dread to do通常表示害怕具体、一次性事件的发生；dread doing多表示没有时间性的长期的害怕某事。例如：
He can't swim and dreads going in the water.
She dreaded making speeches in front of large audiences.
I dread to think what would happen if there really was a fire here.

The thing I dread to reveal is the ongoing state of my garden.  

接名词表示害怕的事情，接动词表示害怕去做的动作，所以翻译成害怕发生某事，一个翻译成不敢去做某事。I dread being sick.这里翻译成害怕生病，不是不敢。I dread to think what would happen if there really was a fire here.这翻译成不敢，而不是害怕。