Loneliness in old age is the curse of modern industrial societies.年老时的孤独感是现代工业社会的一大死穴。

the two curses of modern life — traffic and crime现代生活的两大祸因——交通和犯罪

Apathy is the long-standing curse of British local democracy.冷漠是英国地方民主制度长期面对的难题。