Polytheism is the belief that there is more than one god.

Polytheism is the belief polytheism是一種信念，that there is more than one god相信神不只一個。

Old Greek and Roman stories, with a sky god, a sea god, a love god, are the picture most schoolbooks draw. Hindu life, with many gods and goddesses, is often put in this box too.

Old Greek and Roman stories古希臘和羅馬的故事，with a sky god, a sea god, a love god裡面有天空之神、海洋之神、愛神，are the picture most schoolbooks draw是大多教科書描繪的畫面。Hindu life印度教的生活，with many gods and goddesses有很多男神和女神，is often put in this box too也常被放進這個分類裡。

The opposite school-word is monotheism: one God. Atheism is “no god.” This is a formal, classroom and textbook word. People who actually pray to many gods may never use it about themselves; it is a label from outside.

The opposite school-word is monotheism相反的教科書用字是monotheism，one God一神信仰。Atheism is "no god"atheism就是「沒有神」。This is a formal, classroom and textbook word這些都是正式的、課堂教科書用字。People who actually pray to many gods may never use it about themselves真正拜很多神的人可能從來不會這樣稱呼自己；it is a label from outside這是外人貼上去的標籤。

Though actually, real life is messier than the tidy three boxes. A person may bow to many gods at a temple and still talk about one heaven, or care more about practice than about counting gods. In Taiwan you already know temples with many names on the altar. That lived picture is closer than any clean definition.

Though actually不過事實上，real life is messier than the tidy three boxes真實生活比這三個整齊的分類要亂得多。A person may bow to many gods at a temple一個人可能在廟裡對很多神明鞠躬，and still talk about one heaven卻還是在講一個天，or care more about practice than about counting gods或者更在乎實踐而不是計算神明的數目。In Taiwan you already know temples with many names on the altar在台灣你早就認識神壇上有很多名字的廟。That lived picture is closer than any clean definition這個活生生的畫面比任何乾淨的定義都更貼近真實。

Do not mix this with “many religions in one country.” That is pluralism, a different idea.

Do not mix this with "many religions in one country"不要把這個和「一個國家裡有很多宗教」搞混。That is pluralism那個叫pluralism宗教多元，a different idea是不一樣的概念。