something that causes pain or suffering 痛源,苦事 a crippling affliction of the nervous system. 由神经系统造成严重伤害的痛源。 ■[mass noun]pain; suffering 痛苦;苦楚 poor people in great affliction. 忍受巨大痛苦的穷人。 ■(Astrology)an instance of one celestial body afflicting another (占星)(天体的)相互处于应力星位
语源
Middle English (originally in the sense 'infliction of pain or humiliation', specifically 'religious self-mortification'): via Old French from Latin afflictio(n-), from the verb affligere (see afflict)