The expression I would probably use, and have used in the past, would be " a devil of a time." " He had a devil of a time getting this done" – that means he had a very difficult time, a very challenging time in getting it done.

我可能会使用，过去也曾使用过的表达方式是“时代的恶魔”。 “He had a devil of a time getting this done”——这意味着他在完成这件事的过程中度过了一段非常艰难、非常具有挑战性的时期。