Mortification is the sharp feeling of being extremely ashamed, embarrassed, or offended — the kind that makes you wish the floor would open. “To my mortification…” is a set way of telling the story: something happened, and the shame hit. It is a rather formal, even slightly old-fashioned noun; younger speakers more often say they were mortified, using the adjective.

Mortification就是 the sharp feeling of being extremely ashamed, embarrassed, or offended那種強烈到讓人覺得非常丟臉、尷尬或被冒犯的感覺——the kind that makes you wish the floor would open那種讓你希望地板能裂開把自己吞下去的感覺。“To my mortification…”「令我感到難堪的是……」 is一種 a set way of telling the story固定的敘述方式：something happened事情發生了, and而 the shame hit那股羞愧感就襲來了。It它 is是 a rather formal, even slightly old-fashioned noun一個相當正式、甚至有點老派的名詞; younger speakers年輕的說話者 more often更常 say they were mortified說「I was mortified」, using the adjective用形容詞的形式。

Though actually the word has older lives, which is why it feels so heavy. In religion, mortification of the flesh meant punishing the body to tame desire. In old medical English it could mean a bit of the body dying. Those uses are rare for learners now, but they sit behind the shame sense: the feeling is talked about as if something in you has been struck down.

Though actually不過其實, the word這個詞 has older lives還有更早的其他意思, which is why這就是為什麼 it feels so heavy它感覺這麼沉重的原因。In religion在宗教裡, mortification of the flesh「肉體的克己」（mortification of the flesh） meant意思是 punishing the body to tame desire懲罰身體來壓制慾望。In old medical English在早期的醫學英文裡, it它 could mean可能指的是 a bit of the body dying身體有一小部分壞死。Those uses那些用法 are rare for learners now對現在的學習者來說很少見, but但 they sit behind the shame sense它們就藏在「羞愧」這個意思的背後: the feeling這種感覺 is talked about as if被講得好像 something in you has been struck down你心裡有什麼東西被擊倒了一樣。

For the sense you will meet in everyday English, keep to that deep embarrassment.

For the sense you will meet in everyday English對於你在日常英文裡會遇到的意思, keep to就記住 that deep embarrassment那種深深的難堪感就好。