To prefigure something is to be an early sign of it — a shape, a scene, or a person that already shows, in small or strange form, what will come later.

To prefigure somethingprefigure某件事 is to be an early sign of it是它的早期徵兆 — a shape, a scene, or a person一個形狀、場景或人物 that already shows, in small or strange form已經用小小的或奇怪的形式 what will come later呈現出之後會發生的事

A dark sky can prefigure a storm; a child’s gift for drawing can prefigure a life as an artist; in older religious writing, a story in the past is said to prefigure a later event.

A dark sky陰沉的天空 can prefigure a storm可以prefigure一場暴風雨；a child's gift for drawing小孩畫畫的天分 can prefigure a life as an artist可以prefigure他未來當藝術家的人生；in older religious writing在較舊的宗教文章裡 a story in the past過去的一個故事 is said to prefigure a later event據說會prefigure後來發生的事

It is a literary, slightly churchy or essay word. People do not say it when they mean “I guessed” or “I planned.” Though actually, it sits close to foreshadow, but prefigure keeps the picture-sense: something is already drawing the later thing, before that thing arrives.

It這個字 is a literary, slightly churchy or essay word是文學性、有點宗教或散文味的字。People do not say it人不會用它 when they mean "I guessed" or "I planned"來表示「我猜到了」或「我計畫好了」。Though actually不過其實 it sits close to foreshadow它跟foreshadow很接近 but prefigure keeps the picture-sense但prefigure保留了畫面感 — something is already drawing the later thing某個東西已經在描繪之後會發生的事 before that thing arrives在那件事發生之前

You will mostly meet it in books, not in conversation. There is a related noun, prefiguration, for that early picture, but the verb is the form students will see.

You will mostly meet it in books你大多會在書裡遇到它 not in conversation不是在對話裡。There is a related noun有個相關的名詞 prefigurationprefiguration for that early picture指那個早期的畫面 but the verb is the form students will see但學生會看到的是動詞形式