calamity
n
serious misfortune or disaster 灾祸; 灾难
The earthquake was the worst calamity in the country's history. 那次地震是全国有史以来最严重的灾难.
(joc 谑) There are worse calamities than failing your driving test. 比起你驾驶考试不合格来说, 更大的灾难还多著呢.
Even if one didn't know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce if from general principles.