If you are powerless, you cannot stop or control what is happening. You may lack strength, lack the legal right, or simply face something too big — a storm, a rule, someone else’s decision.

If you are powerless如果你是powerless的 you cannot stop or control what is happening你就無法阻止或控制正在發生的事。 You may lack strength可能是你缺乏力量 lack the legal right缺乏法律上的權利 or simply face something too big或只是面對一件太大的事 a storm, a rule, someone else's decision像一場暴風雨、一條規定、或別人的決定。

People say I felt powerless when they watch harm or unfairness and cannot step in. It is about not having power, not about the lights going out (that is a power cut, or the power is out).

People say I felt powerless人會說「我覺得powerless」 when they watch harm or unfairness and cannot step in是在他們看到傷害或不公平的事卻無法插手的時候。 It它 is about not having power講的是沒有力量或權力 not about the lights going out而不是停電那件事 (that is a power cut, or the power is out)（停電要說a power cut，或the power is out）。

Common in both speech and writing; a little more serious than everyday chat, but not stiff. You can be powerless to do something (powerless to help) or powerless against something (powerless against the flood).

Common in both speech and writing口語和書面都常用 a little more serious than everyday chat, but not stiff比日常閒聊嚴肅一點，但不會很生硬。 You can be powerless to do something可以說powerless to do something (powerless to help)（像powerless to help，無力幫忙） or powerless against something也可以說powerless against something (powerless against the flood)（像powerless against the flood，對洪水無能為力）。

Helpless is close, though actually helpless leans toward “cannot do anything for yourself,” while powerless leans toward “have no control or authority here.”

Helpless helpless is close意思很接近 though actually不過其實 helpless leans toward "cannot do anything for yourself,"helpless比較偏向「自己什麼都做不了」 while powerless leans toward "have no control or authority here."而powerless比較偏向「在這件事上沒有控制權或權力」。