手术后漫长的恢复过程对他来说是一场痛苦的煎熬。

The long recovery after surgery was a painful ___ordeal for him.

在沙漠中徒步三天对任何人来说都是一场严峻的耐力考验。

Hiking for three days in the desert was a real ___ordeal for anyone.

在古代，被告有时必须通过手浸沸水的考验来证明清白。

In ancient times, suspects had to go through the ___ordeal of dipping their hands in boiling water to prove innocence.