好不容易联系上了 也是吞吞吐吐 自顾不暇
“or when I finally contacted them, they were hesitant and couldn't even take care of themselves.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
要么找不着人
“either I couldn't find them,”
好不容易 联系上 了 也是 吞吞吐吐 自顾不暇
“or when I finally contacted them, they were hesitant and couldn't even take care of themselves.”
“I really didn't know that finding a suitable job would be so difficult.”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
Job seekers often rely on personal networks (Guanxi), but macroeconomic hardship forces even close contacts to withhold favors because they cannot protect themselves.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
with great difficulty; finally after much effort
Used before a verb to emphasize the substantial effort required to achieve a result.
mumbling; hesitating to speak openly
A four-character idiom describing someone beating around the bush or reluctant to give a direct answer.
too busy with one's own problems to help others
A formal four-character idiom frequently used in spoken Chinese to convey inability to provide assistance.
Marks the completion of finally getting in touch after prior unsuccessful attempts.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“But I can't reach you. I'm really worried.”
“I've been in contact with him. Everything was okay a few days ago.”
“And we finally reconnected just the other day.”
“Have you been in contact recently? No, we haven't spoken in ages.”
“There are some I can't even contact anymore.”
“used to contact each other in secret all the time.”