Marquetry is a way of decorating wood — tables, boxes, cabinets — by fitting together small, thin pieces of different-coloured wood so they make a picture or a pattern, then gluing them down and polishing the surface smooth. The word also names the art itself: someone can study marquetry.

Marquetry是一種裝飾木器的方式 is a way of decorating wood——tables, boxes, cabinets像桌子、盒子、櫃子——by fitting together small, thin pieces of different-coloured wood透過拼接不同顏色的薄木片 so they make a picture or a pattern拼出一幅圖或一種圖案, then gluing them down and polishing the surface smooth再把它們黏牢、把表面磨平。The word also names the art itself這個字也指這門技藝本身: someone can study marquetry有人可以專門學習marquetry。

It is slow, skilled work, and you see it most on older European furniture. People use inlay rather loosely for any material set into another; marquetry is specifically those fitted wood pictures sitting on the surface, like a puzzle that has become part of the object.

It is slow, skilled work這是緩慢又講究技術的工作, and you see it most on older European furniture你最常在較舊的歐洲家具上看到它。People use inlay rather loosely大家用inlay(鑲嵌)這個字比較鬆散 for any material set into another指任何嵌進另一種材質裡的東西; marquetry is specifically而marquetry specifically指的是 those fitted wood pictures sitting on the surface那種拼在表面上的木片圖案, like a puzzle that has become part of the object就像一塊變成物品一部分的拼圖。

It is a specialist word. Most learners will meet it in a museum, an antique shop, or a design book, not in daily chat. It has nothing to do with marble, even though the start of the word can trick the ear.

It is a specialist word這是個專門用字。Most learners大部分學習者 will meet it會在 in a museum, an antique shop, or a design book博物館、古董店、或設計書裡遇到它, not in daily chat而不是在日常閒聊裡。It has nothing to do with marble它跟marble(大理石)一點關係都沒有, even though the start of the word can trick the ear儘管這個字開頭的發音會讓耳朵誤會。