小词详解 | plight

plight 英 [plaɪt] 美 [plaɪt]

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外刊例句

• But worries about the plight of blue-collar workers unite them.
  但对蓝领工人困境的担忧让这两种文化团结起来。
  ——《经济学人》
• Japan’s leaders are so out of touch with the lives of ordinary people that they seem genuinely uninterested in their plight.
  日本的领导人与普通民众的生活如此之脱节，以至于他们看来真的对老百姓的困境不感兴趣。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[noun] a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation
[名词] 危险的、困难的或不幸的处境

深入解读

Plight 源自古法语 pleit, ploit （状态、状况），最初进入英语时本是个中性词。由于古英语 pliht （危险、风险、损害）也演化为了 plight ，并表示“（冒着风险或损失）宣誓、保证”。

受此影响， plight 后来逐渐开始表示某种有害的状态，即今义“苦难、困境、苦境”，强调处境不幸、艰难、危险或不愉快，比如：

• 无家可归者的艰难困苦
  the plight of the homeless
• 你怎么落到这步田地！
  How did you get into such a plight?

虽然 plight 的宣誓含义现在已不再流行，但由于曾用 plight oneself to sb 表示“与某人订婚”，于是留下了一个有趣的习语叫 plight one's troth （许婚、以身相许），比如：

• 我看着她向他许婚。
  I watched her plight her troth to him.

权威用例

为了民族复兴，无数仁人志士不屈不挠、前仆后继，进行了可歌可泣的斗争，进行了各式各样的尝试，但终究未能改变旧中国的社会性质和中国人民的悲惨命运。
With tenacity and heroism, countless dedicated patriots fought, pressed ahead against the odds, and tried every possible means to seek the nation’s salvation. But despite their efforts, they were powerless to change the nature of society in old China and the plight of the Chinese people.

出自十九大报告《决胜全面建成小康社会 夺取新时代中国特色社会主义伟大胜利》（Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era）。

同近义词

• predicament: a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation
• dilemma: a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones

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