Not trying to look better, richer, cleverer or more important than you really are — and said with warmth. This is praise.

Not trying to look better, richer, cleverer or more important than you really are不試著讓自己看起來比實際上更好、更有錢、更聰明或更重要 and said with warmth而且是帶著溫暖語氣說的 This is praise這是一種稱讚

Calling a person unpretentious means they have no airs: a famous professor who eats in the staff canteen and lets you call them by their first name. Calling a place unpretentious means it is simple and honest and does not pretend to be fancy — an unpretentious family restaurant, plastic chairs, excellent food, no white tablecloths. It also works on things people often show off with: unpretentious clothes, an unpretentious wine, an unpretentious style of writing.

Calling a person unpretentious means they have no airs說一個人unpretentious，是指他們沒有架子 a famous professor who eats in the staff canteen and lets you call them by their first name像是一位會在員工餐廳吃飯、也讓你直接叫他名字的知名教授 Calling a place unpretentious means it is simple and honest and does not pretend to be fancy說一個地方unpretentious，是指它簡單、實在，不裝高級 an unpretentious family restaurant一間樸實的家庭餐廳 plastic chairs塑膠椅 excellent food菜很好吃 no white tablecloths沒有白桌布 It also works on things people often show off with它也可以用在人們常拿來炫耀的東西上 unpretentious clothes樸素的衣服 an unpretentious wine一支樸實的酒 an unpretentious style of writing一種樸實的寫作風格

Notice what makes the praise possible: the word only really applies where showing off would have been easy or expected. You would not call a poor student unpretentious, because they have nothing to pretend with; you call a rich or successful or highly educated person unpretentious, and the compliment lies in the gap between what they could claim and what they do claim.

Notice what makes the praise possible留意一下是什麼讓這個稱讚成立 the word only really applies where showing off would have been easy or expected這個字真正適用的場合，是原本很容易、也理所當然可以炫耀的地方 You would not call a poor student unpretentious你不會說一個窮學生unpretentious because they have nothing to pretend with因為他根本沒有可以拿來裝的東西 you call a rich or successful or highly educated person unpretentious你會這麼形容一個有錢、成功、或高學歷的人 and the compliment lies in the gap而稱讚就藏在這個落差裡 between what they could claim and what they do claim在他們可以拿來說嘴的和他們實際拿來說嘴的之間

English is short of positive words for this — humble can sound religious, modest can suggest shyness — so unpretentious fills a real gap, which is why food writers and reviewers lean on it so heavily. It is a moderately formal word, common in writing and in careful speech.

English is short of positive words for this英文在這方面缺少正面的字 humble can sound religioushumble聽起來可能有點宗教味 modest can suggest shynessmodest則可能讓人聯想到害羞 so unpretentious fills a real gap所以unpretentious補上了一個真正的空缺 which is why food writers and reviewers lean on it so heavily這也是為什麼美食作家和評論人這麼愛用它 It is a moderately formal word這是一個中等正式的字 common in writing and in careful speech在書面語和講究的口語裡都很常見