自现象级英语
PITFALL
1. 英英释义：a problem or difficulty that is likely to happen in a particular job, course of action, or activity
例句：A used car is indeed a bargain, but there can be many pitfalls associated with the purchase of one.
2. 为什么选这个词？
“pitfall”是可数名词，意思都是“陷阱、隐患、坑”。这个词由 pit 和 fall 两部分组成，pit 本身有“深坑”的意思，而 fall 有“落下”的意思，就像一个人不小心掉进坑里一样，非常有画面感，相信大家一下子就记住了。我们可以用 pitfall 来替换 danger 和 trap。下面通过生活中几个常见场景来掌握这个单词。
买二手车固然便宜，但其实里面有很多坑，就可以说：
A used car is indeed a bargain, but there can be many pitfalls associated with the purchase of one.
很多自由职业者喜欢在家办公，因为可以节省办公室租金，节省通勤时间，但其实这里面也有很多坑，比如难以形成一种高效的工作习惯、很容易被家里的事情分散注意力，就可以说：
Many freelancers favor working at home because it saves rent and reduces commute time. However, pitfalls of this practice abound.
我们经常会读到“认知缺陷”或“认知陷阱”，对应的英文就是 cognitive pitfalls。我们就可以这样提醒自己：
We should be wary of cognitive pitfalls.
我几年前开始写公众号是为了提醒其他人英语学习中一些常见的坑，就可以说：
I started to blog about English learning because I wanted to warn other English learners of common pitfalls.
3. 怎样学会使用这个词？
1）翻译下面的句子：
一个律师的任务就是用自己的专业技能帮助客户避开法律中的坑。 (重点：任务job，法律陷阱legal pitfalls)
A lawyer's job is to help clients to avoid legal pitfalls with his expertise.
A lawyer's job is to use his expertise to help his clients to avoid legal pitfalls.
造句：
例1：My father got his foot caught in a trap on a mountain road last Sunday. That explains why we should be wary of potential pitfalls on and off the road. 上周日上山被夹野兔的铁圈套住了。出行须小心啊。
例2：Archives are adviced to factor in an emergency plan against disastrous pitfalls. 档案馆应该考虑 备灾方案，防范未然。
例3：The police warned the passengers about the hidden pitfalls of pickpocketing. When sidetracked, they were prone to get stolen. 警方提醒旅客注意小偷。一不留神就可能失窃。
个人拓展：
多用复数的名词：countable noun, usually plural
释义：an unexpected danger or difficulty ; a problem, used especially about problems that may happen in the future
搭配：many/ common/ major/ potential pitfalls
legal/ cognitive pitfalls
fall into / avoid/ run into/ escape pitfalls
have both promise and pitfalls ; pitfalls or problems
背诵：
pitfall, danger, trap
We need to be alert to potential pitfalls.
We should be wary of cognitive pitfalls.
