/'fɔ:tʃu:n; `fɔrtʃən/
n
1 [U] chance, esp regarded as a power affecting people's lives
*(good or bad) luck 机会（尤指对人们生活有重要影响的）; （好的或坏的）运气
*By a stroke (ie instance) of (good) fortune, he won the competition. 他靠（好）运气在竞赛中获胜.
* be a victim of ill (ie bad) fortune 成为恶运的牺牲品
* I had the good fortune (ie was lucky enough) to be chosen for a trip abroad. 我真幸运, 被选中出国旅行.
2 [C usu pl 通常作复数] event or change in the life of a person or in the progress of a country, business, etc （在人生中或在国家业务等的发展中的）事情或转变
*The party's fortunes were at their lowest level after the election defeat. 该党在竞选失败後每况愈下.
3 [C] person's destiny or future; fate 个人的运气或前途; 命运
*At the fair a gypsy told (me) my fortune, eg by looking at playing-cards or the lines on my hand. 有个吉普赛人在游乐场上给我算过命.
4 [C] large amount of money 大笔的钱; 巨款
*That ring is worth/must have cost a fortune. 那戒指很值钱.
* She inherited a large fortune. 她继承了一大笔财产.
* He made a considerable fortune selling waste materials. 他靠卖废料发了大财.
5 (idm 习语) the fortune(s) of `war the good or bad luck one meets with in war 个人在战争中遇到的好运或恶运
*made homeless by the fortunes of war 因战乱而无家可归. a hostage to fortune => hostage. seek one's fortune => seek. a small fortune => small. a soldier of fortune => soldier.

n

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1【money】
2【chance】
3【what happens to you】
4 tell somebody's fortune

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[Date: 1200-1300; Language: French;Origin:Latin fortuna]
【MONEY】[C]
a very large amount of money
　He made a fortune selling property in Spain.
　My first painting sold for £25, a small fortune then for an art student.
　Bill Traylor died in poverty in 1947, but his art is worth a fortune .
　The carpet must have cost a fortune .
　It is quite easy to decorate your house without spending a fortune .
　Her personal fortune was recently estimated at £37 million.
【CHANCE】[U]
chance or luck, and the effect that it has on your life
　I had the good fortune to work with a brilliant head of department.
　Sickness or ill fortune could reduce you to a needy situation.
　I felt it was useless to struggle against fortune.
【WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU】 [C usually plural]
the good or bad things that happen in life
　a downturn in the company's fortunes
　This defeat marked a change in the team's fortunes.
　The geographical position of the frontier fluctuated with the fortunes of war (=the things that can happen during a war) .
tell sb's fortune
to tell someone what will happen to them in the future by looking at their hands, using cards etc
→soldier of fortune,fame and fortuneatfame,a hostage to fortuneathostage, seek your fortuneatseek