货郎担子,两头儿货貨郎擔子,兩頭兒貨貨郎擔子,兩頭兒貨

a pedlar's carrying pole: goods at both ends (disaster at both ends)

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: Misfortunes come one after another. Said ruefully of a run of bad luck; similar to 'it never rains but it pours'.
Wordplay: 货 (huò, goods) puns on 祸 (huò, disaster); 两头儿 means both ends of the pole and also two successive periods.

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Simplified: 货郎担子,两头儿货
Traditional (Taiwan): 貨郎擔子,兩頭兒貨
Pinyin: huòlángdān zǐ,liǎngtóur huò
Bopomofo: ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄉㄢㄗˇ,ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄊㄡˊㄦㄏㄨㄛˋ

Written with HSK 4 vocabulary, at CEFR level B1.

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