A portrayal is the way a book, film, play, or news story shows a person or a thing — what it lets you see, and what feeling it leaves you with. If a film’s portrayal of a city is all rain and night, the real city may not be like that every day; that is just how the film paints it.

A portrayal刻畫、描繪 is the way a book, film, play, or news story shows a person or a thing就是一本書、一部電影、一齣戲或一則新聞呈現一個人或一件事的方式——what it lets you see包括它讓你看到什麼，and what feeling it leaves you with以及留給你什麼感覺。If a film's portrayal of a city is all rain and night如果一部電影對一座城市的描繪全是雨天和夜晚，the real city真正的那座城市 may not be like that every day不一定每天都是那樣；that就只是 is just how the film paints it電影把它畫成那樣的方式而已。

We also use it for an actor’s work: her portrayal of the queen means how she played that part — kind, cold, tired, funny.

We我們 also use it for an actor's work也會用它來講演員的表現：her portrayal of the queen她對這位女王的詮釋 means how she played that part指的是她怎麼演這個角色——kind, cold, tired, funny善良、冷漠、疲憊、好笑。

The word is a little formal. In speech people often say “the way they show…” instead.

The word這個字 is a little formal有點正式。In speech在口語裡，people大家 often say常常改說 "the way they show…"「他們呈現的方式……」instead。

It is not a painting hanging on a wall. You can have a portrayal with no picture at all, only words or acting.

It它 is not a painting hanging on a wall不是掛在牆上的一幅畫。You你 can have a portrayal with no picture at all可以完全沒有畫面也算portrayal，only words or acting只靠文字或演出。