【字面理解】夾在斯庫拉和克里布迪斯之間
【英文解析】in a predicament in which avoidance of either of the two dangers means exposure to the other
【中文解析】進退兩難;腹背受敵
【典型例句】① The boy was between Scylla and Charybdis— he had to go home and be whipped or stay in town all night and be picked up by the police.那孩子真是進退兩 難,不是回家挨打就是留在鎮(zhèn)上過夜被警察帶走。
② He was between Scylla and Chaiybdis, for his company had betrayed him.他的同伴背叛了他,致使他腹背受敵。:
【注釋】源自古希臘神話,斯庫拉(Scylla)原是一個美麗 的仙女,為海神格勞科斯(Glaucus)所愛戀。女巫喀 耳刻(Circe)奪愛未成懷恨在心,趁斯庫拉在泉水中 洗澡時,施魔術(shù)將她變成了丑惡的海妖。斯庫拉海 妖居住在意大利和西西里之間墨西拿海峽(Sbtof Messina)的山崖石洞中。而與斯庫拉遙相對峙的是克 里布迪斯(Charybdis)大旋渦。航行在墨西拿海峽的 船舶,繞過斯庫拉海妖就可能陷進旋渦;要避開旋渦, 又害怕被海妖的毒牙咬死,真是左右兩難。后來該習(xí) 語演變成為 between the rock and the whirlpool,再后來 又變成 了 between a rock and a hard place。