人间地狱 rénjiān dìyù Hell on earth

Explanation

比喻极其黑暗、痛苦、残酷的社会现实或环境。

It refers to an extremely dark, painful, and cruel social reality or environment.

Origin Story

在一个战乱频仍的年代，一个小村庄被卷入其中。战争的残酷摧毁了村庄的宁静，家园被破坏，亲人离散，村民们在饥饿、疾病和恐惧中挣扎求生。村里的老人回忆起往昔的祥和，如今的景象与之形成鲜明对比，他们眼中充满了绝望。年轻人们则对未来充满迷茫，不知何时才能摆脱这人间地狱般的日子。即使在短暂的和平时期，村庄也笼罩在挥之不去的阴影之中，村民们的心中充满了对战争的恐惧和对未来的担忧，每个人都活在如履薄冰的煎熬之中，他们无时无刻不期盼着和平的到来，期盼着能够重建家园，过上安宁的生活。

zài yīgè zhànluàn pínréng de niándài, yīgè xiǎo cūn zhuāng bèi juǎn rù qízhōng. zhànzhēng de cánkù cuīhuǐ le cūn zhuāng de níngjìng, jiāyuán bèi pòhuài, qīn rén lí sàn, cūnmínmen zài jī'è, jíbìng hé kǒngjù zhōng zhēngzhá qiúshēng. cūn lǐ de lǎorén huíyì qǐ wǎngsī de xiánghé, rújīn de jǐngxiàng yǔ zhī xíng chéng xiānmíng duìbǐ, tāmen yǎnzhōng chōngmǎn le juéwàng. niánqīng rénmen zé duì wèilái chōngmǎn mímáng, bù zhī héshí cái néng tuǒbǎi zhè rénjiān dìyù bānde rìzi. jíshǐ zài duǎnzàn de hépíng shíqī, cūn zhuāng yě lóngzhào zài huī zhī bù qù de yǐnyǐng zhī zhōng, cūnmínmen de xīnzhōng chōngmǎn le duì zhànzhēng de kǒngjù hé duì wèilái de dānyōu, měi gè rén dōu huó zài rú lǚ bó bīng de jiānáo zhī zhōng, tāmen wú shí wú kè bù qīpànzhe hépíng de dàolái, qīpànzhe nénggòu chóngjiàn jiāyuán, guò shang ānníng de shēnghuó.

In a time of frequent wars, a small village was caught in the conflict. The cruelty of war destroyed the tranquility of the village, homes were destroyed, families were separated, and the villagers struggled for survival in hunger, disease, and fear. The elders in the village remembered the former harmony; the current sight formed a sharp contrast, their eyes were filled with despair. The young people, however, looked to the future with uncertainty, not knowing when they could escape this hellish life. Even during brief periods of peace, a shadow hung over the village, the villagers were full of fear of war and worries about the future, everyone lived in constant fear, and they constantly hoped for peace, for the reconstruction of their homes, and a peaceful life.

Usage

多用于形容社会环境的黑暗和残酷。

duō yòng yú xiángróng shèhuì huánjìng de hēi'àn hé cánkù

It is mostly used to describe the darkness and cruelty of the social environment.

Examples

• 这座城市夜晚灯红酒绿，白天却污秽不堪，宛如人间地狱。

  zhè zuò chéngshì yèwǎn dēnghóngjiǔlǜ, báitiān què wūhuì bùkān, wǎn rú rénjiān dìyù.

  The city at night is full of lights and glamour, but during the day it is dirty and unsightly, like a hell on earth.

• 贫民窟的生活条件恶劣，简直就是人间地狱。

  pínmǐnkū de shēnghuó tiáojiàn èliè, jiǎnzhí jiùshì rénjiān dìyù

  Living conditions in the slums are terrible, simply hell on earth.

Related Idioms

• 水深火热

• 民不聊生

Opposite Idioms

• 人间天堂