quandary: [16] Quandary may have originated as a quasi-latinism. One of its early forms was quandare, which suggests that it may have been a pseudo-Latin infinitive verb, coined on the fanciful notion that Latin quandō ‘when’ was a first person present singular form.
quandary (n.)
"state of perplexity," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a quasi-Latinism based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who" (see who). Originally accented on the second syllable.
雙語例句
1. George was in a quandary —should he go or shouldn't he?
喬治猶豫不定—他是該去呢，還是不該去？
來自《權(quán)威詞典》
2. I was in a quandary about whether to go.
我當(dāng)時(shí)正猶豫到底去不去.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. I was put in a great quandary.
我陷于進(jìn)退兩難的窘境.
來自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》
4. Carrie hung in a quandary, balancing between decision and helplessness.
嘉莉正左右為難.想下決心, 又覺得無助.
來自英漢文學(xué) - 嘉莉妹妹
5. As a matter of fact, she was in a most hopeless quandary.