下不了台xià bù liǎo táibe caught in a dilemma;be on the spot; be placed in (/be unable to get out of) an embarrassing situation; be unable to back down with good grace ❍ 蒋介石出席参政会议时,南京中央大学学生到礼堂闹起来,使蒋介石~。(《周恩来选集》上—276) When he attended the meeting of the Political Council,the students of the Central University in Nanjing went to the auditorium and created an uproar which placed him in an embarrassing position. ❍ 你下去就坐在她旁边,摆脸色给她看,叫她~,看她还能神气活现?(周而复《上海的早晨》Ⅰ—464) You go down and sit beside her and show her a thing or two,bring her down a peg and see if she can still be so high and mighty. 下不了台xià bù liǎo tái比喻在众人面前无法收场。unable to find away out of an embarrassing situation, be on the spot, unable to get off the spot |