barren mountains and unruly rivers; barren hills and untamed rivers; poor mountains and torrential rivers
❍ 他心里乱滋滋地嘀咕：“～啊！可是还得在这里打仗。……”(杜鹏程《保卫延安》73)“Miserable hole!” he said to himself.“Of all places to have to fight a war!…”
穷山恶水
rugged hills and turbulent waters
穷山恶水qiónɡ shān è shuǐ
穷山：荒山；恶水：指有灾害的江河。形容自然环境恶劣，条件非常差。barren mountains and unruly rivers, barren hills and untamed rivers