An interregnum is the stretch of time when the top seat is empty and people are waiting for the next ruler or leader. Historians first used it for kings and queens: the old monarch is gone, the new one has not taken the throne yet, and the country goes on in that in-between.

An interregnum是 the stretch of time一段時間，when the top seat is empty最高位子空著，and people are waiting大家在等 for the next ruler or leader下一位統治者或領導人上任。Historians first used it for kings and queens歷史學家最早是拿它來講國王和女王：the old monarch is gone舊的君主已經不在了，the new one has not taken the throne yet新的還沒登基，and the country goes on in that in-between國家就在那個中間狀態繼續運作下去。

The same picture is now used for a government, a party, a company, or even a club with no chief. The organisation is not finished; it is paused at the top.

The same picture is now used for a government, a party, a company, or even a club with no chief現在這個畫面也用在沒有領導人的政府、政黨、公司，甚至社團上。The organisation is not finished這個組織並沒有結束；it is paused at the top只是最上面那個位子暫停了。

It is a formal, Latin-sounding word. You meet it in history, political news, and careful writing. At the dinner table people almost never say it; they say the gap, or until we get someone new.

It is a formal, Latin-sounding word這是個正式、聽起來像拉丁文的字。You meet it in history, political news, and careful writing你會在歷史、政治新聞，和嚴謹的寫作裡遇到它。At the dinner table在餐桌上people almost never say it人們幾乎不會這樣講；they say the gap他們會說the gap，or until we get someone new或until we get someone new。

Though actually, speakers also stretch it to any pause between two periods of control, which is looser than the old no-king meaning, but that looser use is real. There is a learned plural, interregna, still seen in scholarly prose; interregnums is also used.

Though actually不過其實，speakers also stretch it to any pause between two periods of control使用者也會把它引申到任何兩段統治之間的空檔，which is looser than the old no-king meaning這比舊的「沒有國王」意思鬆一些，but that looser use is real但這種比較鬆的用法確實存在。There is a learned plural還有一個學術上的複數形，interregna叫interregna，still seen in scholarly prose在學術文章裡還看得到；interregnums is also used interregnums這個複數形也有人用。