fam·ine /ˈfæmən/
 饑荒,缺乏,饑饉
 Fam·ine n.  General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. “Worn with famine.”
    There was a famine in the land.   --Gen. xxvi. 1.
 Famine fever Med., typhus fever.
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 famine
      n 1: an acute insufficiency [syn: dearth, shortage]
      2: a severe shortage of food (as through crop failure)
         resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death
 Famine
    The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel
    Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gen. 26:1). Another is
    mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him
    to go to Gerar (Gen. 26:1, 17). But the most remarkable of all
    was that which arose in Egypt in the days of Joseph, which
    lasted for seven years (Gen. 41-45).
      Famines were sent as an effect of God's anger against a guilty
    people (2 Kings 8:1, 2; Amos 8:11; Deut. 28:22-42; 2 Sam. 21:1;
    2 Kings 6:25-28; 25:3; Jer. 14:15; 19:9; 42:17, etc.). A famine
    was predicted by Agabus (Acts 11:28). Josephus makes mention of
    the famine which occurred A.D. 45. Helena, queen of Adiabene,
    being at Jerusalem at that time, procured corn from Alexandria
    and figs from Cyprus for its poor inhabitants.