Hope and Fear

“Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear.”（Baruch Spinoza）哲學家斯賓諾莎說：「沒有希望就沒有恐懼，沒有恐懼也就沒有希望。」

 

 

Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper 是散文家培根（Francis Bacon）的名言，意思是：希望是美好的早餐，但却是糟糕的晚餐。有時候希望愈大，失望的痛苦就愈深。最樂觀的說法是：While there is life there is hope，有生命就有希望。留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒。Hope for the best and prepare for the worst 好處着想，壞處打算。凡事保持樂觀，但同時也要做最壞的準備，反而是比較實際的想法和做法。

 

Hope springs eternal，人生永遠充滿希望。Hope springs eternal in the human breast 這句隽語來自英國詩人普柏（Alexander Pope）所寫的 “Essay on Man”：希望永遠在人的心中滋生，人雖不曾快樂幸福過，卻認為快樂幸福將會來臨。

 

Hope 希望、期望、指望。In the hope of 懷着希望。Live in hope 表示樂觀，you are optimistic 從好處的方面設想，希望某事順利，hopeful of success, you hope that something will happen successfully. A glimmer of hope is a small amount of hope 一線希望，the belief that there is a slight chance that something positive will happen。

 

Other common expressions of hope include：

 

pin/place/set hopes on 把希望寄託在某事上；

cling to hope 緊抱希望；

fond hope 天真的希望，a genuine wish for something that is unlikely to happen；

don’t give up hope 不要放棄希望；

hope against hope 對某事抱一線希望；

dash somebody’s hopes 使某人的希望落空。

 

 

If you say “some hope” or “not a hope” 妄想, you think there is no possibility that something will happen, although you may want it to happen：there is no chance at all that something will happen 根本不可能！毫無希望，因為與慾望相去甚遠。

 

Fear 恐懼、害怕，不但指情緒上的騷動，而且達到極端的狀態。Fear is used frequently, such as you have a fear, you show fear, you confront your fear, you overcome your fear. You may also have a deep fear, a sudden fear, a constant fear or an irrational fear. You are in fear and trembling 惶恐不安 when you are very apprehensively and anxiously with dread.

 

 

Fear refers to the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when something might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you: a fear of flying. Alarm refers to fear or worry that somebody feels when something dangerous or unpleasant might happen: The doctor said there was no cause for alarm to the patient. Apprehension 通指憂慮、擔心、疑慮、畏懼等恐慌情緒：There was growing apprehension that war would happen in Ukraine. Foreboding 指對不祥或危險事情的强烈預感：The letter filled him with foreboding that something went wrong.

 

 

Fear 的含義較 Fright 廣泛普遍。凡對使人害怕的事物和未來可能發生的事情，感到擔憂，均可用 fear。Fright 更具體，多指對剛剛發生或正在發生的事情或外界的威脅，作出一種突然不安的反應：She cried out in fright; but she has a growing sense of fear.

 

Common expressions of fear include:

 

For fear of something 生怕……以免……唯恐 = in case: I had to run away for fear that he might one day kill me 我只好逃走，生怕他有一天把我殺掉。

For fear that = because of fear of something: He doesn’t drive for fear of an accident. He locked his car doors for fear of being attacked.

For fear of your life = feeling frightened that you might be killed 害怕會喪生；為生命安全擔憂。

Put the fear of God in someone 恐嚇，尤指威脅某人服從你: to frighten someone very much, especially in order to make him do something.

Without fear or favour 公平、公正、不偏不倚: in a totally fair and unbiased manner.

 

 

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread：天使不敢踏足的地方，愚人卻衝進去。這句諺語批評某人沒有考慮清楚後果，便草率行事。A comment criticising a person who did something hastily without thinking clearly about the likely consequences. Foolish people usually do not understand when a situation is dangerous, so they are not afraid to do things that would frighten more sensible people.

 

本專欄逢周二、五發表