no picnic 超級艱難的

Context:
Reluctant Attendance
…（前文略）
前文請參閱第951期
不情願的會議
Usually, Mr. James would have laid the responsibility for going to this meeting at the door of his deputy, Mr. Sharp, but he had said that he was attending an important family gathering which had been arranged months ago and was unable to attend. Mr. Sharp was a fairly truthful person, but on this occasion, Mr. James had a feeling that he was being economical with the truth.
Meeting angry parents was no picnic and all of the other councilors had claimed to be otherwise engaged when Mr. James raised the subject.

通常James先生會將這個爛攤子丟給他的代理人Sharp先生；沒想到Sharp先生說他早在幾個月前就預訂好要參加一個重要的家族聚會，所以就無法幫他代理參加今晚的會議。其實Sharp先生算是個相當正直的人，但是目前這種狀況，James先生有種被騙的感覺，似乎Sharp先生隨便找個理由呼嚨他，但是James
又不好意思揭穿他的謊言。
要和這些憤怒的家長開會是件艱難的任務，而且如果Mr. James提起這個議題的話，一堆議員也會牽涉其中。

• 片語: no picnic 超級艱難的
• 定義：used to emphasize how difficult something is or how much effort it requires
• 例句：
• Driving on these narrow mountain roads is no picnic.

要駕駛這種狹窄的山路不是一件簡單的事情。

• Getting to the summit of the mountain and back down before nightfall will be no picnic.

要在黃昏之前攻頂，並且回到平地，是一件很艱難的事。 
                                                                    （本單元由嘉義縣朴子國中李祈慧老師提供）