You call something a travesty when it wears the name of a good thing but is actually a terrible, insulting version of it. That is the whole feeling of the word: the false costume.

You call something a travesty當一件事…你就會說它是travesty when it wears the name of a good thing頂著一個好東西的名字 but is actually a terrible, insulting version of it實際上卻是那個東西糟糕、侮辱性的版本。That is the whole feeling of the word這就是這個字的整體感覺: the false costume一件假的外衣

A trial where the judge has already decided is 'a travesty of justice' — it is called justice, it looks like justice, and it is the opposite. Notice that the word almost always comes with 'of': a travesty of justice, of democracy, of the truth, of the original book.

A trial where the judge has already decided一場法官早就決定好結果的審判 is 'a travesty of justice'就是'a travesty of justice'（對正義的踐踏） — it is called justice, it looks like justice, and it is the opposite它被稱為正義，看起來也像正義，實際上卻恰恰相反。Notice that the word almost always comes with 'of'要注意，這個字幾乎總是跟'of'一起出現: a travesty of justice, of democracy, of the truth, of the original booka travesty of justice, of democracy, of the truth, of the original book

Without the 'of', people still use it alone to mean 'a disgraceful thing' — 'It's a travesty that she wasn't chosen' — and that use is common and a bit loose, more emotion than argument. It is strong and formal-sounding, so it lands hard in the news, in speeches, and in angry reviews.

Without the 'of'不加'of'的話, people still use it alone to mean 'a disgraceful thing'人們也會單獨用它來表示「一件丟臉的事」 — 'It's a travesty that she wasn't chosen'像'It's a travesty that she wasn't chosen' — and that use is common and a bit loose, more emotion than argument這種用法很常見也比較鬆散，情緒多過論證。It is strong and formal-sounding它的語氣強烈又正式, so it lands hard in the news, in speeches, and in angry reviews所以在新聞、演講，還有憤怒的評論裡特別有份量

There is also an older, narrower meaning: a piece of writing or acting that copies a serious work in a silly way, to mock it. You mostly meet that one in books about literature.

There is also an older, narrower meaning還有一個更古老、更狹窄的意思: a piece of writing or acting that copies a serious work in a silly way, to mock it指模仿一部嚴肅作品、用滑稽的方式來嘲弄它的文章或表演。You mostly meet that one in books about literature這個意思你大多會在文學相關的書裡遇到

And there is a verb, to travesty something, which means to make that mocking copy — quite rare now.

And there is a verb也有一個動詞, to travesty something'to travesty something', which means to make that mocking copy意思是做出那種嘲弄式的模仿 — quite rare now現在已經很少見了