苟延残喘 struggle to survive
Explanation
苟延残喘，意思是勉强延续生命。比喻事物已到崩溃的边缘，仅靠一点力量勉强维持，形容极其艰难的生存状态。
Gǒu yán cán chuǎn means to barely survive. It is used to describe a situation where something is on the verge of collapse and only maintains a little strength to barely survive, describing an extremely difficult survival state.
Origin Story
春秋时期，晋国大夫赵简子在中山举行狩猎，遇到一只狼就拼命追赶。狼逃窜到一个山洞里，发现洞口被堵住了，一时无法逃脱。这时，它看到一个樵夫走近，便哀嚎求救。樵夫心生怜悯，便用斧头劈开洞口，放走了狼。狼逃出后，转身一口咬死了樵夫。这个故事告诉我们，对敌人仁慈就是对自己的残忍。
During the Spring and Autumn period, Zhao Jianzi, a high-ranking official of the Jin state, was hunting in the Zhongshan area when he encountered a wolf. The wolf fled and took refuge in a cave. However, he found the entrance was blocked and couldn't escape, so he cried out for help. A woodcutter nearby felt pity for the wolf and helped it out of the cave. The wolf bit the woodcutter and killed him once it was free. This story teaches us that mercy to enemies is cruelty to oneself.
Usage
形容事物或人到了崩溃边缘，仅靠少量力量勉强维持生存的状态。多用于比喻句。
It describes the state of things or people being on the verge of collapse, barely surviving with a small amount of strength. Often used in metaphors.
Examples
-
这家公司已经苟延残喘了很久，最终还是倒闭了。
zhè jiā gōngsī yǐjīng gǒu yán cán chuǎn le hěn jiǔ, zuìzhōng háishì dǎobì le.
This company has been struggling to survive for a long time and finally went bankrupt.
-
面对经济危机，许多小企业只能苟延残喘。
miàn duì jīngjì wēijī, xǔduō xiǎo qǐyè zhǐ néng gǒu yán cán chuǎn
In the face of the economic crisis, many small businesses can only barely survive.