Despondency is a deep, heavy unhappiness in which you have little energy and little hope. It is quieter than panic and longer than a bad afternoon: a low, grey mood that sits on a person.

Despondency is a deep, heavy unhappiness in which you have little energy and little hopedespondency是一種深沉、沉重的不快樂，讓你沒什麼精力也沒什麼希望。It is quieter than panic and longer than a bad afternoon這比恐慌安靜，也比一個難過的下午更持久：a low, grey mood that sits on a person一種壓在人身上、低沉灰暗的情緒。

This is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word. Friends, and even many doctors in ordinary talk, are more likely to say feeling down, hopelessness, or depression.

This is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word這是一個正式、稍微老派的字。Friends, and even many doctors in ordinary talk朋友之間，甚至很多醫生在平常說話時，are more likely to say feeling down, hopelessness, or depression比較常說feeling down（心情低落）、hopelessness（絕望）或depression（憂鬱）。

You meet despondency in novels, essays, and careful writing. It names the state, not a single tear and not one wild act.

You meet despondency in novels, essays, and careful writing你會在小說、散文和講究的文章裡遇到despondency。It names the state, not a single tear and not one wild act它指的是一種狀態，不是一滴眼淚，也不是一個衝動的舉動。

Though actually, it is not the same as desperation, even if both hurt.

Though actually不過其實，it is not the same as desperation, even if both hurt它跟desperation不一樣，儘管兩者都讓人難受。

Desperation often pushes a person to do something — a last try, a rash move. Despondency more often stills a person: they sit, they go quiet, they stop reaching.

Desperation often pushes a person to do something desperation常常會推著一個人去做點什麼——a last try, a rash move最後一搏、一個衝動的舉動。Despondency more often stills a person despondency則比較常讓人靜下來：they sit, they go quiet, they stop reaching他們坐著、變得沉默、不再伸手去爭取什麼。

It looks a little like despair, but it is a different family: the feelings live next door, the word-pieces do not.

It looks a little like despair它看起來有點像despair（絕望），but it is a different family但它是不同的家族：the feelings live next door, the word-pieces do not感受是鄰居，但這兩個字的組成並不是。