怕是难上加难喽
“will be more difficult.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
会举卢昌辅接任淮西节度使 之后要再动他
“he will nominate Lu Changfu as the Military Governor of Huaixi. After that, dragging him down”
怕是 难上加难 喽
“will be more difficult.”
淮西乃我朝腹地 江淮一带的屏障 淮西节度使一职
“Huaixi is the vital heartland of our dynasty, the shield protecting the Jianghuai region. The post of Military Governor of Huaixi”
“If we let him take that post, we will never be able to touch him again.”
Even in urgent political deliberations, Chinese speakers frequently use softeners like '怕是' (I fear) rather than blunt absolutes to present judgments tactfully.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
I'm afraid that / likely / probably
A common spoken hedging formula used to soften a negative prediction or unwelcome truth.
extremely difficult / an uphill battle
An idiomatic phrase emphasizing that an already challenging situation will become doubly hard.
Softens the ominous prediction with a slightly conversational, sighing, or matter-of-fact tone.
