He spoke calmly to them trying to pour oil on troubled waters but it was useless.

他心平气和地与他们讲话试图使争吵平息，但这却是徒劳的。

youdao

Eg: If the manager had not poured oil on troubled waters, the angry customer might have sued the salesgirl.

幸亏经理平息了这场纷争，否则那位愤怒的顾客可能会控告女售货员呢。

youdao

Her children were just at that age when they seemed to quarrel all day long, so she had to learn very quickly how to pour oil on troubled waters.

她的孩子们正处于似乎整天争吵不休的年龄，因此她得尽快学会如何平息风波。

youdao

Drawing on the experience of 30 international experts, Troubled Waters looks at the necessity of effective intergovernmental cooperation to ensure the global sustainability of this precious resource, using past successes and failures in ocean management as examples.

UNESCO: Troubled Waters

As the goddess Yeondeung departs on the fifteenth day, marking the arrival of spring, she sows seeds and calms the troubled waters.

UNESCO: Culture