Self-pity is feeling sorry for yourself — sitting inside the feeling that life has been unfair to you, and staying there. It is uncountable, and it lives in a few fixed phrases you should learn whole: 'full of self-pity', 'a wave of self-pity', and especially 'wallow in self-pity', which pictures someone lying in mud and enjoying it a little.

Self-pity自憐 is feeling sorry for yourself就是覺得自己很可憐 —— sitting inside the feeling一直陷在這種感覺裡 that life has been unfair to you覺得人生對你不公平， and而且 staying there一直待在那個感覺裡不出來。 It它 is uncountable是不可數名詞， and而且 it lives in a few fixed phrases you should learn whole常出現在幾個要整組背起來的固定說法裡： 'full of self-pity'「full of self-pity」、 'a wave of self-pity'「a wave of self-pity」、 and especially尤其是 'wallow in self-pity'「wallow in self-pity」， which而這個說法 pictures someone lying in mud and enjoying it a little畫面是一個人躺在泥巴裡，還有點享受。

English is unusually harsh about this feeling. Notice that pity for another person is kind, but pity turned on yourself is treated as a weakness, almost a shameful one — 'stop feeling sorry for yourself' is one of the most common hard things one English speaker says to another. That harshness is cultural, and it is worth knowing before you use the word about a real person, because it stings.

English英文 is unusually harsh about this feeling對這種情緒異常嚴厲。 Notice留意 that pity for another person同情別人 is kind是善意的， but但是 pity turned on yourself同情自己 is treated as a weakness會被當成一種軟弱， almost a shameful one幾乎算是丟臉的事 —— 'stop feeling sorry for yourself'「別再自憐了」 is one of the most common hard things是英語母語者對彼此說的最常見的重話之一 one English speaker says to another。 That harshness這種嚴厲 is cultural是文化上的現象， and而且 it is worth knowing值得先知道 before you use the word about a real person再去用這個字形容一個真實的人， because因為 it stings這個字會刺痛人。

Though actually, the harshness has been softening. Kinder writing now separates real grief and real injustice — which deserve care — from self-pity, which is the version that stops you doing anything. And people are allowed a little of it: 'I had a good self-pity session, then I got up and cleaned the kitchen' is a normal, half-joking thing to say.

Though actually不過其實， the harshness has been softening這種嚴厲已經在慢慢軟化。 Kinder writing現在比較溫和的寫作 now separates現在會把 real grief and real injustice真正的悲傷和真正的不公平 —— which deserve care這些是值得被關心的 —— from self-pity跟自憐分開來， which而自憐 is the version that stops you doing anything是那種會讓你什麼都不想做的版本。 And而且 people人們 are allowed a little of it可以被允許有一點點自憐： 'I had a good self-pity session, then I got up and cleaned the kitchen.'「我好好自憐了一下，然後就起來把廚房打掃乾淨了。」 is a normal, half-joking thing to say是一句很正常、帶點開玩笑的話。

The clearest way to hold the word: sadness looks at the loss; self-pity looks at yourself, and stays looking.

The clearest way to hold the word理解這個字最清楚的方式是： sadness難過 looks at the loss看的是失去的東西； self-pity自憐 looks at yourself看的是你自己， and而且 stays looking一直盯著自己看。