“痛苦”常见的英文表达有 pain、suffering 和 agony,具体使用哪个词取决于语境和想要表达的痛苦程度:
Pain:使用最为广泛,既可以指身体上的疼痛(physical pain),也可以指精神上的痛苦(emotional pain),程度相对较轻。例如:
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.(我感到胸口一阵剧痛。)
She's been through a lot of pain recently.(她最近经历了很多痛苦。)
Suffering:强调因某种原因(如疾病、贫困、压迫等)而遭受的长期或深重的痛苦,程度比 pain 更深,常带有一种同情或怜悯的意味。例如:
The war has brought immense suffering to the people.(战争给人民带来了巨大的痛苦。)
He showed great courage in the face of suffering.(他在痛苦面前表现出了极大的勇气。)
Agony:表示极度的、难以忍受的痛苦,通常指身体上或精神上非常强烈的痛苦,程度最深。例如:
She was in agony after breaking her leg.(她摔断腿后痛苦不堪。)
He was in mental agony over the loss of his job.(他因失去工作而精神极度痛苦。)