名詞 dilemma:

1. state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
   同義詞：quandary

1. The patient's condition was critical and she needed an operation but there was no guarantee that she would survive the anaesthetic; the surgeon was on the horns of a dilemma.
   病人情況危急，因而需要手術(shù)，但又無法保證她是否能經(jīng)受得住麻醉劑，外科醫(yī)生處于進(jìn)退兩難的境地。
2. The bad weather put us in a dilemma.
   糟糕的天氣使我們進(jìn)退兩難
3. Faced with the dilemma, he opted for soldiering on.
   面臨著進(jìn)退兩難的困境，他決定頑強(qiáng)地堅(jiān)持下去。
4. Faced with that dilemma, he was perplexed.
   他面對進(jìn)退兩難的局面，不知如何是好。

di.lem.ma

n.（名詞）
A situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive.
進(jìn)退兩難：需要在相等或相互排斥的選擇物之間進(jìn)行選擇的處境
Usage Problem A problem that seems to defy a satisfactory solution.
【用法疑難】 難題：表面看來似乎不能取得滿意解決的問題
Logic An argument that presents an antagonist with a choice of two or more alternatives, each of which contradicts the original contention and is conclusive.
【邏輯學(xué)】 二難推理，兩刀論法：在兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上可供選擇的對象中提供一種選擇，但不管選擇那一個(gè)對象，它同樣又是反對這一選擇的決定性論證

來源：
Late Latin
后期拉丁語
from Greek dilômma [ambiguous proposition]
源自 希臘語 dilômma [模棱兩可的命題]
di- [two] * see di-
di- [兩個(gè)] *參見 di-
lômma [proposition] * see lemma
lômma [命題] *參見 lemma

【引伸】
dil.emmat.ic
In its primary sensedilemma denotes a situation in which a choice must be made between alternative courses of action or argument. Although citational evidence attests to widespread use of the term meaning simply .problem. or .predicament. and involving no issue of choice,74 percent of the Usage Panel rejected the sentence
dilemma 的主要意思是表示處于進(jìn)退維谷的境地。 盡管引用的論據(jù)證明含意僅為.問題.或.困境.的詞語達(dá)到了普遍運(yùn)用并涉及沒有選擇的問題，但有74％的用法專題使用小組成員否定了句子
例句：
Juvenile drug abuse is the great dilemma of the 980`s. ·
青少年吸毒的陋習(xí)是80年代的大問題。

It is sometimes claimed that because thedi- in dilemma comes from a Greek prefix meaning .two,. the word should be used only when exactly two choices are involved.But '4 percent of the Usage Panel accepts its use for choices among three or more options in the example
據(jù)說有時(shí)因?yàn)?strong>dilemma 中的 di- 出自于一個(gè)含意為.兩個(gè).的希臘語前綴， 所以只有當(dāng)在包含恰恰正是兩種選擇的時(shí)候才應(yīng)使用這個(gè)詞。但有'4％的用法小組成員承認(rèn)在三個(gè)或更多選擇的例句中的使用，如
例句：
Ph.D. students who haven`t completed their dissertations by the time their fellowships expire face a difficult dilemma:
哲學(xué)博士生們在研究生職位期限終止時(shí)還沒有完成其論文就要面臨一種進(jìn)退兩難的境地：

whether to take out loans to support themselves, to try to work part-time at both a job and their research,or to give up on the degree entirely.
不是扣除支持其學(xué)業(yè)的貸款從事半工半讀，就是徹底放棄學(xué)位