These are all words for the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect the way things are. 以上各词均指情况、状况。

• situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place 指情况、状况、形势、局面：◆the present economic situation 目前的经济形势
• circumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have 指条件、环境、状况、境况，（尤指）经济状况：◆The ship sank in mysterious circumstances. 那艘船神秘地沉没了。
• position the situation that sb is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do 指处境、地位、状况：◆She felt she was in a position of power. 她觉得她自己有权力。
• conditions the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how sth happens 指居住、工作或做事情的环境、境况、条件，影响某事发生的物质环境、状态、条件：◆We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions. 我们被迫在户外天寒地冻的环境下工作。

circumstances or conditions? 用 circumstances 还是 conditions？

Circumstances refers to sb's financial situation; conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather. * circumstances 指人的经济状况；conditions 指人的食宿等状况。circumstances 指影响某事的周边环境；conditions 通常指影响某事的物质环境，如天气。

• things (rather informal) the general situation, as it affects sb 指形势、局面、情况、事态：◆Hi, Jane! How are things? 喂，简，近来怎么样？◆Think things over before you decide. 先把情况考虑周全再作决定。
• the case the true situation 指实情、事实：◆If that is the case(= if the situation described is true), we need more staff. 如果真是那样，我们就需要更多的员工了。
• state of affairs a situation 指事态、情况、形势：◆How did this unhappy state of affairs come about? 这种不幸的情况是怎么发生的呢？

situation or state of affairs? 用 situation 还是 state of affairs？

• State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, sad and unhappy, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts. * state of affairs 多与 this 连用，亦与表示形势好坏的形容词（如 happy、sorry、shocking、sad 和 unhappy）以及与时间有关的形容词（如 present 和 current）连用。situation 常用得多，且用于更广泛的语境中。

Patterns

• in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
• the/sb's economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions
• (a/an) happy/unhappy situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
• to look at/review the situation/circumstances/conditions/things