“报应”常见的英文表达有 retribution、karma 或 comeuppance,具体使用可根据语境和侧重点来选择:
Retribution: 指因过去的错误或罪行而受到的惩罚,带有一种正义得到伸张的意味,强调因果报应中的“惩罚”层面。例如:
He finally got his retribution for all the evil he had done.(他终于为自己所做的恶行得到了报应。)
Karma:源自佛教概念,指因果报应的循环,一个人的行为(无论是好是坏)都会在未来以某种方式回馈到自身,更侧重于因果循环的哲学层面。例如:
Many people believe in karma—what you do will come back to you.(很多人相信因果报应——你所做的终会回到你身上。)
Comeuppance:较为口语化,指因做错事而应得的惩罚或后果,通常带有一种“终于得到应有惩罚”的意味。例如:
The bully finally got his comeuppance when the whole class turned against him.(当全班同学都反对他时,这个恶霸终于得到了报应。)