◊ In British English, a hostage to fortune is something (such as a promise or an action) that someone has made or done that may cause problems in the future. In U.S. English, this phrase is much less common and is usually understood to mean a person whose future success or failure is controlled by luck or fortune.在英国英语中,a hostage to fortune表示可能招来麻烦的事物(如许诺、行为等)。而在美国英语中,此短语不太常用,通常指命运由运气或上天来决定的人。