难言之隐 nán yán zhī yǐn Unspeakable secret

Explanation

指难以说出口的苦衷或隐情。通常指个人隐私或难以启齿的事情。

Refers to a personal hardship or secret that is difficult to express. Usually refers to personal privacy or embarrassing matters.

Origin Story

老张是一位经验丰富的医生，他一生都在为病人服务。但他内心深处却隐藏着一个难言之隐：他年轻时曾因为一次医疗事故而受到严重的打击，至今仍挥之不去。虽然他后来凭借精湛的医术赢得了众多病人的信任，但他那段痛苦的回忆却像一根刺扎在他的心里，让他无法释怀。他经常在深夜里独自一人默默地承受着这份痛苦，无法对任何人诉说。即使是对他的妻子，他也只能含糊其辞，避免提及那段令人心痛的往事。他害怕别人的指责和误解，更害怕别人因此对他失去信任。于是，这份难以启齿的秘密便深埋在他的心底，成为他心中永远的痛。

lǎo zhāng shì yī wèi jīngyàn fēngfù de yīshēng, tā yīshēng dōu zài wèi bìngrén fúwù. dàn tā nàixīn shēn chù què yǐncángzhe yīgè nán yán zhī yǐn: tā niánqīng shí céng yīnwèi yīcì yīliáo shìgù ér shòudào yánzhòng de dǎjī, zhìjīn réng huī zhī bù qù. suīrán tā hòulái píngjí jīngzhàn de yīshù yíngdéle zhòngduō bìngrén de xìnrèn, dàn tā nà duàn tòngkǔ de huíyì què xiàng yī gēn cì zā zài tā de xīnli, ràng tā wúfǎ shíhuái. tā jīngcháng zài shēnyè lǐ dú zì yīrén mòmò de chéngshòuzhe zhè fèn tòngkǔ, wúfǎ duì rènhé rén sùshuō. jíshǐ duì tā de qīzi, tā yě zhǐ néng hánghu qí cí, bìmiǎn tíjí nà duàn lìng rén xīntòng de wǎngshì. tā hàipà biérén de zhǐzé hé wùjiě, gèng hàipà biérén yīncǐ duì tā shīqù xìnrèn. yúshì, zhè fèn nányǐ qǐchǐ de mìmì biàn shēnmái zài tā de xīndǐ, chéngwéi tā xīnzhōng yǒngyuǎn de tòng.

Old Zhang was an experienced doctor who dedicated his life to serving patients. But deep down, he harbored an unspeakable secret: a medical accident in his youth had dealt him a severe blow, a trauma that lingered to this day. Although he later gained the trust of countless patients through his superb medical skills, the painful memory remained a thorn in his side, something he couldn't shake off. He often bore this pain silently alone in the dead of night, unable to confide in anyone. Even to his wife, he could only speak vaguely, avoiding the painful past. He feared others' criticism and misunderstanding, even more so, the loss of their trust. Thus, this unspeakable secret remained buried deep in his heart, a constant source of pain.

Usage

多用于书面语，形容难以言喻的苦衷或隐情。

duō yòng yú shūmiàn yǔ, xíngróng nán yǐ yányù de kǔzhōng huò yǐnqíng.

Mostly used in written language, to describe a difficult-to-express hardship or secret.

Examples

• 他脸上带着一丝难言之隐。

  tā liǎn shang dài zhe yīsī nán yán zhī yǐn

  There is a hint of unspeakable secret on his face.

• 这件事背后隐藏着难言之隐

  zhè jiàn shì bēihòu yǐncángzhe nán yán zhī yǐn

  There is an unspeakable secret hidden behind this matter

Related Idioms

• 难以启齿

• 不可告人

• 秘而不宣

Opposite Idioms

• 公布于众

• 开诚布公