(1) be in hot water/the soup意为“陷入困境”，等于be in trouble。

• You'll be in hot water/the soup when the boss finds out what you've done with his car.
  等老板发现你把他的车弄成这样时，你会吃不了兜着走。
• I'm always in hot water with somebody or other.
  我总是跟这个人那个人弄得别别扭扭的。

 (2) be in a jam意为“处于严重的困境”。

• You've got to help me, I'm really in a jam this time. I took some money, intending to put it back, but the boss has discovered the loss — what can I do?
  你得帮帮我，这回我可真的麻烦了。我拿了一些钱，本打算把它放回去，可老板已经发现钱少了——我该怎么办？

 (3) be in deep/rough water是“(在……事情上)遇到困难”，其后常接介词over。

• I seem to be in deep water over this calculation. Can you help me?
  在这项计算上，看来我遇到了困难，你能帮帮我吗？
• We were in rough water last year, what with the fire that burned down our house and (what with) the flood that wrecked our crops.
  去年我们处境困难，一方面因为大火烧毁了房子，一方面因为洪水毁掉了庄稼。

 (4) be in the mire意为“有了麻烦，处于困境”，特别在金钱方面。

• We're in the mire for some time, but the firm's future is now looking brighter.
  我们处境困难有一些时候了，但现在公司的前途看起来光明了一些。

 (5) get into deep water, get into hot water/a jam均是“处境困难，陷入困境”之意，可以互换。

• We'll get into deep/hot water if she hears about this.
  如果她听说了这事，我们可就麻烦了。