大局上的危急關口
把那個「不能等的轉折點」放在外部的大局上：危險或麻煩堆到了頂，社會、經濟或制度正卡在見分曉的關口。這是核心畫面最直接的樣子。
serious emergency · noun · B2
A time of serious trouble or danger, when problems must be dealt with quickly before things get worse.
危機
核心畫面
A turning point that can't wait — things have built to a head, and which way they go from here gets decided now. Picture the moment a fever breaks: it could tip toward recovery or toward worse, and the next short stretch settles it. Every use keeps that feel of a tense, deciding moment where problems pile up and must be handled before they slide downhill.
可以想成一個「不能再等」的轉折點：事情累積到了頂，從這裡要往哪走，現在就要見分曉。想想高燒終於發作的那一刻——它可能…更多收起
可以想成一個「不能再等」的轉折點：事情累積到了頂，從這裡要往哪走，現在就要見分曉。想想高燒終於發作的那一刻——它可能轉向好轉，也可能轉向更糟，而接下來短短一段就決定了走向。crisis 的每個用法都守著這種感覺：問題堆到頂、氣氛緊繃、必須趕在惡化之前處理掉的那個關口。From the word’s history
From Greek 'krisis' — a separating, a deciding, a turning point (related to 'krinein', to decide); in Greek medicine it named the moment in an illness when it turned toward recovery or death. The modern 'tense deciding moment' grows straight from that.
源自希臘文 krisis，意思是「分離、判定、轉折點」（與 krinein「決定」同源）；在希臘醫學裡，它指病情轉向好轉或死亡的那個關鍵時刻。今天「緊繃的決定性關口」這個核心，正是從那裡長出來的。
Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), entry 'crisis'
Two branches
個人內心的低潮與關卡
把同一個轉折點收進一個人的內心：情緒或處境壓到了最重、最難熬的那一點。場景從外面的大局搬到了個人心裡，但「堆到頂、正卡在關口」的感覺一樣。
personal low point · noun · B2
The worst and most difficult point in someone's personal or emotional troubles.
難關 / 低潮
原始詞典資料6 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
crisisnoun/ˈkɹaɪsɪs/
- 1
A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
- 2
An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.
- The financial crisis could have been avoided and was the result of poor decision making both in Washington and at top financial firms that fostered a culture of excessive risk taking, according to a draft report written by Democrats on a panel that investigated the meltdown and obtained by Reuters.
- The big question, I believe, is whether the Italian and maybe Spanish crises are the kind of thing that might be brought under control by ECB bond purchases. This is often phrased in terms of whether they are facing liquidity or solvency problems; but I think it’s better phrased in terms of the possibility of self-fulfilling crises, a la Obstfeld. […] So there is a reasonable case that what we’re seeing in Italy is a self-fulfilling crisis trying to happen, in which fear of default is precisely what leads to default.
- 3
medicinesciencesA sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which point the patient is expected to either recover or die.
- 4
human-sciencespsychologysciencesA traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
- I'm having a major crisis trying to wallpaper the living room.
- 5
broadcastingdramadramaturgyA point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.
- 6
Orgasm
- Connie found it impossible to come to her crisis before he had really finished his.
- The orgasm started slow, a few little twitches and vibrations, but as if he sensed her crisis, he increased both the speed of his thrusting fingers and the suction of his mouth on her sex.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。