They controlled every road into the city except a rough one through the mountains.

VOA: special.2009.11.26

However dimly that light came through to you, suffering so acutely from the rough denial of the very existence of American ideals, part of it must have come through American delineation of American characters.

不管遇到何种艰险，哪怕翻山越岭,哪怕趟水滚沙，这些都需要,生动的角色来表现出来。

耶鲁公开课 - 1945年后的美国小说课程节选

More appropriate would be "I'm going through a rough patch now.

更合适的回应是“我正经历不顺。

哈佛公开课 - 幸福课课程节选