Thankfulness is the feeling of being glad and grateful that something happened — especially when you can see how much worse things could have been. That last part is what gives the word its particular flavour.

Thankfulness is the feeling of being glad and grateful that something happenedthankfulness是一種對某件事發生感到開心又感激的心情 — especially when you can see how much worse things could have been尤其是當你看得出事情本來可能糟糕很多的時候. That last part is what gives the word its particular flavour最後這一點正是這個字特別的味道所在

If you pass an exam you feel pleased; if you nearly crashed the car and did not, you feel thankfulness. There is relief inside it.

If you pass an exam you feel pleased如果你考試通過，你會感到高興; if you nearly crashed the car and did not, you feel thankfulness如果你差點撞車但沒撞上，你感受到的是thankfulness. There is relief inside it裡面帶著一種鬆一口氣的感覺

It is the noun of *thankful*: he is thankful, and what he feels is thankfulness.

It is the noun of *thankful*這是thankful的名詞形式: he is thankful, and what he feels is thankfulness他是thankful的，而他感受到的就是thankfulness

Two things to notice about how it is really used. First, it is a quieter, more inward word than *gratitude*, and often it is not aimed at any particular person — you can feel thankfulness about good weather, or about being alive, with nobody to thank. *Gratitude* usually points at someone who did something for you.

Two things to notice about how it is really used關於實際用法有兩件事要注意. First第一, it is a quieter, more inward word than *gratitude*它比gratitude更安靜、更內在, and often it is not aimed at any particular person而且常常不是針對某個特定的人 — you can feel thankfulness about good weather, or about being alive, with nobody to thank你可以對好天氣、或對自己還活著感到thankfulness，卻沒有特定要感謝的對象. *Gratitude* usually points at someone who did something for yougratitude通常是指向某個為你做了什麼的人

Second, it sounds slightly old-fashioned and slightly religious in modern English; you meet it in church talk, in speeches, in writing about family, more than in daily chat. In ordinary conversation people are more likely to say "I'm so thankful" or "I'm grateful" than to use the long noun.

Second第二, it sounds slightly old-fashioned and slightly religious in modern English在現代英文裡聽起來有點老派、也有點宗教味; you meet it in church talk, in speeches, in writing about family你會在教會談話、演講、談家庭的文章裡遇到它, more than in daily chat比日常閒聊更常出現. In ordinary conversation people are more likely to say "I'm so thankful" or "I'm grateful"日常對話裡人們比較會說『I'm so thankful』或『I'm grateful』 than to use the long noun而不是用這個長長的名詞

It is an uncountable word, so it takes no *a* and no plural: not "a thankfulness," but "a feeling of thankfulness," "deep thankfulness."

It is an uncountable word這是個不可數名詞, so it takes no *a* and no plural所以不加a、也沒有複數: not "a thankfulness,"不會說『a thankfulness』 but "a feeling of thankfulness," "deep thankfulness."而是說『a feeling of thankfulness一種thankfulness的感覺』、『deep thankfulness深深的thankfulness』