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207页（203字）
心里很同情，但却没有能力帮助，例我非常同情他的不幸，可是，我自己也有困难，实在爱莫能助。
I feel very sorry about his difficulties，but I am in trouble too，so cannot help him much as I would like to．