仓皇失措 flustered and at a loss
Explanation
形容举动慌张，不知如何是好。
To describe someone's actions as flustered and not knowing what to do.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有一位名叫李白的诗人，他非常喜欢喝酒，有一天他喝醉了酒，在路上行走，突然遇到了一队官兵巡逻。李白因为喝醉了酒，所以神志不清，他看到官兵就吓得仓皇失措，手忙脚乱，不知如何是好。他不知道该往哪里跑，更不知道该怎么解释自己为什么会在深夜走在街上。他只知道自己很害怕，于是他便跌跌撞撞地跑了起来，结果跑到了一个死胡同里，再也无法逃脱。官兵很快就把李白包围了，把他带回了衙门。李白因为这件事受到了处罚，这件事也让他深刻地认识到，即使是才华横溢的诗人，在遇到突发事件的时候，也不应该仓皇失措，而应该保持冷静，沉着应对。
It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai, who loved to drink. One day, he got drunk and walked on the road when he suddenly encountered a patrol of soldiers. Because Li Bai was drunk, his mind was unclear. When he saw the soldiers, he was scared and panicked, not knowing what to do. He didn't know where to run, nor how to explain why he was walking on the street at night. He only knew that he was scared, so he stumbled and ran, only to end up in a dead-end alley, unable to escape. The soldiers quickly surrounded Li Bai and took him back to the yamen. Li Bai was punished for this incident, and it taught him that even a talented poet should not panic when faced with an emergency but should remain calm and composed.
Usage
形容因惊慌而不知所措的样子。常用作谓语、定语、状语。
Describes a state of panic and helplessness.
Examples
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面对突如其来的变故，他仓皇失措，不知所措。
miànduì tūrú'ér lái de biàngù, tā cānghuáng shīcuò, bù zhī suǒ cuò
Faced with the sudden change, he was at a loss, not knowing what to do.
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听到这个噩耗，她仓皇失措，泪流满面。
tīng dào zhège èghào, tā cānghuáng shīcuò, lèiliúmǎnmiàn
Hearing the bad news, she was flustered and in tears.
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考试时，由于准备不足，他仓皇失措，答题速度很慢。
kǎoshì shí, yóuyú zhǔnbèi bù zú, tā cānghuáng shīcuò, dá tí sùdù hěn màn
During the exam, due to inadequate preparation, he was flustered and answered questions slowly.