A towbar is a strong metal bar fixed to the back of a car, so the car can pull something behind it — a caravan (a house on wheels you sleep in), a boat on a trailer, a small trailer full of garden rubbish. The bar sticks out low under the back bumper and ends in a metal ball; the thing you are pulling has a cup that drops over that ball and locks on. That ball shape is the whole point: it lets the trailer swing left and right as the car turns corners, instead of snapping off.

A towbar拖車桿 is a strong metal bar是一根堅固的金屬桿 fixed to the back of a car固定在車子後方，so the car can pull something behind it讓車子可以拖著後面的東西——a caravan (a house on wheels you sleep in)像是 caravan（a house房子 on wheels輪子 you sleep in可以睡在裡面），a boat on a trailer拖車上的一艘船，a small trailer full of garden rubbish或一台裝滿庭院垃圾的小拖車。The bar這根桿子 sticks out low under the back bumper從後保險桿下方低低伸出 and ends in a metal ball末端是一個金屬球；the thing you are pulling你要拖的東西 has a cup有一個凹槽 that drops over that ball and locks on會套進那顆球然後鎖住。That ball shape這種球形設計 is the whole point就是重點所在：it lets the trailer swing left and right它讓拖車可以左右擺動 as the car turns corners在車子轉彎的時候，instead of snapping off而不會斷開。

The word is British and Australian more than American — in the US people usually say tow hitch, or just hitch, and a big pickup truck almost always has one. In Britain you hear 'Does your car have a towbar?' before a friend asks you to help them move house.

The word這個字 is British and Australian more than American比較是英式和澳式，不太是美式的說法——in the US在美國 people usually say tow hitch, or just hitch人們通常說 tow hitch，或直接說 hitch，and a big pickup truck而一輛大型皮卡 almost always has one幾乎都會有一個。In Britain在英國 you hear 'Does your car have a towbar?'你會聽到「你的車有拖車桿嗎？」 before a friend asks you to help them move house在朋友開口請你幫忙搬家之前。

One small thing worth knowing: a towbar is for pulling something that has its own wheels. If a car has broken down and must be dragged away, that is a job for a tow truck with a rope or a lifting arm, not for the towbar on your friend's car.

One small thing worth knowing有件小事值得知道：a towbar is for pulling something拖車桿是用來拖東西的 that has its own wheels那個東西要有自己的輪子。If a car has broken down如果一輛車拋錨了 and must be dragged away必須被拖走，that is a job for a tow truck那是拖吊車的工作 with a rope or a lifting arm用繩索或吊臂，not for the towbar on your friend's car而不是你朋友車上的拖車桿。

And people do use towbars for things that are not trailers at all — bike racks that clip onto the ball are very common now, so you will see a car with four bicycles hanging off the back, held up by the towbar.

And而且 people do use towbars人們確實會用拖車桿 for things that are not trailers at all來拖完全不是拖車的東西——bike racks that clip onto the ball卡在球頭上的腳踏車架 are very common now現在非常常見，so you will see a car with four bicycles所以你會看到一輛車掛著四台腳踏車 hanging off the back掛在車後，held up by the towbar由拖車桿撐著。