跋前踬后 stumbling forward and backward
Explanation
比喻进退两难，或比喻事情做起来非常困难。
It is used to describe a difficult situation where one cannot go forward or backward.
Origin Story
从前，有一位猎人在深山老林里追逐一只狡猾的野狼。野狼为了躲避猎人的追捕，在山间岩石和小溪之间快速穿梭。猎人紧追不舍，野狼疲惫不堪，它想向前冲，却被自己的颈肉绊住了；它想后退，却被自己的尾巴绊倒了，进退两难，最终被猎人捕获。这个故事就如同成语“跋前踬后”一样，说明了在某些情况下，我们可能会遇到进退两难的困境，需要谨慎地权衡利弊，寻找最佳的解决方法。
Once upon a time, there was a hunter chasing a cunning wolf in a deep forest. To escape the hunter's pursuit, the wolf darted quickly through the rocks and streams in the mountains. The hunter relentlessly pursued, the wolf became exhausted. It tried to charge forward, but was tripped by its own neck; it tried to retreat, but was tripped by its own tail, caught in a dilemma, it was finally caught by the hunter. This story, much like the idiom "bá qián zhì hòu", illustrates that in some situations we may encounter a difficult dilemma, requiring careful consideration of the pros and cons in search of the best solution.
Usage
多用于形容进退两难的处境或困境。
Often used to describe a predicament or difficult situation where one is caught between two undesirable choices.
Examples
-
他进退两难，真是跋前踬后。
ta jin tui liang nan, zhen shi ba qian zhi hou
He is in a dilemma, really stumbling forward and backward.
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这件事处理起来真是跋前踬后，左右为难。
zhe jian shi chu li qi lai zhen shi ba qian zhi hou, zuo you wei nan
This matter is really difficult to handle; one is caught between a rock and a hard place.