A stonemason is a worker whose job is to cut, shape and fit stone for buildings, walls, monuments and gravestones. It is a real trade with a long training — you learn to read the grain of a block, to cut it square, and to set it so the wall stands for centuries.

A stonemason是 a worker whose job is一種工作是 to cut, shape and fit stone切割、塑形、安裝石材 for buildings, walls, monuments and gravestones用於建築、牆面、紀念碑和墓碑的工人。It is a real trade with a long training這是一門需要長期訓練的真正手藝 — you learn to read the grain of a block你要學會看石塊的紋理, to cut it square把它切成方正, and to set it so the wall stands for centuries再把它安放好，讓牆能撐個好幾百年。

Old churches, castles and city halls were all built by stonemasons, and today they are often the people who repair those same old buildings, because ordinary builders do not know how. The word is also used for people who carve the letters on gravestones, which in many towns is the last stonemason business left.

Old churches, castles and city halls老教堂、城堡和市政廳 were all built by stonemasons全都是石匠蓋出來的, and today they are often the people who repair those same old buildings而現在往往也是他們在修復這些老建築, because ordinary builders do not know how因為一般的建築工不懂這門手藝。The word is also used這個字也用 for people who carve the letters on gravestones來指在墓碑上刻字的人, which in many towns is the last stonemason business left在很多小鎮上，這是最後僅存的石匠生意。

Note the shape of the word: 'mason' by itself already means a person who builds with stone or brick, so 'stonemason' is the clearer, more everyday way to say it. In British English you meet 'mason' alone quite often; in American English 'mason' more often makes people think of brick, or of the Freemasons (a private club, nothing to do with the job), so 'stonemason' is the safe word. It is a normal, neutral word — not formal, not old-fashioned — though the job itself is much rarer now than it was.

Note the shape of the word注意這個字的組成：'mason' by itself already means'mason'單獨用已經是指 a person who builds with stone or brick用石頭或磚頭蓋東西的人, so 'stonemason' is所以'stonemason' the clearer, more everyday way to say it是更清楚、更日常的說法。In British English在英式英語裡 you meet 'mason' alone quite often你常常會單獨遇到'mason'這個字；in American English在美式英語裡 'mason' more often makes people think of brick'mason'更常讓人聯想到磚頭, or of the Freemasons或是聯想到共濟會 (a private club, nothing to do with the job)一個私人社團，跟這個職業毫無關係, so 'stonemason' is the safe word所以用'stonemason'比較保險。It is a normal, neutral word這是個普通、中性的字 — not formal, not old-fashioned不正式也不老派 — though the job itself is much rarer now than it was不過這份工作本身現在已經比以前少見得多。