The government looked as if it would split apart, with dire consequences for domestic peace.

政府看似就要分崩离析，给国内和平带来可怕的后果。

a book of children's verse, which ranged from the barely tolerable to the utterly dire.

一本儿童诗集，所选诗篇有的勉强可读，有的糟糕透顶。