本文经授权转载自微信公众号：田间小站
SAT GRE
外刊例句
- For ambitious Chinese firms eyeing wealthy Western shoppers this presents a conundrum: how do you do business in places where you are increasingly unwelcome?
对那些雄心勃勃瞄准富有的西方购物者的中国公司来说，它们面对一个难题：如何在越来越不受欢迎的地方开展业务？
——《经济学人》 - That is the essence of the conundrum facing Ukraine and the NATO allies on the dismal second anniversary of the war.
这就是乌克兰和北约盟国在惨淡的战争两周年之际所面临的难题的本质。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[noun] a confusing and difficult problem or question
[名词] 费解且困难的问题
深入解读
Conundrum 是一个与小站（微信公众号：田间小站）推送过的 humdrum 都是以 drum 结尾的单词，两者可以一并联想记忆。
该词词源不详，最早出现于16世纪90年代，原本用作辱骂性词汇，可能是表示“迂夫子（pedant）”之类的含义。等到了1745年后， conundrum 开始演变为以双关妙语为答案的“谜语”。比如：
- Q: What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?
问：珠宝商和监狱看守有什么区别？
A: A jeweler sells watches and a jailer watches cells.
答：珠宝商卖（sells）手表（watches），狱卒看守（watches）牢房（cells）。
由于这类谜语通常复杂难解，因此 conundrum 便进而引申指“难题、难以回答的问题、复杂难解的问题”，常意味着问题错综复杂（intricate）或者只有推测性的答案，认真尝试也难以解决。比如：
- Juggling children and jobs can be a real conundrum for working parents.
对双职工家长来说，兼顾孩子和工作真是个大难题。
值得一提的是， conundrum 可以通过谐音“可难琢磨”来有效帮助记忆其“费解难题”这一含义。
名人名言
We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.
我们现在面临的事实是，明天就是今天。我们面对着极其紧迫的现在。在这个正在展开的人生和历史难题中，“存在”这样一件事，那就是为时太晚。现在不是冷漠或自满的时候。现在是积极有力行动的时候。
出自美国牧师、社会运动者、人权主义者和非裔美国人民权运动领袖马丁·路德·金（Martin Luther King Jr.）。
同近义词
- enigma: a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
- dilemma: a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones
- quandary: a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation
