左支右绌 zuǒ zhī yòu chù left support, right deficiency

Explanation

形容力量不足，应付了这方面，那方面又出了问题。

Describes a situation where resources are insufficient to handle all tasks.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的书生，文采斐然，却生活困窘。一天，他收到两封信，一封是好友邀请他参加诗会，另一封是家中来信，说母亲病重需要钱医治。李白左右为难，既想参加诗会，又不得不回家照顾母亲。他思来想去，决定先去参加诗会，想着挣些钱再回去看望母亲。于是他兴冲冲赶往诗会，路上却遇上了一伙强盗，他不仅钱财被抢，还被打得遍体鳞伤。到了诗会，他衣衫褴褛，窘迫不堪，只好仓皇而逃。李白回到家中，看着病重的母亲，更是悔恨不已。他既没有参加诗会，也没有及时照顾母亲，真是左支右绌，难于两全。

huà shuō Táng cháo shíqī, yǒu ge míng jiào Lǐ Bái de shūshēng, wéncǎi fěirán, què shēnghuó kùnjǔng. yītiān, tā shōudào liǎng fēng xìn, yī fēng shì hǎoyǒu yāoqǐng tā cānjīa shī huì, lìng yī fēng shì jiā zhōng lái xìn, shuō mǔqīn bìng zhòng xūyào qián yī zhì. Lǐ Bái zuǒyòu wéinán, jì xiǎng cānjīa shī huì, yòu bùdé bù huí jiā zhàogù mǔqīn. tā sī lái sì qù, juédìng xiān qù cānjīa shī huì, xiǎngzhe zhēng xiē qián zài huí qù kànwàng mǔqīn. yúshì tā xīng chōng chōng gǎn wǎng shī huì, lù shàng què yù shàng le yī huǒ qiángdào, tā bùjǐn qiáncái bèi qiǎng, hái bèi dǎ de biàntǐ lín shāng. dàole shī huì, tā yīsān lánlǚ, jiǒngpò bùkān, zhǐ hǎo cānghuáng ér táo. Lǐ Bái huí dào jiā zhōng, kànzhe bìng zhòng de mǔqīn, gèng shì huǐhèn bù yǐ. tā jì méiyǒu cānjīa shī huì, yě méiyǒu jíshí zhàogù mǔqīn, zhēnshi zuǒ zhī yòu chù, nán yú liǎngquán.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Bai, who was very talented in literature but lived in poverty. One day, he received two letters; one was an invitation from a friend to participate in a poetry meeting, the other was from his family, saying that his mother was seriously ill and needed money for treatment. Li Bai was in a dilemma, wanting to attend the meeting but also having to go home to take care of his mother. After much thought, he decided to go to the poetry meeting first, thinking of making some money before going back to visit his mother. So he rushed to the meeting, but on the way he met a gang of robbers, who not only robbed him of his money, but also beat him up badly. At the meeting, he was in rags and embarrassed, and had to flee in a panic. When Li Bai returned home and saw his seriously ill mother, he regretted his decision. He had neither attended the meeting nor taken care of his mother in time, and was completely overwhelmed.

Usage

常用来形容人手不够，应付不过来，也比喻力量不足，顾此失彼。

cháng yòng lái xiángróng rénshǒu bùgòu, yìngfù bù guò lái, yě bǐyù lìliang bùzú, gù cǐ shī bǐ

Often used to describe that there aren't enough people to handle all tasks, or to describe that one's strength is insufficient and they are neglecting some things.

Examples

• 他同时担任好几个要职，真是左支右绌，疲于奔命。

  tā tóngshí dānrèn hǎo jǐ ge yào zhí, zhēnshi zuǒ zhī yòu chù, píyú bēnmìng

  He holds several important positions at the same time, running around frantically and struggling to cope.

• 小公司人手不足，面对如此大的项目，只能左支右绌，勉强应付。

  xiǎo gōngsī rénshǒu bùzú, miàn duì rúcǐ dà de xiàngmù, zhǐ néng zuǒ zhī yòu chù, miǎnqiǎng yìngfù

  The small company is understaffed and can only manage to cope with the huge project with difficulty, patching things up as best it can.

Related Idioms

• 捉襟见肘

• 力不从心

• 顾此失彼

Opposite Idioms

• 左右逢源

• 游刃有余