Unlettered describes a person who cannot read and write, or more loosely, someone who has had little schooling and has not read many books. It is an old, literary, formal word.

UnletteredUnlettered describes a person用來形容一個人 who cannot read and write不識字，or more loosely或者比較寬鬆地說，someone who has had little schooling and has not read many books受的教育不多、讀的書也不多。It is an old, literary, formal word這是個古老、文學性、正式的字。

A modern writer would say 'illiterate' or 'uneducated'; you meet 'unlettered' in novels, history books, and older writing — 'an unlettered farmer', 'unlettered peasants'. Because of that, it carries a faint air of looking down from above, of an educated writer describing people who are not like them.

A modern writer would say 'illiterate' or 'uneducated'現代作家會說'illiterate'或'uneducated'；you meet 'unlettered' in novels, history books, and older writing你會在小說、歷史書，和比較舊的作品裡遇到'unlettered'——'an unlettered farmer', 'unlettered peasants''an unlettered farmer'（不識字的農夫）、'unlettered peasants'（不識字的農民）。Because of that正因如此，it carries a faint air of looking down from above它帶著一絲居高臨下的味道，of an educated writer describing people who are not like them彷彿是受過教育的作家在描寫跟自己不一樣的人。

It can also sound gentler than 'illiterate', almost affectionate, and writers sometimes use it that way on purpose: an unlettered man may still be wise, and English writers rather enjoy that contrast — plain country wisdom against book learning. So the word is not always an insult, though it is never quite neutral either.

It can also sound gentler than 'illiterate'它聽起來也可能比'illiterate'溫和，almost affectionate幾乎帶點疼惜的感覺，and writers sometimes use it that way on purpose而作家有時候就是故意這樣用：an unlettered man may still be wise一個不識字的人也可能很有智慧，and English writers rather enjoy that contrast英語作家還滿喜歡這種對比——plain country wisdom against book learning樸實的鄉間智慧對上書本知識。So所以，the word is not always an insult這個字不一定是侮辱，though it is never quite neutral either但也從來不是完全中立的。

Note also that it usually means 'has not read the books an educated person is supposed to have read' rather than strictly 'cannot make out the letters' — the two shade into each other. It describes people, and things people do; you would not call a country unlettered except in rather grand writing.

Note also另外要注意，that it usually means 'has not read the books an educated person is supposed to have read'它通常指「沒讀過受教育的人應該讀過的書」 rather than strictly 'cannot make out the letters'而不是嚴格意義上的「認不得字」——the two shade into each other這兩種意思會互相滲透。It describes people, and things people do它形容的是人，還有人做的事；you would not call a country unlettered你不會把一個國家稱作unlettered except in rather grand writing除非是在很誇張的文章裡。