confession
confession — 名詞
1. a spoken or written statement in which a person admits to having done something
認罪
承認自己做錯事或違法的陳述
a spoken or written statement in which a person admits to having done something bad, especially a crime — for example, telling the police you stole a car, or telling your parents you lied to them.
Hassan made a full confession to the police after two hours of questioning.
Hassan 經過兩小時的訊問後，向警方做了全面認罪。
collocation: make a confession / full confession
The detective read the suspect's written confession and noted every detail.
偵探閱讀了嫌疑犯的書面認罪書，並記下了每個細節。
collocation: written confession
Ezra's confession that he had broken the window surprised everyone in the room.
Ezra 承認自己打破了窗戶，讓房間裡的每個人都很驚訝。
The politician's public confession of corruption brought an end to his long career.
那位政治人物公開承認貪腐，終結了他漫長的職業生涯。
The suspect gave a false confession because the police had pressured him all night.
那名嫌犯作了虛假認罪，因為警方整夜對他施壓。
- admission
less formal than 'confession'; used for both wrongdoing and simply stating a fact ('an admission of guilt' vs 'an admission of defeat')
- acknowledgment
more formal; can imply reluctant acceptance of something rather than a voluntary statement
- disclosure
focuses on revealing hidden information, not necessarily about guilt or wrongdoing
- denial
a statement that something is not true or that you did not do something
用法筆記
Frequently appears in criminal law contexts. A confession can be oral or written; a written confession often carries more legal weight. The word is also used in everyday situations for admitting mistakes, not only crimes.
常見錯誤
2. in some Christian traditions, especially Catholicism, the practice of privately
告解
向神父告罪以求寬恕的宗教儀式
in some Christian traditions, especially Catholicism, the practice of privately telling a priest of the wrong things you have done and receiving God's forgiveness through the priest's prayer.
Sana went to confession every Saturday evening before Sunday mass.
Sana 每個星期六傍晚都會去教堂告解，然後參加週日彌撒。
collocation: go to confession
Father Michael heard Yael's confession and gave her advice about forgiveness.
Michael 神父聽了 Yael 的告解，並給她關於寬恕的建議。
collocation: hear + confession (priest as subject)
After making his first confession, Andrei felt a sense of peace and relief.
Andrei 做完第一次告解後，感到一種平安與釋然。
There was a long queue outside the confession booth during the weeks before Easter.
復活節前幾週，告解亭外排了一條長長的隊伍。
- penance
the punishment or prayer given by the priest after confession, not the act of confessing itself
- absolution
the formal forgiveness granted by the priest, which follows confession
用法筆記
In Roman Catholic teaching, confession is a sacrament — a sacred ritual. The priest who 'hears confession' is bound to keep everything secret (the 'seal of the confessional'). This sense is most often uncountable ('go to confession'), but can be countable when referring to a specific event ('my first confession').
常見錯誤
3. words that openly express what a person or a church community believes about God
宣信；信條
公開表明宗教信念的陳述
words that openly express what a person or a church community believes about God and matters of faith.
The old church still uses a confession of faith written in the sixteenth century.
那座老教堂仍在使用一篇十六世紀撰寫的信仰宣言。
phrase: confession of faith
Valentina wrote her personal confession of faith to read at the baptism ceremony.
Valentina 寫下了她個人的信仰告白，準備在受洗典禮上朗讀。
phrase: personal confession of faith
Minho studied the church's confession to understand what its members believe.
Minho 研讀了該教會的信條，以了解其成員的信仰。
Apinya read the Westminster Confession as part of her theology course at university.
Apinya 在大學神學課程中研讀了《西敏斯特信仰宣言》。
- creed
a formal statement of religious beliefs, often used for historic Christian statements such as the Nicene Creed; 'creed' is more institutional, while 'confession' can be personal
- profession of faith
nearly identical meaning, slightly more formal and public
- belief system
broader term that covers any set of principles, not necessarily religious
用法筆記
This sense most often appears in set phrases like 'confession of faith' or 'confessional statement'. It is more formal and theological than the everyday sense of admitting wrongdoing. The word can refer to an individual's personal faith statement or to an official doctrinal document of a church.