A mishap is a small accident or a small mistake — the kind that spoils a moment, not a life. You spill tea on your notes, miss a step and sit down hard, or take the wrong bus for two stops.

A mishap is a small accident or a small mistakemishap是個小意外或小差錯 — the kind that spoils a moment, not a life那種毀掉一下子的心情，而不是毀掉一輩子的那種。You spill tea on your notes你可能把茶灑在筆記上，miss a step and sit down hard踩空一階狠狠坐下，or take the wrong bus for two stops或搭錯公車坐過了兩站。

People reach for this word when they want to keep the feeling light: “a little mishap,” “a slight mishap.” It sounds a bit polite and a bit old-fashioned, the sort of word a careful adult or a newsreader might choose instead of a bald “accident.” Though actually, newspapers also use it when they do not yet want to say how serious something was; “a mishap at the factory” can hide a worse story.

People reach for this word想用這個詞的人 when they want to keep the feeling light是想讓語氣輕一點：“a little mishap,” “a slight mishap.”「一個小mishap」、「一個輕微的mishap」。It sounds a bit polite and a bit old-fashioned聽起來有點客氣，也有點老派，the sort of word a careful adult or a newsreader might choose instead of a bald “accident.”是那種謹慎的大人或新聞播報員會拿來代替直白「accident」的詞。Though actually不過其實，newspapers also use it報紙也會用它 when they do not yet want to say how serious something was當他們還不想說清楚事情有多嚴重的時候；“a mishap at the factory” can hide a worse story「工廠發生mishap」可能藏著更糟的故事。

It is almost always a noun. There is an old verb, to mishap, but you will almost never hear it in speech today.

It is almost always a noun它幾乎都是當名詞用。There is an old verb, to mishap有一個古老的動詞to mishap，but you will almost never hear it in speech today但你今天在口語裡幾乎不會聽到。