DIFFICULT1 difficult to do or understand2 needing a lot of skill, hard work, and determination3 needing a lot of energy or physical effort4 complicated and needing a lot of care5 a situation that is difficult to deal with or talk about6 to make a situation more difficult7 someone who is unhelpful and causes problems8 a time when you have a lot of problems9 difficult conditions10 to have problems when you are trying to do something11 to pretend that something is more difficult than it really isRELATED WORDSoppositeEASYsee alsoPROBLEMCOMPLICATED1 difficult to do or understand 难做或难以理解的difficult /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ [adjective] That's a good question, but it's a difficult one to answer. 那个问题提得好，但很难回答。difficult for The reading exercise was very difficult for most of the children. 对大多数儿童来讲，这一阅读练习是很难的。difficult to see/hear/describe etc The insects are so small that they are difficult to see without using a microscope. 这些昆虫那么小，没有显微镜就很难看得见。it is difficult (for somebody) to do something It's very difficult to find people who are willing to do the job. 很难找得到愿意干这种工作的人。find it difficult to do something Until now, patients often found it difficult to get information about their rights. 直至今日，病人仍然经常感到很难获取有关自己拥有哪些权利的信息。make it difficult for somebody to do something My mother's illness makes it difficult for her to walk. 母亲的病使她走起路来很费劲。hard /hɑːʳd/ [adjective]not easy to do or understand.Hard is less formal thandifficult困难的；难做的；难懂的〔hard不如difficult那样正式〕 I thought the exam was really hard. 我觉得这次考试很难。 The hardest thing about moving to a new place was meeting new people. 搬到一个新地方后最难的就是要接触陌生的人。it is hard (for somebody) to do something It's hard to see the stage from here. 从这里很难看清楚舞台。 It was hard for me to understand her - her accent was very strong. 我很难听懂她的话，她口音很重。find it hard to do something I find it hard to believe that he didn't know the gun was loaded. 他竟不知道这枪是上了膛的，我觉得难以相信。tough /tʌf/ [adjective]very difficult to do or deal with - use this about jobs, decisions, questions, or problems 〔用于指工作、决定、问题等〕非常困难的，费心的，费力的 The judge asked the lawyers on both sides some very tough questions. 法官对双方律师提了些难以回答的问题。 The governor is trying to show voters that he's able to deal with the toughest issues facing Ohio today. 州长试图向选民显示他有能力处理俄亥俄州目前面临的最棘手的问题。be a tall order /biː ə ˌtɔːl ˈɔːʳdəʳ/ [verb phrase]spokenuse this about something difficult you have been asked to do, especially when you do not think it is likely you will be able to do it 【口】要求过高，强人所难 ‘Can you finish the work by Friday?’ ‘Sounds like a tall order to me, but I'll see what I can do.’ “你星期五能做完这工作吗？”“这要求看样子太高了，我看着办吧。”easier said than done /ˌiːziəʳ ˌsed ðən ˈdʌn/ [adjective phrase]spokenuse this to tell someone that something is much more difficult than they think it is 【口】说来容易做来难 Talking calmly to a screaming child sounds like a good idea, but any parent will tell you it's easier said than done. 对尖声叫喊的小孩要平心静气地讲话听起来像是个好主意，但任何一个做父母的都会告诉你这事是说来容易做来难。not the easiest /nɒt ði ˈiːzist/ [adjective phrase]not the easiest...to dospokenuse this to say that it is difficult to do something 【口】很难〔做〕〔某事〕 I'll drive you there -- it's not the easiest place to get to if you don't have a car. 我开车送你去—你要是没有车是很难到那儿的。 I tried to explain it to him, but he's not the easiest person to talk to. 我想和他解释，可他这个人很难说话。not an easy.../be no easy... /nɒt ən ˈiːzi..., biː nəʊ ˈiːzi.../ [verb phrase]use this to say that something is difficult to do or make 绝不是件容易的事 Finding a solution to the present crisis in the region is no easy task. 要为该地区目前的危机找到解决方法绝不是件容易的事。not an easy task/job/decision The roads are often dangerous, and getting food to the villages has not been an easy task. 那些道路大多很艰险，要把食物弄到村里去绝不是件容易的事。a pain (in the neck) /ə ˌpeɪn (ɪn ðə ˈnek)/ [noun phrase]spokensomething that is difficult and annoying to do or deal with 【口】头痛的事，烦人的事 It was a pain - I had to read more than 200 articles - but I learned a lot from it. 真烦人，我得读二百多篇文章，但我也从中学到了不少东西。 Getting across town at rush hour is a real pain in the neck. 在高峰时段要通过市区简直让人受不了。2 needing a lot of skill, hard work, and determination 需要大量的技巧、艰苦的工作和顽强的决心challenging /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ, ˈtʃæləndʒɪŋ/ [adjective]achallenging job or activity needs a lot of hard work and skill, but it is also interesting and enjoyable 富有挑战性的 The job wasn't challenging enough for me - I wanted something more creative. 这份工作对我来讲缺乏挑战性，我想干些更富创造性的事。 Bowden called the piece ‘one of the most challenging pieces of music I've ever played.’ 鲍登称该作品是“我演奏过的最富挑战性的曲子之一”。be a challenge /biː ə ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ [verb phrase]if a new job or activityis a challenge, it is difficult, but you are determined to do it because it is interesting and exciting 具有挑战性 You may find your first couple of months in the job quite a challenge. 你可能会发现这工作的头几个月相当具有挑战性。 Getting the two groups to work together was a challenge, but we did it. 让这两组人在一起工作是个挑战，但我们办到了。demanding /dɪˈmɑːndɪŋǁdɪˈmæn-/ [adjective]ademanding job or activity is very difficult and tiring, because it needs all your effort and skill 〔工作或活动〕要求高的，要求严格的 Being a nurse in a busy hospital is a demanding job - you don't get much free time. 在繁忙的医院里当护士可不是轻松的工作，你没有多少空余时间。daunting /ˈdɔːntɪŋ/ [adjective]if something isdaunting, it seems almost impossible, and the idea of doing it makes you feel nervous 令人气馁的；令人胆怯的 Climbing Everest is a daunting challenge for any mountaineer. 攀登珠穆朗玛峰对任何一位登山者来说都是一个令人望而生畏的挑战。daunting task I was faced with the daunting task of learning the whole script in 24 hours. 我面临着一项艰巨的任务，就是要在24小时内把整部脚本记熟。take some doing /ˌteɪk sʌm ˈduːɪŋ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]spokenuse this about something that needs a lot of effort, skill, or determination, and you admire someone who does it 【口】很费工夫；相当困难〔用于对某人表示赞赏〕 Winning 3 gold medals in the Olympic Games takes some doing. 在奥运会上摘取三枚金牌可不容易。 It took some doing, but I finally persuaded Jim to give me a few more days off. 我费了不少工夫，但最终还是说服了吉姆再准我几天假。taxing /ˈtæksɪŋ/ [adjective]formaldifficult for someone because of needing more mental or physical effort than they are able to give 【正式】费心的，费力的；繁重的 The job was taxing, but there were some good moments. 这项工作很累人，可也有开心的时候。 Later in the pregnancy when the drive to work was getting too taxing, I worked at home two days a week. 在怀孕后期开车去上班太累了，于是我一周在家工作两天。exacting /ɪgˈzæktɪŋ/ [adjective]needing hard work and a lot of attention given to the details of a job, in order to make sure that it is done well 需付出极大努力的；艰难的 Film-editing is a difficult and exacting job. 电影剪辑是一项困难而且需付出极大努力的工作。 The article is based on the institute's exacting study of wages in the health care professions. 这篇文章是根据该学院对保健行业的薪酬进行的严格调查研究而写的。stretch /stretʃ/ [transitive verb]if an activity, job etcstretches you, it is difficult enough to make you use all your skill, ability etc, and this helps you become better at it 使倾注全力 The exercises are designed to stretch the abilities of even the most advanced students. 这些练习的设计能让即使是程度最高的学生也能进一步提升能力。 I was disappointed with the course -- I didn't feel I was being stretched enough. 我对这课程很失望—我觉得我未能尽展所长。3 needing a lot of energy or physical effort 需花费大量精力或体力hard /hɑːʳd/ [adjective]tiring and needing a lot of work, energy, or physical effort 费力的，费劲的 Let your mother sit down. She's had a hard day at work. 让你妈坐下吧，她辛苦工作一天了。 Their car broke down, and they were suddenly faced with a long hard walk back to the nearest town. 车子抛锚了，他们忽然就面临着要走上很长一段艰苦路程才能回到最近的镇子的局面。strenuous /ˈstrenjuəs/ [adjective]needing a lot of physical effort 费劲的；艰苦的 The doctors advised against any strenuous activity for six weeks. 医生建议六个星期内不要进行剧烈活动。 Last season his trainers put him through a strenuous running program. 上一季度他的教练让他完成了艰苦的跑步训练计划。backbreaking/back-breaking /ˈbækbreɪkɪŋ/ [adjective]backbreaking work, especially work that involves carrying and lifting heavy things, is extremely hard and needs a lot of physical effort 使人累极的，极累人的〔尤指需要搬抬重物的工作〕 After four hours of backbreaking work, we had finally pulled the wall down. 经过四小时的苦干，我们终于把这堵墙推倒了。gruellingBritish/gruelingAmerican /ˈgruːəlɪŋ/ [adjective]something that isgruelling is extremely tiring because it continues for a long time and you have to use a lot of effort continuously 极累人的；艰苦的 The Le Mans 24-hour race is the most gruelling event in the motor-racing calendar. 法国勒芒24小时汽车拉力赛是赛车日程表中最艰苦的一项赛事。 Before they join the army, young recruits are put through a particularly grueling endurance course. 年轻的新兵入伍前都要接受一项特别艰苦的耐力训练。arduous /ˈɑːʳdjuəsǁ-dʒuəs/ [adjective]writtenwork or a journey that isarduous is long and tiring and needs a lot of strength and effort 【书面】〔工作或旅行〕费力的，艰巨的 In those days, long-distance travel was slow and arduous. 那个时候，长途旅行又慢又费力。 Today, Corbett will continue his arduous climb to the top of the park's highest peak. 今天科比特将继续他爬上该公园最高峰峰顶的艰苦旅程。punishing /ˈpʌnɪʃɪŋ/ [adjective]extremely difficult in a way that damages or weakens something or makes someone feel very tired 极繁重劳累的，使人疲惫不堪的 The transatlantic flight was a punishing task for the plane's old engines. 对这架飞机的旧引擎来说，横跨大西洋的飞行是一次极为困难的任务。 He set himself a punishing schedule of talks, lectures and conferences all over America. 他给自己安排了一个非常繁重的日程表，在美国各地进行会谈、演说，还要参加会议。be murder /biː ˈmɜːʳdəʳ/ [verb phrase]spokenuse this when something is extremely difficult and needs a lot of effort or skill 【口】难得要命 Traveling five days a week is murder. I can't do it anymore. 一周得旅行五天真受不了，我无法再干下去了。it is murder doing something It's murder trying to park in this town! 要在这个镇上停辆车可真难得要命！be a slog /biː ə ˈslɒgǁ-ˈslɑːg/ [verb phrase]British informalif somethingis a slog, it takes a lot of time and effort and is often boring 【英，非正式】很累人，很艰苦 He didn't become famous overnight -- it's been a long hard slog. 他并不是一夜成名的—他付出了长期的艰辛努力。 The first half of the book was quite interesting but the last part was a bit of a slog. 这本书前半部分十分有趣，但最后一部分则有点乏味。4 complicated and needing a lot of care 复杂并需要仔细对待的tricky /ˈtrɪki/ [adjective]atricky job is difficult to do because it is complicated and you have to do it very carefully 难对付的，需慎重对付的 Getting the two sides of the mobile to balance is tricky. 要把这个活动雕塑的两面做得平衡是很困难的。be (a) tricky businessbe difficult to do 很难做到的事 Refuelling a plane in mid-air is a tricky business. 给飞机空中加油是件难度很高的事。fiddly /ˈfɪdli/ [adjective]Britishdifficult to do because you have to handle very small objects 【英】〔物体〕精巧而难弄的 He managed to fix the television, but it was a time-consuming and fiddly job. 他设法修好了电视机，那可是费时又琐碎的工作。fiddly to eat/mend/open etc I don't like shrimps -- they're so fiddly to eat. 我不喜欢虾—吃起来太麻烦了。5 a situation that is difficult to deal with or talk about 难以处理或难以谈论的情况difficult /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ [adjective]adifficult situation or subject is not easy to deal with or talk about, and it makes you feel nervous or unhappy 艰难的；难以对付的 Things at home have been very difficult since my father died. 自我父亲去世后，家里的境况就很艰难了。be in a difficult positionto have problems that are difficult to deal with 处于困境 Officials say they are in the difficult position of having to implement a law they strongly disagree with. 官员们表示，要实施一项他们坚决反对的法律使得他们处境尴尬。awkward /ˈɔːkwəʳd/ [adjective]anawkward situation or subject is difficult to deal with or talk about, especially because it might be embarrassing 令人尴尬的；难处理的 He's at an age when kids start asking awkward questions - like ‘Where do babies come from?’ 他正处于开始问“小孩是从哪里来的？”这类尴尬问题的年龄。tricky /ˈtrɪki/ [adjective]atricky situation is one that you have to deal with very carefully, because there are a lot of things that could easily go wrong 难对付的，麻烦的 Teachers often have to deal with tricky situations such as interviews with angry parents. 教师经常得应付一些很麻烦的场面，如要与怒气冲冲的家长面谈。it could/would be tricky to do something It would be very tricky to try to stabilize the region without the support of other countries. 如果没有其他国家的帮助，想要稳定该地区是很难办到的。delicate /ˈdelɪkɪt, ˈdelɪkət/ [adjective]adelicate matter, subject, situation etc is one that you must be very careful talking about or dealing with because you risk offending or upsetting people 〔事情、话题、情况等〕需要小心处理的；微妙的；棘手的 I am seeking your professional advice on a very delicate matter. 我有件很棘手的事要听听你的专业意见。 Madeline was wondering how to approach the delicate question of her salary with her new boss. 马德琳不知道该怎么跟新老板谈及微妙的薪水问题。sensitive /ˈsensɪtɪv, ˈsensətɪv/ [adjective]something that issensitive, such as a political or social problem or a document, is likely to cause trouble or be likely to upset someone 〔政治问题、社会问题或文件等〕敏感的 The team is gathering information on the sensitive subject of child abuse. 这一组人在收集虐待儿童这个敏感话题的信息。 The administration claims that the documents contain information of a highly sensitive political nature. 政府称这些文件中有些极为敏感的政治情报。touchy /ˈtʌtʃi/ [adjective]atouchy subject or situation is one that you must be very careful talking about or dealing with because you risk upsetting or offending someone 需要小心对付的；棘手的 Until now both candidates have avoided talking about the touchy subject of health care reform. 两位候选人直到现在仍在避免谈及医疗保健改革这一棘手话题。hot potato /ˌhɒt pəˈteɪtəʊǁˌhɑːt-/ [singular noun]informala political problem that is very difficult for the government to deal with because there is a lot of disagreement about it 【非正式】棘手的问题；“烫手的山芋”〔指政治问题〕 Fortunately for the government, this issue has drawn attention away from the hot potato of funding the London Underground. 对政府来说幸运的是，这一话题转移了大家对伦敦地铁资金来源这个棘手问题的注意力。6 to make a situation more difficult 使情形更为困难make something more difficult/make something harder /meɪk something mɔːʳ ˈdɪfɪkəlt, meɪk something ˈhɑːʳdəʳ/ [verb phrase]to make a situation worse or harder to deal with 使某事更为困难 The differences in languages made the negotiations more difficult. 语言上的差别使得这些谈判更加困难。 Changes in the bus service will make it harder for people to get to the hospital and other medical facilities. 公共汽车服务的改革将使人们去医院和其他医疗机构更不方便。 The new job means more hours at work, which makes it harder for me to see my kids. 这份新工作对我来讲意味着工作时间更长，使我更不容易看到自己的孩子了。complicate /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪt, ˈkɒmpləkeɪtǁˈkɑːm-/ [transitive verb]to make a situation, problem etc more difficult by making it more complicated 使〔情况、问题等〕复杂化 I don't need a boyfriend - they just complicate your life. 我不需要男朋友，他们只会把我的生活变得复杂。complicate matters/things Far from helping the situation, the new regulations are likely to complicate matters. 新条例的实行非但于情况无益，反而可能使事情更为复杂。greatly complicate A student who has no desire to learn greatly complicates the teacher's job. 碰到没有求知欲的学生，教师的工作就很复杂了。7 someone who is unhelpful and causes problems 不肯帮忙的、制造麻烦的人difficult /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ [adjective]someone who isdifficult is not easy to live with or work with because they do not behave in a helpful, friendly way 不易相处的，难以讨好的，不随和的 When Darren was a little boy, he was very difficult at times. 达伦小时候有时会很难相处。 Campbell has the reputation of being difficult to work with. 坎贝尔这个人很难与人共事是出了名的。awkward /ˈɔːkwəʳd/ [adjective]someone who isawkward is deliberately unhelpful and unfriendly, and seems to like causing problems for people 难相处的，故意与人为难的 Do you have to be so awkward about everything? 你非得事事闹别扭不可吗？impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪbəl, ɪmˈpɒsəbəlǁɪmˈpɑː-/ [adjective]spokensomeone who isimpossible makes you annoyed and impatient, for example because they are never satisfied or they keep changing their mind 【口】〔因怎么也感到不满足或不断改变主意而〕令人讨厌的；难以对付的 She's impossible! Even when I offer to help her she always finds some reason to complain. 她这人真讨厌！甚至在我提出帮助她时，她还老是找出理由来抱怨。 Dan's impossible to live with when he's sick. 丹这个人生病时是无法与人共居的。be a pain (in the neck) /biː ə ˌpeɪn (ɪn ðə ˈnek)/ [verb phrase]someone whois a pain is annoying and difficult to deal with 是让人头痛的人，烦人的人 Carla can be a pain sometimes, but she's been a good friend to me. 卡拉有时挺烦人的，但她是我的好朋友。 Little brothers are such a pain in the neck! 小弟弟们真是讨厌！problem child /ˈprɒbləm ˌtʃaɪldǁˈprɑː-/ [noun phrase]a child who is always behaving badly and often gets into trouble 问题儿童 In my years as a teacher, I've seen plenty of problem children come and go. 我当教师的那些年里看到过许多问题儿童来来去去。not the easiest... /nɒt ði ˈiːzist .../ [adjective phrase only before noun]very difficult to deal with, live with, work with etc 很难〔相处或共事的人〕 I'm not surprised you've had problems with Diane. She's not the easiest person to work with, is she? 你跟黛安娜合不来这不奇怪。她这人很难共事，是吧？bolshy/bolshie /ˈbɒlʃiǁˈbəʊlʃi/ [adjective]British informalsomeone who isbolshy behaves in an unhelpful, bad-tempered way and argues with the people that they are supposed to obey 【英，非正式】不合作的；易怒的；爱大吵大闹的 Stop being so bolshie and just get on with it, will you? 别那么吵闹个没完了，忍着点，好吗？8 a time when you have a lot of problems 遇到许多难题时difficult/hard /ˈdɪfɪkəlt, hɑːʳd/ [adjective]use this about a period of time when you have a lot of problems or a lot of bad things happen to you 〔时期〕艰难的，困难的 The last few months have been especially hard for her. 最近几个月对她来说特别难熬。 Those few days were so difficult that I decided to leave my job. 那几天日子如此困难，以致我决定辞职了。 1996 was perhaps the worst year the automobile industry has faced so far.have a difficult/hard time Most families have a very difficult time dealing with a family member's drug addiction. 大多数的家庭都会觉得极难应付家里有人沾上毒瘾这种事。bad /bæd/ [adjective]use this about a period of time when there are a lot of problems, especially when these are very serious 〔时期〕令人不快的；不利的；不幸的 It seemed that the bad years were finally behind me. 坏年头似乎终于离我而去了。(have a) bad time He had an especially bad time at boarding school. 他在寄宿学校日子过得格外不开心。tough /tʌf/ [adjective]spokenuse this about a situation or period of time when you have had a lot of problems or a lot of bad things have happened to you 【口】〔情况或时期〕艰难的，艰苦的 He's a good person to be with if ever you're in a tough situation. 如果你有困难，他是个能与你分忧的好人。 Many of the veteran players had a tough time adjusting to the coach's style. 许多资深队员感到要适应这位教练的训练风格很困难。9 difficult conditions 艰难的条件difficult /ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ [adjective]difficult conditions are ones that make what you are doing more difficult 〔条件〕艰难的 Heavy snow will mean difficult driving conditions in some areas. 在一些地区下大雪意味着将造成恶劣的驾驶条件。 I'd like to thank the staff for working very hard in these difficult conditions. 我要感谢在这些困难条件下刻苦工作的员工们。unfavourableBritish/unfavorableAmerican /ʌnˈfeɪvərəbəl/ [adjective]unfavourable conditions make it difficult for someone to do something, or for something to exist 〔情况、条件等〕不利的，不佳的 Bloom states clearly that he believes that many schools provide unfavorable learning conditions. 布卢姆明确表示他认为许多学校提供的学习条件都不佳。 Despite an unfavourable business environment, the stock market remained steady. 尽管商业环境不佳，股票市场仍保持稳定。unfavourable for Weather forecasters said winds and 13-foot waves may make conditions unfavorable for clean-up and salvage operations. 气象预报员说大风和13英尺高的海浪将不利于清除污染和打捞行动。adverse /ˈædvɜːʳs/ [adjective only before noun]adverse conditions make it difficult for someone to do something, or for something to exist 不利的，恶劣的 Planes are being kept on the ground because of the adverse weather. 由于天气恶劣，飞机只得停留在地面上。 In spite of adverse public opinion, the plan to privatize the railways continued. 尽管公众舆论持反对态度，铁路私有化的计划仍继续进行。hostile /ˈhɒstaɪlǁˈhɑːstl, ˈhɑːstaɪl/ [adjective]use this to describe severe conditions or weather that make it difficult for people to live or travel 〔条件或天气对居住或旅行〕不利的，恶劣的 The Antarctic survey team will be using vehicles specially designed to cope with the hostile environment. 南极考察队将使用为应付恶劣环境特制的交通工具。10 to have problems when you are trying to do something 试图做某事时遇到困难have difficulty/trouble /hæv ˈdɪfɪkəlti, ˈtrʌbəl/ [verb phrase]if youhave difficulty when you are trying to do something, you cannot easily do it 有困难have difficulty/trouble (in) doing something It was obvious the patient was having great difficulty breathing. 很明显这位病人呼吸极为困难。have difficulty/trouble with something A lot of Japanese students of English have trouble with the pronunciation of ‘b's and ’v's. 许多学英语的日本学生发b和v音时有困难。find something difficult /ˌfaɪnd something ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ [verb phrase]to not be able to do something easily, especially because you do not have enough ability or skill 〔尤因为能力或技巧不足而〕觉得做某事难 I found the course difficult at first, but it gradually got easier. 开始时我觉得这门课很难，但渐渐就感觉变容易了。find it difficult to do something She always found it difficult to keep up with the rest of the class. 她总觉得要跟上班里的其他同学有困难。with difficulty /wɪð ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ [adverb]if you do somethingwith difficulty, you can do it, but only by using all your strength, all your determination etc 艰难地；费力地 She spoke with difficulty, choking back her tears. 她哽咽着强忍住眼泪，费劲地说着。have a hard time /hæv ə ˌhɑːʳd ˈtaɪm/ [verb phrase]to find it difficult to do something, especially because there are unexpected problems or because you have difficulty persuading other people 费很大的劲〔尤因有未曾预料到的问题或因难以说服别人〕 I tried to find the house but I had such a hard time, I decided to give up. 我想找到那幢房子，但费了好大的劲，最后我决定放弃。have a hard time doing something I'm still having a hard time getting the company to pay me. 我仍在费很大的劲让那家公司付钱给我。can hardly/barely /kən ˈhɑːʳdli, ˈbeəʳli/if youcan hardly or can barely do something, especially something physical, it is so difficult that you almost cannot do it 〔尤指身体上〕几乎不能，几乎无法再 By the end of the day she could hardly walk. 那天结束时她几乎走不动了。 The smell was so bad that I could barely force myself to stay in the room. 那气味太难闻了，我几乎无法强迫自己留在那房间里。be too much for somebody /bi tuː ˈmʌtʃ fəʳ somebody/ [adjective phrase]if a situation or job is too much for someone, it is too difficult for them to deal with 让某人难以忍受 All the bullying and back-stabbing in the office was simply too much for him. 办公室内所有这些欺负和背后捅刀子的行为使他简直难以忍受。 The job was too much for any single manager to cope with. 任何一个经理单枪匹马的话都应付不了这份工作。be a struggle /biː ə ˈstrʌgəl/if something is a struggle you have to try very hard and even suffer in order to do it 是费劲的事 Clark lived 112 days on the artificial heart, and each day was a struggle. 克拉克植入人造心脏后活了112天，每一天都活得很费力。 She managed to get her money out of the welfare office, but only after a struggle. 她费了好大的劲才从福利局拿到了属于她的救济金。it is a struggle (for somebody) to do something It was a struggle for my mother to understand our lifestyle, but she tried very hard. 对我妈妈来说理解我们的生活方式要费很大的劲，可她很努力尝试。it is a struggle doing something It was a struggle trying to feed a family of five on my salary. 要靠我的工资养活一家五口并不容易。be hard put to do something/be hard pressed to do something /biː ˌhɑːʳd ˌpʊt tə ˈduː something, biː ˌhɑːʳd ˌprest tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase]if you say someonewould be hard put orhard pressed to do something, you doubt that they would be able to do it because you think it is too difficult 很难做到某事 The two girls look so similar that you'd be hard put to tell the difference between them. 这两个女孩长得非常相像，很难分清她们。 The governor will be hard pressed to find more money for schools while dealing with a $6 billion budget deficit. 面对60亿美元的预算赤字要解决，州长将很难再为学校找到更多的经费。have your work cut out for youalsohave your work cut out /hæv jɔːʳ ˌwɜːʳk kʌt ˈaʊt (fəʳ juː)/ [verb phrase not in progressive]informalto have to work very hard if you are going to succeed in doing something 【非正式】面临艰难的工作；要费很大的劲 I'll have my work cut out to get this design finished by this afternoon. 我要费很大的劲才能在下午前完成这个设计。 Rice hopes to break the record during tonight's game, but he'll have his work cut out for him. 赖斯希望在今晚的比赛中打破纪录，但他得全力以赴。be thrown in at the deep end /biː ˌθrəʊn ɪn ət ðə ˈdiːp end/ [verb phrase]informalto have to start doing something difficult such as a new job without people making it easier for you because you are new 【非正式】〔刚开始做新工作时因无人帮助而〕碰上棘手的局面；被置于困境 When I first started teaching I was really thrown in at the deep end -- I had a class of forty six-year-olds all on my own. 我刚刚开始教书时就碰上了叫我头疼的事——我独个儿要带一个有40名6岁孩子的班级。have a job doing something /hæv ə ˌdʒɒb ˈduːɪŋ something ǁ-ˌdʒɑːb-/ [verb phrase]British spokenif youhave a job doing something, it takes a lot of time or a lot of effort, and you may not be able to do it 【英口】做某事很困难： You'll have a job persuading him to give you any more money. 你要说服他再给你点钱可不是容易的事。 There was some kind of festival going on, and we had a job finding somewhere to park the car. 正在举行什么节庆活动，我们要找个地方停车可不容易。11 to pretend that something is more difficult than it really is 故意夸大困难make a meal (out) of /ˌmeɪk ə ˈmiːl (aʊt) ɒv/ [verb phrase]Britishto pretend that a piece of work you have to do is more difficult than it really is, especially so that other people will notice and feel sorry for you 【英】小题大做 Whenever I ask my husband to do the washing he always makes a real meal of it. 我每次叫丈夫洗碗，他总是小题大做地叫苦连天。 There's no need to make such a meal of it -- here, give it to me. 没必要这么小题大做——算了，给我吧。