In the past, a courtesan was a woman who spent time with rich or important men and was paid for it — for company, for talk, for being seen with them, and for sex. She was not a wife.

In the past在過去, a courtesan was a woman who spent time with rich or important men and was paid for itcourtesan 指的是陪伴有錢或有權勢的男人、並因此收錢的女性 — for company, for talk, for being seen with them, and for sex收錢陪伴、收錢談話、收錢讓人看見兩人在一起，也收錢發生性關係。She她 was not a wife不是妻子。

Writers often drew a line between a courtesan and a woman who sold sex in the street: the courtesan was dressed for palaces, sometimes famous, and close to a court. That is why the word sits next to courtier.

Writers often drew a line between a courtesan and a woman who sold sex in the street作家常常把 courtesan 跟在街頭賣身的女性劃清界線: the courtesan was dressed for palaces, sometimes famous, and close to a courtcourtesan 的穿著是給宮廷場合的，有時候很有名，而且跟宮廷關係密切。That is why the word sits next to courtier這就是為什麼這個字跟 courtier（朝臣）擺在一起。

You will meet it in history books, novels, and films about earlier centuries.

You will meet it你會遇到它 in history books, novels, and films about earlier centuries在歷史書、小說，還有描寫過去世紀的電影裡。

It is not an everyday word now, and it is not a kind name to put on a living person.

It它 is not an everyday word now現在不是日常用字, and it is not a kind name to put on a living person而且拿來稱呼一個活生生的人也不算是善意的說法。

Though actually the tidy picture (“high-class”) is tidier than real lives were; money and danger still sat in the middle of it.

Though actually不過其實, the tidy picture ("high-class")「高級」這種乾淨俐落的印象 is tidier than real lives were比真實的人生要乾淨多了; money and danger still sat in the middle of it金錢和危險其實一直都夾在中間。