469　misfortune，disaster，calamity，catastrophe和mishap

① misfortune不幸，一般用語。

② disaster災(zāi)難，一般用語，指突然降臨，其嚴(yán)重后果大于 misfortune，天災(zāi)人禍各種因素都可導(dǎo)致。

③ calamity正式用語，后果嚴(yán)重，常指天災(zāi)，自然災(zāi)害。

④ catastrophe語氣強，指大禍，災(zāi)變，悲劇等，可以是自然因素，也可以是人為因素所致。

⑤ mishap小小的不幸，語氣輕。

Years before，her house was burnt down but that was a calamity they could make up for. This time the death of her husband，followed by her only son，in the same road accident，was a real catastrophe. And it was not a mishap but a disaster to the company who depended so much on the man's specialized technological knowledge. Considering her experience，one is reminded of the saying “Misfortunes never come alone.” 幾年前她家房子被焚毀，不過那場天災(zāi)他們可以彌補。這次她丈夫和獨生子相繼死于同一場車禍，確實是場大災(zāi)難。而且，對于如此依賴此人專業(yè)技術(shù)知識的公司來講，也不是小小的不幸，而是災(zāi)禍。想到她的經(jīng)歷，人們不禁想起“禍不單行”這句老話。