2. In a Pickle: 处于困境
How Shakespeare used it:
In The Tempest, King Alonso asks his jester, Trinculo, "How camest thou in this pickle?" And the drunk Trinculo – who has indeed gotten into trouble – responds "I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last ..." (Act 5, Scene 1)
莎士比亚原文:在《暴风雨》中,那不勒斯国王阿朗索问他的弄臣特林鸠罗,“你怎么让自己到这般境地了?”的确深陷困境且已烂醉的特林鸠罗回答说:“我自从上次参见过您之后就一直处于这般境地了…”(第5幕第1场)
One theory has it that the phrase in a pickle entered English from an old Dutch expression that translates as something like "sit in the pickle".
有一种说法认为in a pickle这个短语来源于一个古代的荷兰语表达,类似于“坐在咸菜缸”里这样一个说法。
现代例句:
"Has the NYT got itself into a pickle over digital editions on Kindle and iPad?" — adamhodgkin on Twitter, May 6, 2010