catastrophe

noun

1. 灾难；灾祸；横祸
   a sudden event that causes many people to suffer
   1. Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe.
      提前发出的洪水水位上涨警报防止了又一次的重大灾害。
2. 不幸事件；困难
   an event that causes one person or a group of people personal suffering, or that makes difficulties
   1. The attempt to expand the business was a catastrophe for the firm.
      扩展业务的尝试使这家公司陷入困境。
   2. We've had a few catastrophes with the food for the party.
      我们为聚会准备食物时遇到了一些困难。

1. N-COUNT 重大灾难;灾祸;横祸
   A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage.
   1. From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe...
      不管从哪方面说，战争都将是场灾难。
   2. If the world is to avoid environmental catastrophe, advanced economies must undergo a profound transition.
      世界若要想避免环境灾难，经济发达的国家必须进行深刻变革。

1. We live in the shadow of the apocalypse, of a catastrophe that will mean the end of the world itself.
   我们生活在意味着世界末日将要到来的灾难的阴影当中。
2. From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe
   不管从哪方面说，战争都将是场灾难。
3. If the world is to avoid environmental catastrophe, advanced economies must undergo a profound transition.
   世界若要想避免环境灾难，经济发达的国家必须进行深刻变革。
4. They suffered an electoral catastrophe, winning a paltry 3 seats.
   他们在选举中惨败，仅获得微不足道的3个席位。
5. Until he saw the trapped wagons and animals, he did not realize the full extent of the catastrophe.
   直到他看见受困的马车和动物，才意识到灾难的严重性。
6. Every one feels that a disaster is imminent, as if a catastrophe is about to come.
   谁都感到大事不好，似乎有什么极大的灾难即将来临。
7. A catastrophe is brewing.
   一场灾祸正在酿成。
8. Miss ley, indeed, was convinced that some catastrophe had occurred.
   的确，莱伊小姐深信发生了什么大变故。
9. The party could be heading for catastrophe in the election.
   该党可能会在选举中遭到惨败。
10. The flood was a major catastrophe, causing heavy loss of life.
    洪水是一场大灾难，夺去了许多人的生命。
11. Catastrophe theory provides a coherent framework for modelling the complex dynamics of systems.
    突变理论为建立系统的复杂动力学模型提供了一个清晰的框架。
12. The president was alarmed by the drift toward catastrophe in europe.
    总统对欧洲动荡的时局甚为担忧。
13. They have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless strength and character in defense of their way of life.
    面对巨大的灾难他们表现出的是为保卫家园和生活的无限力量和不屈的品质。
14. The company lost its biggest customer and that was a catastrophe for its future.
    公司失去了最大的客户，这对它的未来可谓是一大灾难。
15. The planet is hit by an environmental catastrophe, and, in that crisis, lives are torn apart.
    地球遭受了环境灾难，而在这场危机中，人们的生活都被撕裂了。
16. But there is still time to avert catastrophe, Dr. McCauley and his colleagues also found.
    但我们仍有时间来避免灾难，麦考利博士和同事还发现。
17. The president warned people that if war broke out, it would be a catastrophe.
    总统警告人民，如果战争爆发了，将会是一场大灾难。
18. For catastrophe risks, reinsurance is particularly important Reinsurance is one of the key department in the world economy.
    对于巨灾风险，再保险尤其重要。再保险是世界经济中一个极为重要的部门。
19. This was a culture devoid of self-criticism and self-analysis, hindering the prevention of impending economic catastrophe.
    这是一种缺乏自我批评和自我分析的文化，给防范日益迫近的经济灾难制造了障碍。
20. The Japan's earthquake was a terrible catastrophe.
    日本的地震是个可怕的灾难。
21. It was the second time in his life that she had caused a catastrophe.
    在他的一生中，这是她第二次惹了大祸。
22. The natural catastrophe dealt a blow to this country's economy.
    这场自然灾害给这个国家的经济带来了严重的打击。
23. They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.
    他们得到了将要来临的生态大灾难的警告。
24. And this is what sets this catastrophe apart from the earthquakes and plagues of former years.
    而正是这一点把这次灾难和以往的地震和瘟疫区别开。
25. This year the village has suffered a serious water logging catastrophe. The common people have had heavy losses.
    今年这个村遭受了严重的涝害，百姓们损失惨重。
26. Because of the failure the catastrophe will be coming.
    因为失败，大祸就要来临了。
27. In this way, a coattail catastrophe model of landslide system would be established.
    建立了斜坡系统的燕尾突变模型。
28. China's Three Gorges Dam: An Environmental Catastrophe?
    2008年3月，科学美国人杂志发表了这篇《中国的三峡大坝：一场环境灾难？》，从多个角度分析了三峡大坝建设的利弊和种种争议。
29. Then the catastrophe happened.
    然后，大灾难发生了。
30. Japan, for example, has issued natural catastrophe bonds or swaps to offset earthquake risk.
    以日本为例，它已发行了自然灾害债券或掉期工具，用以抵消地震带来的风险。

  tragedy adversity calamity catastrophe disaster misfortune【导航词义：悲剧，灾难】

  tragedy n. 悲剧性事件，惨剧

〔辨析〕指因有人死亡而令人震惊的不幸事件。

  adversity n. 逆境，不幸

〔辨析〕指困难重重或不走运的境况。

  calamity n. 灾难，祸患

〔辨析〕指意外发生的、造成重大损失的灾祸，语气强于 disaster，侧重于悲痛的心情；有时也指个人的不幸， 多为幽默用语。

  catastrophe n. 重大灾难；大祸

〔辨析〕语气最强，指造成破坏、死亡的可怕灾难，强调最终的结局；也可指极为麻烦的局面或悲惨的结局。

  disaster n. 灾难，灾祸

〔辨析〕普通用词，通常指各类人为或自然的灾祸，如核泄漏、洪水、暴风雪等。

  misfortune n. 不幸，灾祸

〔辨析〕多指较为严重的不幸，强调多由厄运或外界因素所致。

noun

1. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
   1. the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity
   2. the earthquake was a disaster

   Synonym:    calamitydisastertragedycataclysm

2. a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

   Synonym:    cataclysm

3. a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
   1. lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system
   2. his policies were a disaster

   Synonym:    disaster