The two friends find themselves at cross-purposes with the officials.

这两个朋友发现他们与这些官员无法互相理解。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

To help deal with that, a number of grouplet organizers meet once a week to make sure they are not at cross-purposes.

要想帮助解决这个问题，小组的一些组织者们要每星期碰面一次，以确保他们之间不会相互误解。

youdao

Jim Guy Tucker was lieutenant governor, probably the ablest person ever to hold the job, and we were working together, rather than at cross-purposes, for the first time in years.

吉姆·盖伊·塔克是副州长，很可能是有史以来最有能力的副州长，那是多年来头一次，我们俩为着共同的目标一起奋斗，而不是相反的目的。

youdao

On the other hand, global economic distress doesn't invariably work at cross-purposes with American interests.

WSJ: Opinion: America Will Remain the Superpower

Even when we act with what we believe to be the best of intentions, our efforts are often at cross-purposes with our goals.

WSJ: The Problem With Going Green by David Owen

The minutes ticked away to years as the Bosnian crisis claimed many thousands of lives, got Europeans themselves at cross-purposes and all but ruptured the transatlantic alliance.

ECONOMIST: Doubts on both sides of the Atlantic