Cartilage is a tough, flexible connective tissue found in various parts of the body.
Anatomical Tissue
EN: A firm, rubbery connective tissue that cushions joints and provides structure.
翻譯: 一種堅韌、有彈性的結締組織，能緩衝關節並提供結構支撐。
Skeletal Component
EN: The main component of the skeletons of embryos and some adult animals like sharks.
翻譯: 是胚胎以及某些成年動物（如鯊魚）骨骼的主要構成部分。
Body Locations
EN: Found in the nose, ears, trachea, ribs, and between bones in joints.
翻譯: 存在於鼻子、耳朵、氣管、肋骨以及關節的骨頭之間。
Medical Context
EN: Can be damaged or wear down, leading to conditions like osteoarthritis.
翻譯: 可能受損或磨損，導致如骨關節炎等病症。
小提醒：Remember that 'cartilage' is an uncountable noun. You have 'some cartilage' or 'a piece of cartilage', not 'a cartilage'.
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Cartilage" from YouTube Videos
Kevin Stone: The bio-future of joint replacement
TED
“So let me just start with my story. So I tore my knee joint meniscus cartilage playing soccer in college.”
1. a strong, flexible connective tissue found in various parts of the body, such as joints, ears, and nose
一種強韌、有彈性的結締組織，存在於身體多個部位，如關節、耳朵和鼻子
The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee that acts as a shock absorber.
半月板是膝蓋中的一塊軟骨，起到緩衝減震的作用。
Sharks have skeletons made entirely of cartilage, not bone.
鯊魚的骨骼完全由軟骨構成，而非硬骨。
2. the specific tissue that cushions the ends of bones in a joint, allowing smooth movement
特指在關節中墊於骨頭末端、使活動順暢的組織
Arthritis can cause the protective cartilage in the joints to wear down over time.
關節炎會導致關節中起保護作用的軟骨隨著時間磨損。
The surgeon repaired the damaged cartilage in the athlete's shoulder.
外科醫生修復了運動員肩部受損的軟骨。
3. the flexible, translucent tissue that forms the structure of body parts like the outer ear and the tip of the nose
構成外耳、鼻尖等身體部位結構的彈性、半透明組織
The framework of the outer ear is made of cartilage covered by skin.
外耳的框架是由皮膚覆蓋的軟骨構成的。
A blow to the nose can fracture the delicate nasal cartilage.
鼻子受到撞擊可能會使脆弱的鼻軟骨骨折。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cartilage + verb (e.g., wears down, tears) | 軟骨 + 動詞（描述其狀態或變化） | The cartilage in his knee has worn down over time. (他膝蓋的軟骨隨著時間已經磨損了。) |
| adjective + cartilage (e.g., healthy, damaged, articular) | 形容詞 + 軟骨（描述其性質） | Surgeons replaced the damaged cartilage with a graft. (外科醫生用移植物替換了受損的軟骨。) |
| cartilage + of + [body part] | [身體部位] 的軟骨 | The cartilage of the ear is quite flexible. (耳朵的軟骨相當有彈性。) |
| cartilage + between/in + [bones/joints] | 位於 [骨骼/關節] 之間/內的軟骨 | The cartilage between the vertebrae acts as a shock absorber. (椎骨之間的軟骨起到緩衝作用。) |
| have + cartilage + [past participle] (e.g., repaired, removed) | 軟骨被 [修復、移除等] | She had the torn cartilage in her shoulder repaired. (她肩膀撕裂的軟骨被修復了。) |
| loss/degeneration of cartilage | 軟骨的流失/退化 | Osteoarthritis involves the gradual degeneration of cartilage. (骨關節炎涉及軟骨的逐漸退化。) |
對比例句： EN: Sharks have skeletons made of cartilage. 翻譯: 鯊魚的骨骼是由軟骨構成的。
EN:Sharks are cartilaginous fish.
翻譯:鯊魚屬於軟骨魚類。
在英文中，請記住 cartilage (n.) 是「軟骨」這種組織，而 cartilaginous (adj.) 是用來形容「由軟骨組成」的相關特性。
cartilage vs bone
cartilage（軟骨）柔軟有彈性，bone（骨頭）堅硬且提供主要支撐。
cartilage vs ligament
cartilage（軟骨）是緩衝骨骼的結締組織，ligament（韌帶）是連接骨骼的帶狀組織。
cartilage vs tendon
cartilage（軟骨）位於骨骼末端起緩衝作用，tendon（肌腱）連接肌肉與骨骼。
在對話中，當引述或提及從他人（如醫生、老師）那裡聽到的資訊時，會使用這個詞。 EN: My doctor said the cartilage in my knee is wearing thin. 翻譯: 我的醫生說我膝蓋的軟骨磨損得很薄了。
EN:I heard him explain that cartilage doesn't have its own blood supply.
翻譯:我聽他解釋說軟骨本身沒有血液供應。
在強調身體部位的問題、損傷或特殊性時使用，常與「我的」、「你的」或具體部位名稱連用。 EN: Ouch, I think I actually damaged the cartilage this time. 翻譯: 哎喲，我覺得我這次真的傷到軟骨了。
EN:The cartilage in your ears and nose is so flexible!
翻譯:你耳朵和鼻子裡的軟骨真的好有彈性！
在組織思維、尋找合適詞語時，可能會用這個詞作為停頓的一部分，尤其是在描述身體結構或健康問題的對話中。 EN: The issue is... cartilage... it doesn't heal like other tissues. 翻譯: 問題是...軟骨...它不像其他組織那樣癒合。
EN:After the injury, the, uh, cartilage in my wrist never felt the same.
翻譯:受傷之後，我手腕的那個，呃，軟骨感覺就再也不一樣了。
正式寫作注意：在學術論文、醫學報告或正式文件中，應使用更精確的術語（如「關節軟骨」、「透明軟骨」）並避免口語中的停頓或隨意引述風格。
cartilage damage
noun + noun
軟骨損傷
articular cartilage
adjective + noun
關節軟骨
tear cartilage
verb + noun
撕裂軟骨
cartilage loss
noun + noun
軟骨流失
costal cartilage
adjective + noun
肋軟骨
cartilage graft
noun + noun
軟骨移植
cartilage and bone
noun + conjunction + noun
軟骨與骨骼
cartilage healing
noun + noun
軟骨癒合
×The cartilage in my knee is broken.
✓The cartilage in my knee is torn/damaged.
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue, not a hard bone. It doesn't "break" like bone; it gets torn, frayed, or damaged.
×I have a pain in my cartilage.
✓I have pain in the area with cartilage / where the cartilage is.
Cartilage itself has few nerve endings, so people don't typically feel pain "in" the cartilage tissue directly. Pain is felt in the joint or area where cartilage is located.
×Cartilage is a kind of bone.
✓Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue, different from bone.
Cartilage and bone are both connective tissues but are fundamentally different. Bone is hard and calcified; cartilage is flexible and rubbery.
×He injured his cartilage bone.
✓He injured his cartilage. / He injured a bone and the surrounding cartilage.
"Cartilage bone" is not a standard term. They are two distinct tissues. Use "cartilage" alone or specify both if needed.
×I need a surgery to remove my cartilage.
✓I need surgery to repair/remove damaged cartilage.
The article "a" is usually omitted before "surgery" in this medical context. Also, surgeons typically remove only the *damaged* part, not all cartilage.