"hobgoblin" in Chinese (Simplified)
小精灵妖怪
Definition
Hobgoblin 是民间传说中调皮的小精灵，经常捣蛋或搞恶作剧。它也可指引起不必要恐惧或担忧的事物。
Usage Notes (Chinese (Simplified))
“Hobgoblin” 主要出现在童话、奇幻故事和古典文学中，日常对话中很少用。引申义指无根据的恐惧或想象的威胁。不要与“goblin”（哥布林/小妖怪）混淆，后者通常更邪恶。
Examples
The story says a hobgoblin lives in the forest.
传说中有一个**hobgoblin**住在森林里。
Children are afraid of the hobgoblin in that old tale.
孩子们害怕那个老故事里的**hobgoblin**。
A hobgoblin can play tricks on people.
**Hobgoblin**会捉弄人。
That's just a hobgoblin of your imagination; there's nothing under the bed.
那只是你想象里的**hobgoblin**，床底下什么都没有。
Some people treat every new idea as a hobgoblin to be feared.
有些人把每个新想法都当做值得害怕的**hobgoblin**。
When I was little, I thought the noises in the attic were made by a hobgoblin.
小时候我以为阁楼的那些声音是**hobgoblin**发出来的。