好多時候同學都只會用 “difficulties”去講困難，當陷入困境、艱難嘅處境嘅時候，仲可以點樣用英文表達呢？就等Wall Street English教大家10個可以表達difficulties嘅idioms啦！

 

1. A can of worms

是指一連串的難題，尤其指開始解決才變得棘手的困難。

e.g.

  • The extradition law has opened a can of worms for the Hong Kong government.
  • 引渡法為香港政府帶來了棘手的問題

 

2. A hot potato

燙手山芋，指棘手的事情，特別強調問題十分逼切。

e.g.

  • The issue of continuous protests is a political hot potato in Hong Kong.
  • 持續抗議的問題是香港的政治燙手山芋

 

3. A tough nut to crack

指棘手的問題或難以對付的人或事。

e.g.

  • The long-standing housing problem in Hong Kong is a tough nut to crack.
  • 香港長期存在的住房問題是一個難以破解的問題。

 

4. Be in deep water

和中文中陷入水深火熱之中有一樣的意思。

e.g.

  • The company is in deep water, and it fails to pay its debt.
  • 該公司正處於水深火熱之中，無法償還債務。

 

5. At one’s wits’ end

當某人一陷入束手無策的困境，便可以用這個idiom來形容。

e.g.

  • The government is at its wits’ end when it comes to the housing problems.
  • 面對房屋問題，政府已經束手無策。

 

6. With one’s back against the wall

背脊貼在牆上，指處於困境之中，走投無路的意思。

e.g.

  • The company finds itself with its back against the wall as its sales figures have been falling.
  • 該公司的銷售數字一直下降，已經沒有退路。

 

7. Be thrown in at deep end

指有困難殺到，令你束手無策。

e.g.

  • I have never dealt with such a complicated problem before and feel like I am being thrown in at the deep end.
  • 我以前從未處理過如此複雜的問題，感覺自己被扔進了深淵一般陷入艱難的處境。

 

8. Have two strikes against sb / sth

困難重重的意思。

e.g.

  • There are two strikes against the company, and it will go bankrupt if the situation continues to deteriorate.
  • 公司的情況非常不利，如果情況持續惡化的話就會破產。

 

9. A Chinese puzzle

指一個像拼圖一樣的難題。

e.g.

  • Poverty has been a Chinese puzzle for decades.
  • 幾十年來，貧困一直是一個難題。

 

10. On the horns of dilemma

這個idiom跟前面的有少許不同，是指陷入兩難的處境，不知該如何抉擇。

e.g.

  • I understand that you are on the horns of a dilemma. You want to study arts in university, but you also know how badly your father hoped that you could take over his shop.
  • 我明白你正處於兩難境地。你想在大學學習藝術，但你也知道你父親多麼希望你能接管他的商店。

 

 

以後再想表達困難嘅處境嘅時候，就可以用以上嘅idioms啦，即刻令你嘅英文更上一層樓！