A beeper is a small machine you used to clip on a belt or keep in a bag. When someone needed you, it made a short, high electronic sound — a beep — and you knew you should find a phone and call them back.

A beeper is a small machineBeeper是一種小機器 you used to clip on a belt or keep in a bag以前人會夾在皮帶上，或放在包包裡。 When someone needed you當有人找你的時候, it made a short, high electronic sound它會發出一聲短促、高頻的電子聲 — a beep — beep一聲 — and you knew you should find a phone and call them back你就知道該去找電話回撥給對方。

Doctors, repair people, and parents of teenagers carried them a lot in the 1980s and 1990s.

Doctors, repair people, and parents of teenagers醫生、維修人員，還有青少年的父母 carried them a lot很常帶著它 in the 1980s and 1990s在一九八零、九零年代。

Though actually the machine did a bit more than the tidy picture: later ones could show a short number or a tiny message, not only make a noise.

Though actually不過其實 the machine did a bit more than the tidy picture這機器做的事比這個工整的印象多一點: later ones could show a short number or a tiny message後來的機型可以顯示一小串號碼或一則小訊息, not only make a noise不只是發出聲音而已。

In everyday American English this is the usual word; in Britain people more often said pager.

In everyday American English this is the usual word在日常美式英語裡，這是常見用字; in Britain people more often said pager在英國，人們比較常說pager。

You will hardly see a real beeper now, because a mobile phone does the same job and much more.

You will hardly see a real beeper now你現在幾乎看不到真正的beeper了, because a mobile phone does the same job and much more因為手機做得到一樣的事，還做得更多。

Loosely, some people also call any little gadget that beeps a beeper (a kitchen timer, a truck reversing), but the core meaning is this call-me machine. It is informal and a bit dated — a word with a smell of an older time.

Loosely廣義來說, some people also call any little gadget that beeps a beeper有些人也會把任何會發出嗶嗶聲的小裝置叫做beeper (a kitchen timer, a truck reversing)（廚房計時器、卡車倒車的聲音）, but the core meaning is this call-me machine但核心的意思還是這個「找我請回電」的機器。 It is informal and a bit dated這是個非正式，又有點過時的字 — a word with a smell of an older time帶著舊時代味道的字。