greasy pole
noun
1- informal a pole covered with an oily substance to make it more difficult to climb or walk along, used especially as a form of entertainment〈非正式〉（尤指娱乐时用以增加攀爬或行走难度的）涂油竿。
1.1
- used to refer to the difficult route to the top of someone's profession（通向事业顶峰的）艰难路途：
he steadily climbed the greasy pole towards the job he coveted most.
为了得到他最渴求的职务, 他虽艰难但却稳步地向上爬。