/'trædʒədɪ; `trædʒədɪ/
n
1 [C, U] terrible event that causes great sadness 悲惨的事
*Investigators are searching the wreckage of the plane to try and find the cause of the tragedy. 调查人员在飞机残骸中搜索, 希望找出造成这一悲惨事件的原因.
* a life blighted by tragedy 饱经惨事折磨的一生
* (fig 比喻) It's a tragedy (ie extremely regrettable) for this country that he never became prime minister. 他从未当上首相, 这是国家的极大不幸.
2 (a) [C] serious play with a sad ending 悲剧
*Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies 莎士比亚的悲剧和喜剧.
(b) [U] branch of drama that consists of such plays 悲剧艺术
*classical French tragedy 法国的古典悲剧艺术. Cf 参看 comedy.

npluraltragedies
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French;Origin: tragedie, from Latin, from Greek tragoidia, probably from tragos 'goat' + aeidein 'to sing']
[U and C]
a very sad event, that shocks people because it involves death
　The tragedy happened as they were returning home from a night out.
　Tragedy struck the family when their two-year-old son was killed in an accident.
[C]informal
something that seems very sad and unnecessary because something will be wasted, lost, or harmed
　It's a tragedy to see so much talent going to waste.
a)[C]
a serious play or book that ends sadly, especially with the death of the main character
→comedy
　'Hamlet' is one of Shakespeare's best known tragedies.
b)[U]
this type of play or book
　an actor specializing in tragedy