Catch-22

基本信息

词性：名词

音标：/ˌkætʃ twentiˈtuː/

中文翻译：进退两难的困境；自相矛盾的局面；无法避免的两难处境。

词源：出自美国作家约瑟夫·海勒（Joseph Heller）1961年的讽刺小说《第二十二条军规》（Catch-22）。书中规定“飞行员若精神正常就必须继续执行危险任务，但如果他们申请停飞就说明他们精神正常，因此不能停飞”。这种逻辑悖论被称为 Catch-22。

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含义

Catch-22 指一种无解的困境，人在其中因相互矛盾的规则或条件而无法摆脱困境。常用于形容任何自相矛盾、进退维谷的制度或处境。

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用法

常用于描述制度性荒谬或逻辑悖论。

多见于政治、军事、商业和日常生活语境。

语法上通常作可数名词：a Catch-22 situation，或直接作不可数用法：This is pure Catch-22.

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短语搭配

a Catch-22 situation —— 进退两难的局面

a classic Catch-22 —— 典型的两难困境

bureaucratic Catch-22 —— 官僚制度的荒谬规定

trapped in a Catch-22 —— 陷入进退维谷的处境

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例句（10句）

He found himself in a Catch-22: he couldn’t get a job without experience, and he couldn’t gain experience without a job.

It’s a classic Catch-22 situation—students need money to study, but they need education to earn money.

The military rule created a Catch-22 for the soldiers.

The law is a Catch-22 that makes it impossible for small businesses to survive.

Without a car he couldn’t get a job, but without a job he couldn’t buy a car—a true Catch-22.

Bureaucracy often leads to Catch-22 situations where nothing can move forward.

She described the visa process as a Catch-22.

He realized he was trapped in a Catch-22 when applying for the license.

It’s a Catch-22: to be trusted, you must have experience; to get experience, you must be trusted.

The insurance policy created a Catch-22 that left the family without coverage.

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总结

Catch-22 是英语中极具文化特色的词汇，代表荒谬的逻辑和无解的困境。它不仅是一种词汇现象，也折射出现实生活中的制度性悖论。

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