In money talk, gilt-edged stocks or shares are the very safe kind, sold mainly by governments. They do not pay you much extra money — the interest is low — but people buy them because they are unlikely to fail. British people often just say gilts for their government’s own bonds.

In money talk在談錢的時候 gilt-edged stocks or shares gilt-edged的股票或股份 are the very safe kind是非常安全的那種 sold mainly by governments主要是由政府發行的 They do not pay you much extra money它們不會給你太多額外的錢 the interest is low利息很低 but people buy them但人們還是會買 because they are unlikely to fail因為它們不太可能出問題 British people英國人 often just say gilts常常直接說gilts（金邊債券） for their government’s own bonds來指他們政府自己發行的公債

The picture behind the word is gold on the edge: fine books and old certificates had a thin gold edge, a sign of quality, and government paper used to be marked that way. So gilt-edged came to mean “as safe and respectable as you can get.” People still also use it in the older, literal way for a book or card with gold along the edges, and sometimes, a little loosely, for anything they want to call first-class.

The picture behind the word這個字背後的畫面 is gold on the edge是「邊緣鍍金」 fine books and old certificates精美的書和舊證券 had a thin gold edge以前會有一圈細細的金邊 a sign of quality作為品質的象徵 and government paper used to be marked that way政府的證券以前也是這樣標記的 So gilt-edged came to mean所以gilt-edged後來就有了「安全又體面到不能再更好」的意思 “as safe and respectable as you can get.”（如上） People still also use it in the older, literal way人們也還是會用它原本比較字面的意思 for a book or card with gold along the edges來指邊緣有鍍金的書或卡片 and sometimes, a little loosely而且有時候會用得比較鬆 for anything they want to call first-class來指任何他們想稱為第一流的東西

In a business or exam question about stocks, though, it means the safe government kind, not jewellery.

In a business or exam question about stocks, though不過，在談生意或考試題目裡講到股票的時候 it means the safe government kind它指的是安全的政府公債那種 not jewellery不是珠寶