We had a devil of a job persuading her not to leave. 我们费了很大劲劝说她留下。

an ambitious strategy for managing health care 管理医疗保健的雄图大略

He vowed to clean out the Augean stables of national politics.

The crates were much too heavy and awkward for one person to carry. 这些板条箱太重了，一个人很难扛动。

You'd be hard-pressed to meet a nicer person. 你很难碰到一个更好的人。

The traffic out there is murder. 外面的交通真是要命。

It's no joke bringing up two kids on your own. 独自养大两个孩子可不是闹着玩的。

I'm trying to call everyone on the list, but it's been slow going. 我正试图打电话给名单上的每个人，但进展缓慢。

We have to help her – we can't very well just leave her stranded out here in the middle of nowhere. 我们得帮助她，我们不能就让她在那个前不着村后不着店的地方陷入困境。

a very delicate operation 难度很高的手术

Bony fish are so fiddly to eat. 刺多的鱼吃起来很麻烦。

hard-earned money 辛辛苦苦挣来的钱

hard-won success 来之不易的成功

They did most of the heavy work in the morning. 他们大部分重体力活儿是在上午干的。

I found his new book a bit heavy. 我发现他的新书有点儿晦涩。

It was heavy going keeping him interested. 要使他保持兴趣是很困难的。

a herculean task 艰巨的任务

an intense stare 专注的凝视

three weeks of intensive negotiations 3个星期的集中谈判

Getting money out of him is like getting blood from a stone. 从他那里要钱简直像从石头里榨血一样难。

I got out of the truck and ran like hell. 我下了卡车拼命地跑。

a narrow victory/escape/defeat 险胜/死里逃生/惜败

All of our athletes follow a punishing exercise schedule. 我们所有的运动员都在执行一个极其艰苦的训练计划。

Replacing a car tyre isn't exactly rocket science. 更换汽车轮胎并不是什么难事。

a rugged sport 对体力要求很高的运动

We're very aware of the sensitivity of the issue. 我们充分意识到了这个问题的敏感性。

They face a severe test of character against a vastly superior team. 他们面临着一场对他们意志品质的严峻考验，对手是比他们水平高出一大截的球队。

The job involves strenuous work and long hours. 这项工作很艰苦，而且要花很长时间。

He told me not to worry, but that's easier said than done.

Finding the answer proved to be a little bit tricky. 找到答案费了些周折。

Try as he might, he could not forget. 尽管他努力想忘掉，但怎么也忘不掉。

The conflict could reach unmanageable proportions. 冲突可能会达到难以控制的程度。

The Opposition face an uphill struggle to win back voters. 反对党面临着重新赢回选民的艰巨任务。