| 释义 |
■ hard-pressed作为定语，按照词典的解释是表示“处境困难”，尤其是资金短缺、周转不灵。 - Hard-pressed hotels are lowering their prices.周转不灵的旅馆在降低价格。
但是在实际语言中常常用于指一般的“难以达到某目的”，尤其是作为表语，后面加上 to inf.，对这个 inf. 有否定意义（不要按照字面理解为“被迫使劲去做某事”）。 - You'd be hard-pressed to get there by five o'clock.你会很难五点钟以前赶到那边。
- This year the airlines will be hard-pressed to make a profit.今年各航空公司将难以盈利。
- As a matter of fact, Saffo says he's hard-pressed to think of any downside to the flood of seniors here. (US News & World Report, Oct. 2, 2006, p.56)的确，萨福市长说他很难想到大批老人涌入此地会有任何不利之处。
- Skeptics would be hard-pressed to challenge the President's data if it came from the nation's top television science personality as well as several respected civilian scientists. (Dan Brown, Deception Point, pp.114-115)如果总统的数据来自全国最著名的电视科学人物以及几位受人尊敬的民间科学家，那么抱怀疑态度的人对于这些数据，就难以反驳。
- Eye it from the rear and you'd be hard-pressed to find any of its Swedish heritage. (Newsweek, Oct. 10, 2005, p.66)从后面看这辆车子，就很难看到它有任何瑞典传统特色。
但是，作为表语的 hard-pressed，后面如果没有 to inf.，则与作为前置定语时同义（“处于困境”、“周转不灵”）。 - The American farmers in our county were quite as hard-pressed as their neighbours from other countries. (Willa Cater, My Antonia)我们郡的美国农民，同来自其他国家的邻居们几乎一样手头拮据。
要注意：不能把 hard-pressed 理解为一个动词 hard-press 的过去分词，因为 hard-press 这个动词是不存在的。hard-pressed 没有被动意义，也没有瞬时意义，纯粹作为一个形容词起作用，所以 to be hard-pressed 可以有一般现在时，用于判断句（带有否定意义）而非叙事句。 动词短语 to press hard 却是存在的，意思是“大力推动”、“努力敦促”，但是同形容词 hard-pressed 的意思离开较远。 - ... the US is pressing hard to conclude the 6th round of talks (about the US-Thailand FTA). (The Chiangmai Mail, Thailand, June 24-30, 2006)…美国正在力促早日结束第六轮谈判。
- As with Georgia's western-oriented leader, Yushchenko has infuriated Moscow by pressing hard and very publicly for his country to join the NATO alliance. (US News & World Report, Sept. 15-2, 2008, p.32,)同格鲁吉亚那个向西方靠拢的领导人一样，尤申科大力而且十分公开地推动他的国家加入北约联盟，也激怒了莫斯科。
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