Trepidation is the nervous, slightly afraid feeling you get before something you have to do — a job interview, a first date, telling your parents bad news. It is fear mixed with worry, and the thing you fear has not happened yet. It is always about the future, even the very near future: you feel trepidation as you walk to the door, not after you have walked through it.

before something you have to do在你不得不做某件事之前, a job interview像是工作面試、a first date初次約會、telling your parents bad news跟爸媽報告壞消息, you get你會有 the nervous, slightly afraid feeling那種緊張、有點害怕的感覺, Trepidation is就是 trepidation忐忑。fear害怕 mixed with worry混著擔心, and而 the thing you fear你所害怕的那件事 has not happened yet還沒有發生。It is always about the future永遠是關於未來的事, even the very near future就算是很近的未來也一樣: you feel trepidation你會感到忐忑 as you walk to the door是走向那扇門的時候, not after you have walked through it不是走過去之後。

The word is formal and a bit literary. In real speech people say 'I was nervous' or 'I was scared'; you meet trepidation in books, news writing, and careful speech. Because it sounds formal, English speakers often use it with a small smile, for something not really dangerous — 'I opened the electricity bill with some trepidation.' That gentle joking use is very common, maybe more common now than the serious one.

The word這個字 is formal and a bit literary是正式、有點文學性的。in real speech在真正說話時 people say 'I was nervous' or 'I was scared'人會說 'I was nervous' 或 'I was scared'; you meet trepidation你會在 books, news writing, and careful speech書、新聞寫作和講究的用語裡遇到 trepidation這個字。Because it sounds formal因為聽起來很正式, English speakers英語使用者 often use it with a small smile常常帶點微笑地使用它, for something not really dangerous用在其實沒什麼危險的事情上 — 'I opened the electricity bill with some trepidation.'（例如「我帶著一點忐忑打開了電費帳單」）。That gentle joking use這種溫和的玩笑用法 is very common非常常見, maybe more common now than the serious one甚至可能比正經的用法還常見。

It is almost always used with 'with': with trepidation, with some trepidation, with a certain trepidation, with considerable trepidation. It is uncountable, so no 'a trepidation' and no 'trepidations' in normal writing.

It is almost always used with 'with'幾乎總是跟 'with' 連用: with trepidation帶著忐忑, with some trepidation帶著一點忐忑, with a certain trepidation帶著某種忐忑, with considerable trepidation帶著相當程度的忐忑。It is uncountable是不可數名詞, so所以 no 'a trepidation'不會有 'a trepidation' and no 'trepidations'也不會有 'trepidations' in normal writing在一般的寫作裡。

The old Latin sense was trembling — and that body picture is still there. Trepidation is the feeling that would make your hands shake a little, not a calm thought about risk.

The old Latin sense古老的拉丁文意思 was trembling是「顫抖」 — and that body picture而那種身體的畫面 is still there仍然還在。Trepidation is忐忑是 the feeling那種感覺 that would make your hands shake a little會讓你的手有點發抖, not a calm thought about risk而不是對風險冷靜的思考。