A bookmaker is not a person who makes books. That is the trap, and it is a very reasonable one.

A bookmaker is not a person who makes booksbookmaker不是做書、印書的人。That is the trap這是個容易誤會的陷阱，and it is a very reasonable one而且是個很合理的誤會。

A bookmaker takes the money people want to risk on a race, a match, and so on, sets the odds, and pays the ones who guessed right. The “book” here is the old name for the list of bets they write down. In 19th-century England they said they would make a book, and the job-name grew from that.

A bookmaker takes the money people want to risk on a race, a match, and so onbookmaker收下大家想拿去賭賽馬、比賽之類的錢，sets the odds訂出賠率，and pays the ones who guessed right然後付錢給猜對的人。The “book” here is the old name for the list of bets they write down這裡的「book」是他們寫下賭注清單的舊稱。In 19th-century England they said they would make a book在十九世紀的英國，他們會說要make a book，and the job-name grew from that這個職業名稱就是這樣來的。

In everyday British English you also hear bookie, which is the same work, just shorter and more street.

In everyday British English you also hear bookie在日常英式英語裡你也會聽到bookie，which is the same work, just shorter and more street做的是同樣的工作，只是講法更短、更街頭。

It is a real job, often licensed; it is not only a friend holding cash at a table, though the idea is cousin to that. In the US people more often say sportsbook for the place.

It is a real job, often licensed這是個真實的職業，通常還要有執照；it is not only a friend holding cash at a table並不只是朋友在桌邊收現金那種，though the idea is cousin to that雖然概念上是親戚關係。In the US people more often say sportsbook for the place在美國人們比較常用sportsbook稱呼那個場所。

You will meet it in news about racing and betting; bookie is the informal cousin.

You will meet it in news about racing and betting你會在賽馬和博弈的新聞裡看到這個字；bookie is the informal cousinbookie則是它比較口語的親戚。