be thankful/grateful for small mercies/favoursto be pleased that a bad situation is not even worse 为坏情况没有到更糟的地步而庆幸 She wasn’t too badly hurt, so we should be thankful for small mercies. 她伤得不太重,我们应该感到庆幸。
be thankful/grateful for small mercies/favours• From now on she could be grateful for small mercies and be content to take one step at a time.• She wondered wryly whether to be thankful for small mercies, or to feel insulted.
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