double bind
noun [ C usually singular ] uk/ˌdʌb.əl ˈbaɪnd/ us/ˌdʌb.əl ˈbaɪnd/
进退两难，左右为难
a difficult situation in which, whatever action you decide to take, you cannot escape unpleasant results
The principal is caught in a double bind because whether she expels the student or lets him off, she still gets blamed. 校长陷入了左右为难的境地，因为无论是把男孩开除还是对他从轻处理，她都会受到指责。