詞彙精選：disaster的用法和辨析
一、詳細釋義：
n.
災難；不幸 [C]
例句：
We were all shocked by the disaster.
這場災難使我們所有人大爲震驚。
例句：
In closed agrarian societies, families need a lot of children as insurance against disaster.
在封閉的農業社會裏，家庭需要較多的子女以防不幸。
徹底的失敗 [C]
例句：
British policy in Cyprus was an utter disaster.
英國在塞浦路斯的政策遭到了徹底的失敗。
例句：
Our plan ended in disaster.
我們的計劃以徹底失敗告終。
成事不足敗事有餘的人；禍患 [C]
例句：
That would have been a real disaster!
那纔是真正的禍患！
（星的）兇向
二、詞義辨析：
disaster,calamity,catastrophe,misfortune
這些名詞均表示“災難”或“不幸”之意。disaster普通用詞，指大破壞、痛苦或傷亡。calamity多指個人的不幸，比disaster嚴重，強調災難引起的悲痛以及對於損失的感覺。catastrophe語氣最強，指可怕的災難，強調最終的結局。misfortune普通用詞，多批較爲嚴重的不幸，強調不幸多由外界因素所致。
三、相關短語：
disaster area
災區
四、參考例句：
He studies disaster trends.
他在研究災害趨勢。
Annual disaster drills are conducted.
每年都有災難演習。
A great disaster is occurring.
災禍臨頭。
A typical disaster story: disease, corruption, poverty.
一個典型的災難性故事，疾病、腐敗、貧窮。
We must act now to forestall disaster.
我們現在必須採取行動以防災難。
It’s really a disaster to us.
對我們來說，這真是個災難。
That would have been a real disaster!
那纔是真正的禍患！
The disaster could not have been foreseen.
Knowledge of the disaster soon spread.
災難的消息很快傳開了。
Haughtiness invites disaster; humility receives benefit.
〔諺〕滿招損，謙受益。
