and nails — the process is called galvanising, and the result is often called 'galvanised iron'.

You你 meet it in three main ways會在三個主要的地方遇到它。First第一， as a coating當作鍍層： iron and steel rust鐵和鋼會生鏽， so factories dip or spray them with zinc所以工廠會用zinc把它們浸過或噴上一層， to keep the air and water off把空氣和水擋在外面。That is the dull, spotted silver那就是那種暗暗的、有斑點的銀色 you see on buckets, roofing sheets, fence posts, and nails你在水桶、屋頂鐵皮、圍籬柱子和釘子上看到的—— the process is called galvanising這個過程叫galvanising（鍍鋅）， and the result is often called 'galvanised iron'做出來的成品常被稱為「galvanised iron（鍍鋅鐵）」。

Second, mixed with copper it makes brass, the yellow metal in door handles, locks, and trumpets.

Second第二， mixed with copper跟copper（銅）混合 it makes brass會做成brass（黃銅）， the yellow metal in door handles, locks, and trumpets就是門把、鎖和小號上那種黃色的金屬。

Third, your body needs a little of it to work properly, so 'zinc' also appears on vitamin bottles and on sunscreen and nappy cream (zinc oxide, the thick white paste that sits on top of the skin instead of soaking in). Zinc is also inside ordinary batteries. In everyday speech people mostly say the word in these last two ways — 'take some zinc' when you have a cold, or 'zinc cream' for the beach.

Third第三， your body needs a little of it你的身體需要一點點zinc to work properly才能正常運作， so 'zinc' also appears所以「zinc」也會出現 on vitamin bottles在維他命罐子上， and on sunscreen and nappy cream還有防曬乳和尿布膏上 (zinc oxide（也就是zinc oxide氧化鋅， the thick white paste一種厚厚的白色膏， that sits on top of the skin instead of soaking in)會停留在皮膚表面而不是被吸收進去）。ordinary batteries一般的電池裡面 Zinc is also inside也有zinc。In everyday speech在日常口語裡， people mostly say the word人們大多是在說這個字 in these last two ways用最後這兩種方式—— 'take some zinc'感冒的時候說「吃一點zinc」， or 'zinc cream'或者 for the beach去海邊的時候說「擦zinc cream（鋅乳膏）」。

It is an uncountable noun, so no 'a' and no plural: 'a piece of zinc', not 'a zinc'. It can also be a verb meaning to coat something with zinc, but that is a technical use you rarely need.

It它 is an uncountable noun是不可數名詞， so no 'a' and no plural所以不加「a」也沒有複數： 'a piece of zinc'要說「a piece of zinc（一塊zinc）」， not 'a zinc'不能說「a zinc」。It它 can also be a verb也可以當動詞用， meaning to coat something with zinc意思是幫某個東西鍍上zinc， but that is a technical use但那是很專業的用法， you rarely need你很少會用到。