不能自拔 Bù néng zì bá unable to extricate oneself

Explanation

拔：摆脱。不能主动地从痛苦、错误或罪恶中解脱出来。形容人陷入某种境地或感情无法自拔。

bá: to get rid of; to extricate. Unable to actively extricate oneself from suffering, mistakes, or evil. Describes someone trapped in a situation or emotion from which they cannot free themselves.

Origin Story

话说东晋末年，战火纷飞，朝局动荡不安。刘裕奉命讨伐叛乱，在战场上英勇杀敌，屡建奇功。但战争的残酷也给他带来了巨大的精神压力，战场上的血腥和惨烈的厮杀，让他夜不能寐，常常梦见自己身处战场，血流成河，士兵的惨叫声不绝于耳。战争结束后，他虽身居高位，但却常常感到焦虑和恐惧，甚至会突然惊醒，浑身冷汗，这让他陷入了深深的自责和痛苦之中。他日渐消瘦，精神萎靡，难以从战争的阴影中走出来，仿佛被无形的枷锁束缚，不能自拔。

huà shuō dōng jìn mò nián, zhàn huǒ fēn fēi, cháo jú dòng dàng bù ān. liú yù fèng mìng tǎo fá pàn luàn, zài zhàn chǎng shàng yīng yǒng shā dí, lǚ jiàn qí gōng. dàn zhàn zhēng de cán kù yě gěi tā dài lái le jù dà de jīng shén yā lì, zhàn chǎng shàng de xuè xīng hé cǎn liè de sī shā, ràng tā yè bù néng mèi, cháng cháng mèng jiàn zì jī shēn chù zhàn chǎng, xuè liú chéng hé, bīng shì de cǎn jiào shēng bù jué yú ěr. zhàn zhēng jié shù hòu, tā suī shēn jū gāo wèi, dàn què cháng cháng gǎn dào jiāo lǜ hé kǒng jù, shèn zhì huì tū rán jīng xǐng, hún shēn lěng hàn, zhè ràng tā xiàn rù le shēn shēn de zì zé hé tòng kǔ zhī zhōng. tā rì jiàn xiāo shòu, jīng shén wěi mí, nán yǐ cóng zhàn zhēng de yǐng zi zhōng zǒu chū lái, fǎng fú bèi wú xíng de jiā suǒ shù fù, bù néng zì bá.

In the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, war and political unrest prevailed. Liu Yu was ordered to suppress a rebellion and fought bravely, achieving repeated victories. But the brutality of war brought him great mental pressure. The bloodshed and carnage on the battlefield kept him awake at night; he frequently dreamt of himself on the battlefield, rivers of blood, and the screams of dying soldiers. After the war, although holding high office, he often felt anxiety and fear, even waking up in a cold sweat. This plunged him into deep self-reproach and suffering. He grew thinner and weaker, unable to escape the shadow of war, as if bound by invisible shackles.

Usage

作谓语、定语；形容人陷入某种境地或感情无法自拔。

zuò wèiyǔ, dìngyǔ; xiángróng rén xiàn rù mǒu zhǒng jìng dì huò gǎnqíng wúfǎ zì bá

Used as predicate or attributive; describes someone trapped in a situation or emotion from which they cannot free themselves.

Examples

• 他深陷网络游戏，不能自拔。

  tā shēn xiàn wǎng luò yóu xì, bù néng zì bá

  He's so deep into online games, he can't extricate himself.

• 她对那段失败的恋情，始终不能自拔。

  tā duì nà duàn shībài de liàn qíng, shǐ zhōng bù néng zì bá

  She's unable to get over that failed relationship.

• 他沉迷于赌博，已经不能自拔了。

  tā chén mí yú dǔ bó, yǐ jīng bù néng zì bá le

  He is addicted to gambling and cannot stop himself

Related Idioms

• 沉迷

• 着迷

• 上瘾

Opposite Idioms

• 不甘示弱

• 积极向上

• 勇往直前