A well-read person has read a great many books, over years, across different subjects — and it shows when they talk.

A well-read person has read a great many books一個well-read（博覽群書）的人讀過非常多書，over years經年累月，across different subjects涵蓋不同的主題——and it shows when they talk而且講起話來看得出來。

This is the key point: the word is not really about the reading. It is about what the reading left behind. Someone who has finished two hundred novels but never thinks about them is not what we mean.

This is the key point這是關鍵：the word is not really about the reading這個詞真正講的不是讀了多少書。It is about what the reading left behind而是讀書留下了什麼。Someone who has finished two hundred novels一個看完兩百本小說的人 but never thinks about them卻從不去想這些書 is not what we mean不是我們說的那種人。

A well-read person can bring up a poet, a bit of history, an argument from a book they read a decade ago, and connect it to what you are saying now. It is a compliment, and a fairly high one.

A well-read person can bring up a poet一個well-read的人可以隨口提到一位詩人，a bit of history一段歷史，an argument from a book they read a decade ago十年前讀過的一本書裡的論點，and connect it to what you are saying now並把它跟你正在說的事連起來。It is a compliment這是一種稱讚，and a fairly high one而且是相當高的稱讚。

It carries a hint of the old-fashioned scholar, someone whose learning came from books rather than from a degree or a job. So you can be well-read without a university education, and you can hold a doctorate without being well-read, if all you ever read was your own narrow field. Breadth is the whole idea.

It carries a hint of the old-fashioned scholar它帶有一點老派學者的味道——someone whose learning came from books學問是從書裡來的，rather than from a degree or a job而不是從學位或工作來的。So you can be well-read without a university education所以你可以沒上過大學也很well-read，and you can hold a doctorate without being well-read也可以擁有博士學位卻不算well-read，if all you ever read was your own narrow field如果你讀的都只是自己狹窄的專業領域。Breadth is the whole idea廣度才是重點所在。

You will hear it about people: he's very well-read, she's the best-read person I know. It fits a job reference, a book review, a description of a character, ordinary conversation about a friend. There is no unkindness in it — though someone showing off their reading is not praised as well-read; that person gets called pretentious.

You will hear it about people你會聽到人們這樣講別人：he's very well-read「他非常well-read」，she's the best-read person I know「她是我認識最well-read的人」。It fits a job reference它適合用在工作推薦信裡，a book review書評裡，a description of a character角色描述裡，ordinary conversation about a friend或平常聊到朋友時。There is no unkindness in it這個詞本身沒有惡意——though someone showing off their reading不過如果有人在炫耀自己讀了多少書 is not praised as well-read不會被稱讚為well-read；that person gets called pretentious那個人會被說是pretentious（愛擺架子）。

Watch the pronunciation, because the spelling lies to you. The second part is said like the colour red (/red/), not like the word 'reed'. It is the past participle, the same 'read' as in 'I have read it'.

Watch the pronunciation要注意發音，because the spelling lies to you因為拼法會騙你。The second part is said like the colour red (/red/)後半部念起來像顏色red（/red/），not like the word 'reed'不是像'reed'這個字。It is the past participle它是過去分詞，the same 'read' as in 'I have read it'跟'I have read it'裡的'read'是同一個。