Vicissitudes are the ups and downs of life — the changes that keep coming, some good but usually hard, that you did not choose and cannot stop. Money comes and goes, health comes and goes, a country is peaceful and then it is not. When you gather all of that together and speak of it as one thing, you can call it "the vicissitudes of life".

Vicissitudes are the ups and downs of life這個字指的是人生的起起落落 — the changes that keep coming, some good but usually hard, that you did not choose and cannot stop不斷發生的變化，有時好、但通常很難熬，是你沒得選也擋不住的。Money comes and goes錢財來來去去, health comes and goes健康來來去去, a country is peaceful and then it is not一個國家和平一陣子又不太平。When you gather all of that together and speak of it as one thing當你把這一切放在一起講成一件事, you can call it "the vicissitudes of life"你就可以稱它為「the vicissitudes of life（人生的浮沉）」。

Two things make this word special. First, it is nearly always plural. You will see "vicissitudes", almost never "a vicissitude". Second, it almost always comes with "of": the vicissitudes of life, of war, of the market, of a long career, of fortune. It is one of those words that travels with a fixed set of friends.

Two things make this word special有兩件事讓這個字很特別。First首先, it is nearly always plural它幾乎永遠是複數形。You will see "vicissitudes"你會看到「vicissitudes」, almost never "a vicissitude"幾乎不會看到「a vicissitude」。Second第二, it almost always comes with "of"它幾乎總是搭配「of」: the vicissitudes of life人生的浮沉, of war戰爭的, of the market市場的, of a long career漫長職涯的, of fortune命運的。It is one of those words that travels with a fixed set of friends這是那種固定跟特定字搭配出現的字。

It is a very formal word — you meet it in books, speeches, and serious articles, not in a talk with a friend. If your friend's shop closed, you would say "things have been hard for her", not "she has faced many vicissitudes". Using it in casual talk sounds either literary or slightly joking.

It is a very formal word這是一個很正式的字 — you meet it in books, speeches, and serious articles你會在書籍、演講、正經的文章裡遇到它, not in a talk with a friend而不是跟朋友聊天時。If your friend's shop closed如果你朋友的店收了, you would say "things have been hard for her"你會說「她最近過得很辛苦」, not "she has faced many vicissitudes"而不是說「她經歷了許多vicissitudes」。Using it in casual talk在輕鬆對話裡用這個字 sounds either literary or slightly joking聽起來不是很文學，就是有點在開玩笑。

It also carries a certain feeling: quiet acceptance. The person who says it is usually looking back over a long stretch of time and saying, in effect, this is simply how life is — it turns, and you go on. That is why it fits so well after words like "through all the" and "despite the".

It also carries a certain feeling這個字還帶有一種特定的感覺: quiet acceptance安靜的接受。The person who says it is usually looking back over a long stretch of time說這個字的人通常是在回顧一段很長的時間, and saying, in effect, this is simply how life is — it turns, and you go on等於是在說：人生本來就是這樣，會轉來轉去，你還是得往下走。That is why it fits so well after words like "through all the" and "despite the"這也是為什麼它常常接在「through all the」和「despite the」後面特別順。

It is not the word for one sharp shock; that is a blow or a disaster. It is the word for change that keeps happening, over years.

It is not the word for one sharp shock這不是用來講一次突然打擊的字; that is a blow or a disaster那種情況該用blow或disaster。It is the word for change that keeps happening, over years它是用來講持續好幾年、一直在發生的變化的字。

Though actually, it does not always mean bad things. Strictly it means change of any kind, and old writers use it that way — the vicissitudes of the seasons. But in modern English, when someone says it, they are nearly always thinking of trouble.

Though actually不過其實, it does not always mean bad things它不一定都指壞事。Strictly it means change of any kind嚴格來說它指的是任何一種變化, and old writers use it that way古時候的作家也是這樣用的 — the vicissitudes of the seasons四季的更迭。But in modern English但在現代英文裡, when someone says it當有人說這個字時, they are nearly always thinking of trouble他們心裡想的幾乎都是麻煩事。