Hang by a Thread——岌岌可危

** subject to or threatened by imminent danger(迫在眉睫的危險) // in a risky or unstable situation(處於危險或不穩定的境地)

// slight change can lead to bad result: death or failure(微小的變化可能導致不好的結果：死亡或失敗)

~~ 危在旦夕；岌岌可危；千鈞一髮；搖搖欲墜；奄奄待斃；縷息僅存

~~ hang by a hair; skate on thin ice; play with fire; hang in the balance; be on the ropes/skids; leave to luck; run the risk/chance

!! In this 5th-century B.C. story of Damocles, a servile courtier was flattering the king Dionysius I of Syracuse with his constant references to the king's great power and happiness. The King invited him to a magnificent banquet, to teacher him a lesson that power and happiness were precarious. Damocles enjoyed the feast until he happened to glance up and found himself seated directly under a sharp sword suspended by a single thin thread that symbolizes his insecure position at the court.

在公元前五世紀的達摩克利斯故事中，一位奴僕朝臣不斷提及國王的強大權力和幸福，以此來奉承錫拉庫扎國王狄奧尼修斯一世。國王邀請他參加盛大的宴會，讓他明白權力和幸福都是不穩定的。達摩克利斯享受着這場盛宴，直到他偶然抬頭一看，發現自己正坐在一把用一根細線懸掛的利劍下，這象徵着他在宮廷上的不安全地位。

>> The imminent war between Iran and Israel makes the peace in the region hang by a thread.

伊朗和以色列之間即將發生的戰爭，使該地區的和平危在旦夕。

>> The democrat's future is hanging by a thread since their presidential candidate has never been tested.

由於民主黨的總統候選人從未經過考驗，他們的前途岌岌可危。

學勤進修教育中心英語專科導師

李啟文教授