An atrocity is an extremely cruel and violent act, especially in war or against people who cannot fight back — massacres, torture, attacks on civilians.

An atrocity暴行 is an extremely cruel and violent act是一種極度殘忍又暴力的行為，especially in war or against people who cannot fight back尤其是發生在戰爭中，或是針對那些無力反抗的人—— massacres, torture, attacks on civilians像是大屠殺、凌虐、攻擊平民。

News and history writing use it; it is a heavy word. You would not call a rude comment an atrocity unless you were joking, and even then the joke can sound ugly because it borrows shock from real suffering.

News and history writing新聞和歷史寫作 use it會用這個詞； it is a heavy word它是個很沉重的詞。unless you were joking除非你是在開玩笑， You would not call a rude comment an atrocity你不會把一句無禮的話稱為atrocity， and even then the joke can sound ugly就算如此，這個玩笑聽起來還是可能很難聽， because it borrows shock from real suffering因為它借用了真實苦難的震撼。

It is countable: one atrocity, many atrocities. There is a milder stretch ('that haircut is an atrocity'), but that is someone playing with the word on purpose. For a learner, keep the war-and-cruelty sense first.

It is countable這個字是可數名詞， one atrocity, many atrocities單數一個、複數很多個。There is a milder stretch也有比較輕鬆的用法，比如 'that haircut is an atrocity'『那個髮型簡直是場災難』， but that is someone playing with the word on purpose不過那是有人故意在玩這個字。For a learner對學習者來說， keep the war-and-cruelty sense first先記住戰爭與殘忍這個意思就好。

Though actually, calling something an atrocity is also a moral claim, not only a description; people can argue over whether a given act deserves the word.

Though actually不過其實， calling something an atrocity把某件事稱為atrocity， is also a moral claim, not only a description不只是描述，也是一種道德上的判斷； people can argue over whether a given act deserves the word人們可以爭論某個行為到底夠不夠得上這個字。