he was struggling

luchar con o contra algo/algn — to fight (against) sth/sb

luchaba con los mandos — he was struggling o wrestling with the controls

Ex: This article deals with the cultural elitism implicit in a willingness to fight censorship of books but not videos.

ha sido una jornada de escasa actividad bursátil — trading was slow o sluggish on the stock exchange today

Ex: The vocabulary used in conjunction with PRECIS is split in two sections, one part for Entities (or things) and the other for Attributes (properties of things, for example colour, weight; activities of things, for example flow, and properties of activities, for example, slow, turbulent).

Ex: Despite the ferment that was going on in the scientific information field during the middle years of the decade of the '50's, the ADI was struggling to survive; membership had shrunk to only 200.

pelearon por una tontería — they quarreled o (colloq) had a fight over a silly little thing

pelearon por una tontería — they quarreled o (colloq) had a fight over a silly little thing

Ex: Despite the ferment that was going on in the scientific information field during the middle years of the decade of the '50's, the ADI was struggling to survive; membership had shrunk to only 200.

Ex: Despite the ferment that was going on in the scientific information field during the middle years of the decade of the '50's, the ADI was struggling to survive; membership had shrunk to only 200.

Ex: Despite the ferment that was going on in the scientific information field during the middle years of the decade of the '50's, the ADI was struggling to survive; membership had shrunk to only 200.

Ex: It has been one of the most edifying experiences in my life to be able to help someone who was struggling.

Ex: It has been one of the most edifying experiences in my life to be able to help someone who was struggling.

es difícil de hacer — it's difficult o hard to do

me fue muy difícil decírselo — it was very hard o difficult for me to tell him

resulta difícil evaluar las pérdidas — it is difficult o hard to put a figure on the losses

difícil de + inf — difficult o hard to + inf

está la cosa difícil — things are pretty difficult o tricky (colloq)

me fue muy difícil decírselo — it was very hard o difficult for me to tell him

resulta difícil evaluar las pérdidas — it is difficult o hard to put a figure on the losses

difícil de + inf — difficult o hard to + inf

está la cosa difícil — things are pretty difficult o tricky (colloq)

Ex: Plays and music performances put on by staff and children require less arduous preparation than a full-length public performance.

ahora malviven en un apartamento en Bogotá — now they're struggling to make ends meet in an apartment in Bogotá

ahora malviven en un apartamento en Bogotá — now they're struggling to make ends meet in an apartment in Bogotá

Ex: He represents not only hard-pressed immigrants and their plight but also everyone else eking out a living on the street corners of cities.

Ex: Deliberate mnemonics are devices which help the user to remember and recall the notation for given subjects.

Ex: I will never forget the biting cold on our cheeks; our feet and hands frozen to the bone.

Ex: I will never forget the biting cold on our cheeks; our feet and hands frozen to the bone.

Ex: I will never forget the biting cold on our cheeks; our feet and hands frozen to the bone.

un pobre pedía dinero — a beggar o poor man was asking for money

sacar de pobre — (fam) to make... rich

salir de pobre — (fam) to get somewhere in the world

sacar de pobre — (fam) to make... rich

salir de pobre — (fam) to get somewhere in the world

Ex: Examples are generally poor or obscure (often in Latin or German).

capa de agua — (=chubasquero) raincape

las capas de la atmósfera — the layers o strata of the atmosphere

amplias capas sociales o de la población — broad strata of society

estar o ponerse a la capa — to lie to

so o bajo capa de — (=bajo la apariencia de) in o under the guise of; (=con el pretexto de) on o under the pretext of, as a pretext for

so o bajo capa ética, predican un puritanismo extremo — in o under the guise of ethics, they are preaching extreme puritanism

so o bajo capa de modernizar la empresa han reducido la plantilla — on o under the pretext of modernizing the company they have cut back the staff

una capa de nieve — a layer o carpet o blanket of snow

lleva el pelo cortado en or (Esp) a capas — she has layered hair

de capa caída — downcast, down (colloq)

defender algo a capa y espada — to fight tooth and nail to defend something

una capa de nieve — a layer o carpet o blanket of snow

lleva el pelo cortado en or (Esp) a capas — she has layered hair

de capa caída — downcast, down (colloq)

defender algo a capa y espada — to fight tooth and nail to defend something

Ex: We will not accomplish that by being timid or by giving our profession a fresh coat of paint.

Ex: 'Well, it's just that,' he said under a crawling canopy of smoke, trying to arrange himself easily on the hard chair.