出处：按学科分类—语言、文字 中国对外翻译出版公司《汉英成语词典》第18页（197字）
比喻暂时勉强维持生存，例他们自知法网难逃，四处藏匿也只是苟延残喘而已。
While eking out a living as best they could，they knew fully well that they could not escape the arm of the law．