If something befalls you, it happens to you — and almost always the something is unpleasant or dangerous. A storm befalls a town; a sickness befalls a family; a strange fate befalls the hero in a story.

If something befalls you如果有什麼事 befall 你, it happens to you意思就是它發生在你身上 — and almost always而幾乎每次 the something is unpleasant or dangerous那件事都是不愉快或危險的。A storm befalls a town一場暴風雨 befall 一個小鎮; a sickness befalls a family一場疾病 befall 一個家庭; a strange fate befalls the hero in a story一個奇特的命運 befall 故事裡的主角。

The word is old and bookish. You will meet it in tales, news that wants to sound grave, and set phrases like “whatever may befall.” You will not hear a teenager say it at a night market.

The word這個字 is old and bookish是個古老、書面的字。You will meet it你會在 in tales, news that wants to sound grave故事、想聽起來嚴肅的新聞, and set phrases like "whatever may befall."還有像「whatever may befall」這樣的固定說法裡遇到它。You will not hear a teenager say it你不會聽到青少年 at a night market在夜市裡說這個字。

Though actually the pieces are simple: something “falls upon” you. English almost never uses it for good luck now, even though “happen to” could go either way.

Though actually不過其實, the pieces are simple組成很簡單: something "falls upon" you某件事「落到」你身上。English almost never uses it英文現在幾乎不會用它 for good luck now來講好運, even though "happen to" could go either way即使「happen to」這個字兩種都可以。

Grammar is a little special: the past is befell, and the form with have is befallen. We usually put the person after the verb (harm befell them), not “they befell harm.”

Grammar文法上 is a little special有點特別: the past is befell過去式是 befell, and the form with have而跟 have 連用的形式 is befallen是 befallen。We usually put the person after the verb我們通常把人放在動詞後面 (harm befell them像 harm befell them), not "they befell harm."而不是「they befell harm」。