贫困潦倒 Poor and down-on-his-luck
Explanation
形容生活贫困，精神颓丧失意。
Describes a life of poverty and despair.
Origin Story
老张年轻时是一个意气风发的青年才俊，他凭借自己的努力，在城里买了一套房子，娶了一个贤惠的妻子，日子过得有滋有味。然而，好景不长，一场突如其来的疾病让他失去了工作能力，庞大的医药费让他负债累累。妻子也因此和他离了婚，他一个人孤零零地住着空荡荡的房子，曾经的荣光已经荡然无存，如今的他只能靠捡垃圾为生，过着贫困潦倒的生活，精神也日渐萎靡，曾经的意气风发早已消失殆尽，只留下无尽的失落和无奈。
Old Zhang was an energetic and talented young man in his youth. Through his efforts, he bought a house in the city, married a virtuous wife, and lived a comfortable life. However, the good times did not last long. A sudden illness robbed him of his ability to work, and the huge medical expenses left him heavily in debt. His wife divorced him because of this, and he lives alone in an empty house. His former glory has disappeared, and he now has to make a living by picking up rubbish. He lives a poor and dejected life, and his spirit is increasingly depressed. His former energy has completely disappeared, leaving only endless disappointment and helplessness.
Usage
用于形容人生活贫困，精神颓丧。
Used to describe someone who is poor and despondent.
Examples
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他自从下岗后，就一直贫困潦倒，生活十分艰难。
tā cóngcǐ xiàgǎng hòu, jiù yīzhí pínkùn liáodǎo, shēnghuó shífēn jiannán.
Since he lost his job, he has been poor and down-on-his-luck, life is very difficult.
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他年轻时意气风发，如今却贫困潦倒，令人唏嘘不已。
tā niánqīng shí yìqì fēngfā, rújīn què pínkùn liáodǎo, lìng rén xīxū bù yǐ
He was full of energy in his youth, but now he is poor and dejected, which is a pity..