pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely
被遗弃的;孤苦伶仃的;可怜的
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forlorn figures at bus stops. 汽车站旁孤零零的人。
(of an aim or endeavour)unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless
(目标,努力)不可能成功的;没希望的
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a forlorn attempt to escape. 无成功希望的逃跑企图。
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forlorn hope a persistent or desperate hope that is unlikely to be fulfilled 渺茫的希望;不可能实现的愿望 -
[ORIGIN mid 16th cent. from Dutch
verloren hoop ‘lost troop', fromverloren (past participle ofverliezen ‘lose') andhoop ‘company' (related toHEAP ). The phrase originally denoted a band of soldiers picked to begin an attack, many of whom would not survive; the current sense (mid 17th cent.), derives from a misunderstanding of the etymology.]
"Old English