To bewail something is to say out loud, at length, how sad or sorry you are about it. The key is that bewailing is audible and public: it is not quiet private sadness but complaining, lamenting, going on about it.

To bewail somethingTo bewail something（動詞bewail某事）is to say out loud, at length, how sad or sorry you are about it是把自己有多難過、多遺憾大聲、長篇大論地說出來。The key is that bewailing is audible and public重點是bewail一定要出聲、要公開：it is not quiet private sadness不是安靜私下的難過，but complaining, lamenting, going on about it而是抱怨、哀嘆、講個不停。

It is a formal and literary verb — you meet it in the Bible, in Shakespeare, in old poetry, where people bewail their fate, bewail the death of a king, bewail their sins.

It is a formal and literary verb這是正式、文學性的動詞 — you meet it in the Bible, in Shakespeare, in old poetry——你會在聖經、莎士比亞、古詩裡遇到它，where people bewail their fate人們在裡面bewail their fate（哀嘆自己的命運），bewail the death of a king、bewail the death of a king（哀悼國王之死），bewail their sins、bewail their sins（哀嘆自己的罪）。

In modern English it survives mostly in writing and in a slightly amused, ironic way: 'columnists bewailing the decline of the English language', 'he bewailed the state of the roads'. That ironic use is worth noticing, because it quietly suggests the complaining is a bit much — that the speaker is being dramatic about something not worth it.

In modern English it survives mostly in writing在現代英文裡，它主要留在書面裡and in a slightly amused, ironic way而且帶點好笑、諷刺的味道：'columnists bewailing the decline of the English language''columnists bewailing the decline of the English language'（專欄作家哀嘆英文水準下滑），'he bewailed the state of the roads''he bewailed the state of the roads'（他哀嘆路況有多糟）。That ironic use is worth noticing這種諷刺用法值得注意，because it quietly suggests the complaining is a bit much因為它悄悄暗示這個抱怨有點誇張 — that the speaker is being dramatic about something not worth it——說話的人在小題大作。

It is always transitive: you bewail something (bewail his death, bewail the loss, bewail the fact that...). You cannot just 'bewail' with nothing after it.

It is always transitive這永遠是及物動詞：you bewail something一定要bewail某個東西(bewail his death, bewail the loss, bewail the fact that...)（bewail his death、bewail the loss、bewail the fact that...）。You cannot just 'bewail' with nothing after it不能只說'bewail'後面什麼都不接。

Compare the near neighbours: 'lament' is the standard formal word and slightly more dignified; 'mourn' is about grief for a death and can be silent; 'wail' on its own is the loud crying sound; 'bemoan' is very close to bewail and rather more common today. If a student wants one of these for ordinary use, bemoan or complain about is the safer choice — bewail sounds like a costume.

Compare the near neighbours比較一下這些意思相近的字：'lament' is the standard formal word and slightly more dignified'lament'是標準的正式字，語氣更莊重一點；'mourn' is about grief for a death and can be silent'mourn'講的是為死亡而悲傷，可以是沉默的；'wail' on its own is the loud crying sound'wail'單獨用就是大聲哭喊的聲音；'bemoan' is very close to bewail and rather more common today'bemoan'跟bewail非常接近，現在也常見得多。If a student wants one of these for ordinary use如果學生想在日常用其中一個，bemoan or complain about is the safer choicebemoan或complain about比較保險 — bewail sounds like a costume——bewail聽起來像是穿了戲服。