A lectern is the tall, narrow stand a speaker puts their notes or an open book on. The top slopes towards the speaker so the pages sit at a readable angle instead of lying flat, and the whole thing stands at about chest height so you read while standing up.

A lectern isLectern是 the tall, narrow stand a speaker puts their notes or an open book on講者用來放筆記或打開的書的那種高高、窄窄的架子。The top slopes towards the speaker頂端朝講者傾斜，so the pages sit at a readable angle instead of lying flat讓紙頁停在方便閱讀的角度，而不是平放著，and the whole thing stands at about chest height整個架子大約高到胸口，so you read while standing up讓你可以站著閱讀。

You see them in three places above all: in churches, where the Bible is read from one; in university lecture halls; and at press conferences and formal speeches, where the speaker stands behind one with a microphone attached. Most lecterns are just the stand itself — a post with a sloping top, sometimes on a small base.

You see them in three places above all你最常在三個地方看到它：in churches, where the Bible is read from one在教堂裡，聖經就是從上面讀出來的；in university lecture halls在大學的階梯教室；and at press conferences and formal speeches, where the speaker stands behind one with a microphone attached還有在記者會和正式演講場合，講者會站在裝著麥克風的架子後面。Most lecterns are just the stand itself大部分的lectern就只是架子本身——a post with a sloping top, sometimes on a small base一根柱子加上一個傾斜的頂端，有時候底下有個小底座。

That is the difference between a lectern and a podium, though almost nobody keeps the two words apart any more. Strictly, a podium is a raised platform you stand ON (from the same idea as 'foot'), and a lectern is the stand you put papers on. In everyday American English, people call the stand a podium all the time, and no one is confused. If you want to be careful — in an exam, in formal writing — use lectern for the reading stand.

That is the difference between a lectern and a podium這就是lectern和podium的差別，though almost nobody keeps the two words apart any more不過現在幾乎沒有人再把這兩個字分開來用了。Strictly, a podium is a raised platform you stand ON (from the same idea as 'foot'),嚴格來說，podium是你站在上面的一個高起來的平台（跟'foot'（腳）同一個字源概念），and a lectern is the stand you put papers on而lectern是你放稿子的那個架子。In everyday American English, people call the stand a podium all the time在日常美式英文裡，人們常常把那個架子也叫做podium，and no one is confused而且沒有人會搞混。If you want to be careful — in an exam, in formal writing —如果你想講究一點——在考試裡，或正式寫作裡，use lectern for the reading stand放稿子的架子就用lectern。

A church lectern is often a fixed piece of furniture, sometimes beautifully carved, and traditionally in the shape of an eagle with its wings spread to hold the book. A conference lectern is usually a plain moveable box. Both get the same word.

A church lectern is often a fixed piece of furniture教堂裡的lectern常常是固定的家具，sometimes beautifully carved有時候雕刻得很精美，and traditionally in the shape of an eagle with its wings spread to hold the book傳統上會做成一隻展開翅膀撐著書的老鷹形狀。A conference lectern is usually a plain moveable box會議用的lectern通常是一個樸素、可以移動的箱型架子。Both get the same word兩種都用同一個字。