The sudden start of something bad that then spreads. You will meet it most with disease — an outbreak of flu, a cholera outbreak, an outbreak at a school — and with violence: an outbreak of fighting, an outbreak of war. The two ideas behind the word are *sudden* and *bad*.

The sudden start of something bad一件壞事突然開始, that then spreads然後就擴散開來。You will meet it most with disease你最常在講疾病的時候遇到它 — an outbreak of flu, a cholera outbreak, an outbreak at a school像流感爆發、霍亂爆發、一間學校裡的疫情爆發 — and with violence還有在講暴力的時候：an outbreak of fighting, an outbreak of war像衝突爆發、戰爭爆發。The two ideas behind the word are這個字背後的兩個概念是 *sudden* and *bad*「突然」和「壞」。

Nobody says 'an outbreak of happiness' unless they are joking, and English speakers do joke that way sometimes ('a rare outbreak of common sense'), which works precisely because the word normally carries trouble. It is a countable noun and takes 'of': an outbreak of measles.

Nobody says 'an outbreak of happiness' unless they are joking沒有人會說『an outbreak of happiness快樂的爆發』，除非是在開玩笑, and English speakers do joke that way sometimes而英語使用者有時候真的會這樣開玩笑 ('a rare outbreak of common sense')（像『a rare outbreak of common sense難得一見的常識大爆發』）, which works precisely because the word normally carries trouble這個玩笑之所以成立，正是因為這個字平常帶著麻煩的意味。It is a countable noun and takes 'of'它是可數名詞，後面接『of』：an outbreak of measles像an outbreak of measles麻疹爆發。

In news writing it can also mean the beginning of a war as a moment in time — 'at the outbreak of the Second World War' means when the war began. Weather reports use it mildly for scattered bad weather: 'outbreaks of rain'.

In news writing it can also mean the beginning of a war as a moment in time在新聞寫作裡它也可以指戰爭開始的那個時間點 — 'at the outbreak of the Second World War' means when the war began『at the outbreak of the Second World War』指的就是二次大戰開始的時候。Weather reports use it mildly for scattered bad weather氣象報告會用比較溫和的方式，拿它來講零星的壞天氣：'outbreaks of rain'像『outbreaks of rain一陣陣的降雨』。

Note that it names the event, not the illness itself, so you treat the patients but you contain the outbreak.

Note that it names the event, not the illness itself要注意它指的是這個事件本身，不是疾病這個東西, so you treat the patients but you contain the outbreak所以你「治療」的是病人，但你「控制」的是這場爆發。