An apparition is something you think you can see that is not a solid, everyday object — especially the spirit of a dead person, a ghost that shows itself for a moment. People also use it for any strange sudden sight: a figure in the mist, a face at a window that is gone when you look again.

An apparition is something you think you can seeapparition 是你以為自己看到的東西，that is not a solid, everyday object但不是實體的日常物品——especially the spirit of a dead person, a ghost that shows itself for a moment尤其是死者的靈魂，一個瞬間現身的鬼魂。People also use it for any strange sudden sight大家也用它形容任何突然出現的怪異景象：a figure in the mist例如霧裡的一個人影，a face at a window that is gone when you look again或是窗邊一張再看一次就消失的臉。

It is a slightly story-like word, more at home in books, ghost tales, and careful news writing than in a joke among friends, where ghost is more common.

It is a slightly story-like word這是個帶點故事感的字，more at home in books, ghost tales, and careful news writing比較常出現在書、鬼故事和用字講究的新聞報導裡，than in a joke among friends, where ghost is more common而不是朋友間開玩笑的場合，那種時候比較常用 ghost。

Though actually, it does not have to be a dead person. It can be any vision that appears, including one your mind makes.

Though actually不過其實，it does not have to be a dead person它不一定要是死去的人。It can be any vision that appears它可以是任何出現的幻象，including one your mind makes包括你自己腦中想出來的。

The feeling of the word is “it showed itself,” and then it may vanish. It is about the sight, not about how a living person looks.

The feeling of the word is "it showed itself,"這個字給人的感覺是「它現身了」，and then it may vanish然後它可能就消失了。It is about the sight重點在於「看到的景象」，not about how a living person looks而不是一個活人長什麼樣子。