Tribulation is serious trouble or suffering — not a bad day, but hardship that goes on and tests you.

TribulationTribulation is指的是 serious trouble or suffering嚴重的困境或苦難 — not a bad day不是倒楣的一天而已, but hardship that goes on and tests you而是持續下去、考驗著你的艱難處境。

The word is formal and slightly old-sounding, and it carries a religious echo, because it comes to English mostly through the Bible, where believers are told to expect tribulation in this life. In Christian talk about the end of the world, 'the Tribulation' with a capital T is a specific period of suffering before the end, and you will meet that meaning in films and novels.

The word is formal and slightly old-sounding這個字正式而且帶點老派味, and it carries a religious echo而且帶著宗教色彩, because it comes to English mostly through the Bible因為它主要是透過聖經進入英文的, where believers are told to expect tribulation in this life聖經裡告訴信徒今生要預期會有苦難。In Christian talk about the end of the world在基督教談論世界末日的語境裡, 'the Tribulation' with a capital T大寫的 the Tribulation is a specific period of suffering before the end是指末日之前一段特定的苦難時期, and you will meet that meaning in films and novels你會在電影和小說裡看到這個意思。

In ordinary modern English you meet it most often in the fixed phrase 'trials and tribulations' — the trials and tribulations of running a small restaurant — and here something interesting happens: the phrase has softened. People use it half-jokingly for troubles that are real but survivable, so it can mean anything from genuine suffering down to 'the usual headaches'. That is a big gap, and only the sentence around it tells you which one is meant.

In ordinary modern English在日常現代英文裡 you meet it most often in the fixed phrase 'trials and tribulations'你最常在固定片語 trials and tribulations 裡碰到它 — the trials and tribulations of running a small restaurant「經營一家小餐廳的種種波折」 — and here something interesting happens在這裡有件有趣的事：the phrase has softened這個片語的語氣變輕了。People use it half-jokingly for troubles that are real but survivable人們半開玩笑地拿它形容真實但撐得過去的麻煩, so it can mean anything from genuine suffering down to 'the usual headaches'所以它可以指從真正的苦難一路到「日常的頭痛小事」都算。That is a big gap這是很大的落差, and only the sentence around it tells you which one is meant只有靠上下文才能判斷指的是哪一種。

The word is both countable and uncountable: 'after much tribulation' and 'the tribulations of her early years' are both fine.

The word is both countable and uncountable這個字可數不可數都可以: 'after much tribulation'「歷經許多苦難之後」 and 'the tribulations of her early years'和「她早年的種種磨難」 are both fine兩種說法都通。