A famine is a time when a large number of people in a region have little or no food for a long stretch, and many of them die. It is not one person skipping lunch, and it is not one family having a hard month.

A famine一場famine(饑荒) is a time when是指一段時間，a large number of people in a region一個地區裡有大量的人 have little or no food幾乎沒有食物可吃 for a long stretch而且持續很久，and many of them die而且有很多人因此死亡。It它 is not one person skipping lunch不是指一個人沒吃午餐，and而 it is not one family having a hard month也不是指一個家庭過了辛苦的一個月。

Harvests fail, war blocks the roads, or food sits in one place while people starve in another — and then the word belongs in the news and in history books. You would not use it about yourself at the dinner table.

Harvests fail收成失敗、war blocks the roads戰爭封鎖了道路、or food sits in one place while people starve in another或食物堆在一個地方而人們卻在另一個地方挨餓——and then這時 the word belongs in the news and in history books這個詞就用在新聞和歷史書裡了。You would not use it about yourself你不會用這個詞說自己 at the dinner table在餐桌上。

People do stretch it in phrases like a famine of ideas, meaning there is almost none of something needed, but the home meaning is always food, scale, and lasting harm. Though actually, hunger and famine are neighbours, not twins: hunger is the feeling in one body; famine is the disaster that hits a people.

People do stretch it人們確實會延伸使用它 in phrases like a famine of ideas像famine of ideas(點子匱乏)這種說法，meaning there is almost none of something needed意思是幾乎沒有所需要的東西，but而 the home meaning is always food, scale, and lasting harm本義始終是食物、規模、和長久的傷害。Though actually不過事實上，hunger and famine are neighbours, not twins飢餓(hunger)和famine是鄰居，不是雙胞胎：hunger is the feeling in one body飢餓是一個人身體裡的感覺；famine is the disaster that hits a people而famine是打擊整個族群的災難。