For a term that's gained ground with millennials and Gen Z, the word 'manifest' actually dates back to the 1300s. Back then it was an adjective meaning 'clear' or 'obvious'. You can spot it in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, even in the work of Geoffrey Chaucer. Nowadays, 'manifest' has a totally new meaning – the idea that, through the power of belief, we can effectively think a goal into becoming reality. 

作为一个在千禧一代和 Z 世代人群中广为普及的流行词汇，“manifest” 这个词实际上最早可以追溯到 14 世纪。在当时，“manifest” 是一个形容词，意思是 “清晰的” 或 “明显的”。你可以在莎士比亚的 “威尼斯商人”、甚至是杰弗里·乔叟的诗集中找到它。现如今，“manifest” 有了一个崭新的意思——相信通过坚定的信念能让目标变为现实。 

Although positive thinking, self-affirmation and goal-setting all have beneficial effects, some psychologists have argued manifestation could lead to unrealistic expectations, even obsessive behaviour. Nevertheless, the term has gained traction on social media, and this year on the Cambridge Dictionary website it was looked up almost 130,000 times. 

虽然正面思考、自我肯定和目标设定这些做法都具有积极的影响，但心理学家认为 “manifestation” 这种 “相信通过信念能够让目标成为现实的做法” 可能会让人产生不切实际的期望，甚至出现强迫行为。尽管如此，“manifest” 还是在社交媒体上获得了大量的支持和认可。今年，在剑桥词典网站上搜索该词的次数接近 13 万次。 

词汇表

gained ground 普及
dates back 追溯
spot 发现
self-affirmation 自我肯定
goal-setting 目标设定
obsessive 强迫性的，着迷的
gained traction 获得支持或认可
looked up 搜索