Someone well-informed knows a lot — either about one subject, or about the world in general. Two shades sit inside it.

Someone well-informed一個 well-informed 的人 knows a lot懂很多 — either about one subject可能是懂某一個題目， or about the world in general也可能是懂整個世界的大概。 Two shades兩層色調 sit inside it住在這個字裡。

First, general: a well-informed person reads, follows the news, can talk about most things without saying something silly. Second, specific: well-informed about something in particular — "she is well-informed about labour law", "he keeps himself well-informed on climate policy".

First第一種， general泛指： a well-informed person這樣的人 reads讀東西、 follows the news追新聞、 can talk about most things大多數話題都能聊 without saying something silly而不說傻話。 Second第二種， specific特指： about something in particular對某個特定的東西 well-informed 很了解 — "she is well-informed about labour law"「她對勞動法很了解」、 "he keeps himself well-informed on climate policy"「他讓自己隨時掌握氣候政策」。

Both are compliments, and both praise the habit of finding things out rather than raw cleverness. Nobody is born well-informed; you become it by paying attention, which is exactly why teachers and journalists like the word.

Both兩種 are compliments都是稱讚， and both而且兩種 praise稱讚的都是 the habit of finding things out把事情查明白的習慣， rather than而不是 raw cleverness生的聰明。 Nobody沒有人 is born well-informed一生下來就消息靈通； you你 by paying attention靠留心 become it變成這樣， which is exactly why這正是為什麼 teachers and journalists老師和記者 like the word喜歡這個字。

There is a third, narrower use that is worth knowing because it appears constantly in news writing: a well-informed source is a person who has real inside knowledge of something, usually someone close to a government or a company who is telling a reporter what happened. In that phrase the word means "in a position to know", not "well-read".

There is有 a third, narrower use第三種較窄的用法， that is worth knowing值得認識， because因為 it它 in news writing在新聞寫作裡 appears constantly不停出現： a well-informed source是 who has real inside knowledge of something真的握有某件事內部消息的 a person人， usually通常是 close to a government or a company靠近政府或公司、 who is telling a reporter正在告訴記者 what happened發生了什麼的 someone那種人。 In that phrase在那個片語裡 the word這個字 means指的是 "in a position to know"「位置上知道內情」， not "well-read"不是「讀很多書」。

It works before a noun ("a well-informed audience") and after be ("they were surprisingly well-informed"), and it takes more/most rather than -er/-est.

It works它可以用 before a noun在名詞前面 — "a well-informed audience"「一群見聞很廣的聽眾」 — and after be也可以用在 be 後面 — "they were surprisingly well-informed"「他們消息靈通得讓人意外」 — and it而它 takes接的是 more/most， rather than -er/-est而不是 -er/-est。