57、top gun
这个常用词汇在喷气式飞机诞生前很久就已经出现。那还是在美国开拓西部的时候,那些西部神枪手有时为了获得最佳枪手(top gun)的称号而互相残杀。现在,top gun这个习惯用语已经没有什么火药味了。
例句 1 :Read this book by Professor Winter — he’s a top gun in Shakespeare research.
例句 2 :Sorry, I don’t handle divorces myself, but if you really want to divorce your husband, I can give you the name of two of the top guns in New York when it comes to getting a good divorce settlement.
对不起,我本人不处理离婚案这种业务。但是,如果你一定要和你丈夫离婚,那我可以把纽约的两个在处理离婚财产方面最好的律师介绍给你。
58、Bottom line
这个词汇是做生意的人开始用的。每个公司的会计在财政报告上都要把收入和开支加起来,然后得出一个最关键的数字,也就是这个公司究竟盈利多少,或亏损多少。这就是所谓的bottom line。现在,bottom line 这个词汇已经成为人们经常用的了,不仅商人,而且连政府官员和其他一般人都用。意思就是:某件事的结果是怎么样的。
例句 1 :I hate to tell you this, but if we don’t get more customers the next three months, the bottom line is that we’ll go out of business.
例句 2 :Our new cook from Sichuan is bringing in a lot more people. And the bottom line is that last month we made a profit of fifteen thousand dollars.
我们那个从四川来的新厨师吸引了不少顾客。其结果是上个月我们赚了一万五千美元。
例句 3 :美国人经常问下面这个问题:What’s the bottom line? 这就是说,在对一个问题讨论结束后,其结果到底是什么,这也是有关的人所必须了解的内容。
59、Just for laughs
Just for laughs这个俗语在不同情况下意思不同
1)可以解释为:做某件事纯属为了高兴
例句 1 :Come on and get your jacket — let’s go out and have a couple of beers just for laughs.
来吧,穿上你的外套,我们到外面去喝两杯啤酒高兴高兴。
1) Just for laughs有时也指做愚蠢的事,或有害的事
例句 2 :Just for laughs they tossed Mary in the swimming pool with all her clothes on. Then they found out she didn’t know how to swim.
就是为了开玩笑,他们把玛丽连衣服带鞋的整个扔进了游泳池,结果他们发现,玛丽根本不会游泳。
60、To laugh up one’s sleeve
Sleeve就是衣服袖子。To laugh up one’s sleeve从字面上来看是在袖子里笑,实际上也就是偷偷地笑。To laugh up one’s sleeve的真正意思就是偷偷地笑话某人,因为这个人有些可笑的地方,而他本人还没有发现。
例句 1 :We were all laughing up our sleeves at the teacher when he was up at the blackboard explaining the math problem. He had a rip in the back of his pants and didn’t know it.
当老师在黑板前讲解数学题的时候,我们都偷偷地笑,因为他裤子后面有个裂缝,他自己还不知道。
例句 2 :We were all laughing up our sleeves at our brother when he sat down at the dinner table. He’d seen his girl off at the airport and had lipstick on his face and didn’t know it.
当我们的哥哥坐下吃晚饭的时候,我们都在偷偷地笑他,因为他刚去机场送他的女朋友,脸上留下了口红,他还不知道。
61、a horse laugh
Horse就是一匹马。A horse laugh作为一个俗语是指一种表示不信任的嘲笑
例句 1 :When this guy running for Congress told us how much money he’d save us taxpayers, we all gave him the horse laugh. We knew when he was in the state legislature he always voted for higher taxes.”
当这个竞选国会议员席位的人对我们说,他会为我们这些缴税的人省多少钱的时候,我们大家都哄堂大笑。我们知道,在他担任州议员的期间,他老是投票赞成提高税收的。
例句 2 :Harry thinks he’s God’s gift to women: that none of them can resist his charm. So we all gave him the horse laugh when he asked the new girl in class to go to a movie and she told him to get lost.
哈里总是以为自己具有莫大的魅力,女人们都被他倾倒,他就像上帝恩赐给女人的礼物一样。所以,当他请班里新来的那个女孩去看电影,而被那女孩毫不客气地拒绝了以后,我们都禁不住地嘲笑他。
62、The last laugh
在某人开始做一件事情的时候,许多人都说他不会成功。但是最后他还是成功了。这时候,他的心里很高兴,也许还很得意,这就是the last laugh
例句 : I used to laugh at my roommate in college — he’d stay in and study on weekends while I went out for a good time. But I guess he has the last laugh on me. He’s a famous brain surgeon and me, I’m selling used cars and barely make enough to live on.
我过去在大学的时候总是笑话我同宿舍的同学,因为他周末老是呆在学校念书,而我总是出去玩。现在,我猜想他一定很得意地在笑我。他已经成为一个脑外科专家,而我则以卖旧汽车为生,只能勉强糊口。
63、to roll out the red carpet to honor / welcome sb. (Esp. a visiting head of state)
或者 to give someone the Red carpet treatment
意思是:铺上红地毯来欢迎……(贵宾等)
例句 1 :When Ann came back from her long vacation, we gave her the red carpet treatment.
当安度了一个很长的假期后,我们像贵宾一样欢迎她回来。
64、in the red 亏本 in the black 赚钱
65、A red letter day
意思是:大喜的日子;对于某个人来说,那是指发生好事的一天。
例句 1 :It was a real red letter day for me when my son came home from three years in the navy. We rolled out the red carpet to welcome him home.”
我儿子在海军里服役了三年。他回家的那天对我来说真是一个大喜日子。我们真是把他当贵宾一样来欢迎他。
例句 2 :I’m lucky–my birthday is a real red letter day. It’s on December 31, New Year’s Eve and all over the world people are out celebrating it.
我运气真好,我的生日是十二月三十一号,刚好是新年前夕,全世界的人都庆祝那一天。
66、red tape
Tape 是带子的意思;Red tape 是指官僚主义,或文牍主义;换句话说,red tape 就是人们在和政府或官方机构打交道时往往会遇到的拖延、混乱等令人烦恼的障碍。那末,这和红带子又有什么关系呢?这是因为在古时候官方的文件一般都用红带子捆起来的,这样红带子就和官僚主义连在一起了。
例句 : You can’t believe how much red tape there is in getting a visa. You have to get a birth certificate and other personal papers and fill out a bunch of complicated forms and have an interview. After that you wait and wait.
你简直不会相信,要拿到一个签证会遇到多少官僚主义的麻烦。你先要拿到你的出生证和其他有关你个人的证件,然后填一大堆复杂的表格,接着还要去面谈。办完这些事以后,你还得一等再等。
67、White hats and black hats
黑颜色和白颜色往往是对立的:黑代表黑夜和邪恶,而白象征着日光、善良或美德。在美国好莱坞早期那些无声电影里,导演往往给英雄人物戴上白帽子,而给坏蛋戴黑帽子。这样,连十岁的孩子一看就马上知道谁是好人,谁是坏人。白帽和黑帽就这样逐渐成了一个习惯的说法,也就是 white hats and black hats,意思是:好人和坏人
68、a black sheep
Black 当然是指黑颜色,而 sheep 是一头羊的意思; a black sheep字面意思是一头黑颜色的羊,而实际指的是一个给他周围的人带来耻辱的人。
例句 1 :Uncle Joe is the black sheep in the family. Instead of getting a job, all he does is drink too much, gamble away any money he gets and chase after women.
乔叔叔是他们家的败家子。他不是去找个工作,而是成天喝酒,有了一点钱就去赌,还老是玩女人。
例句 2 :We all thought my youngest brother was the black sheep in our family. In fact he was in so much trouble that he had to run away to Australia. But he started a new life there, married a wonderful girl, and now he’s a millionaire.
我们都认为我最小的弟弟是我们家的败家子。实际上,他闯了好多祸,最后只好逃到澳大利亚去。可是,他在那里重起炉灶,和一个非常好的女孩结了婚,现在都成了百万富翁了。
69、A white lie
Lie 就是谎话的意思;那末,难道骗人还分黑白吗?是的,A white lie 的意思就是那种为了避免使对方感到难受而说的谎话,就是所谓的“善意的谎言”。
例句 1 :I told a white lie when I told Jennie her boyfriend was good-looking. The truth is he’s just about the ugliest man I’ve ever seen.
我骗珍妮说,她的男朋友很英俊。其实,他大概是我看到的所有男人当中最难看的了。
例句 2 :My mother and dad taught me never to tell a lie. So I feel guilty every time I tell even a little white lie, although I do it just to make somebody feel better.
我爸爸妈妈总是教我绝对不能说谎话。因此,每当我说一点谎,即便是为了让某人感到好受一点而说谎的时候,我都好像做错了事一样。
70、rain check
在美国,只要在球赛开始以后下雨,每个人在离开体育场的时候都可以得到一张特别的票子,你可以用这张票子下回免费看一场球。这种特别的票子就叫 rain check。Rain 就是雨,check 就是支票。Rain check 的意思就是,你买了票,但是因为下雨而没有看成球。为了补偿你的损失,就给你一张下次可以用的免费票。现在,rain check 这个词已经不局限在体育球赛方面了。它已经应用于生活的各个方面。它的意思是:给予第二次机会。
例句 1 :Say, I’m sorry but we just sold the last TV set we had on sale. But I’ll give you a rain check so you can still get the special price when we get in a fresh stock a couple weeks from now.
对不起,我们刚刚把最后一架减价的电视机卖掉了。但是,我会给你一张 rain check,这样过两个星期我们进了货以后,你仍然可以按减价的价钱买电视机。
例句 2 :I’d love to go out with you, Ben. I’m sorry I’m busy tonight, but I’d like a rain check.
本,我很愿意和你出去玩。但是,非常抱歉的是我今晚很忙。我们下回去玩好吗?
71、It never rains but it pours 这句成语翻到中文就是“祸不单行”的意思
例句 1 :I really feel sorry for Mike. First his wife left him. Next he lost his job. Then somebody stole his
car. Like they say, it never rains but it pours.
我真是为迈克感到难受。先是他的太太把他甩了,然后,他又丢了工作,接着,他的车又被人偷了。这真是像人们所说的,祸不单行呀。
例句 2 :Oh boy! You can’t believe the trouble I had today. My alarm clock didn’t go off, so I missed
biology class. Then, I lost my homework assignment for math. I invited my girlfriend to lunch and after we
ate, I found I’d left my wattle at home. It never rains but it pours.
咳,你真不会相信今天我有多倒霉。首先,我的闹钟没有响,所以我没有上生物课。然后,我又把我
的数学作业给丢了。我请女朋友吃午饭,吃晚饭我才发现我把钱包忘在家里了。呵,这可真是祸不单行呐。
72、to stick to one’s guns
对于士兵来说,在被很多敌人包围的情况下还要能持续装炮弹发射的话,他们肯定需要很多勇气。这种精神在英文里就是 to stick to one’s guns。这个俗语现在的意思就是:在日常生活中坚持原则,稳步前进,不屈服外界的压力。
例句 1 :Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no!
小鬼,我听说你们学校的学生里有吸毒的现象。我希望你坚持正道,坚决抵制这种恶习!
例句 2 :I have to admire the ladies who fifty years ago worked so hard to get women the right to vote. People laughed at them at first but they stuck to their guns and got the congress to pass the 19th Amendment back in 1920.
我很钦佩以前那些女士们,她们五十年前努力为妇女争取选举权。开始,许多人都笑话她们。但是,她们坚定不移,最后在1920年终于促使国会通过了美国宪法的第十九项修正案。
73、shooting the breeze
Shoot 就是开枪的意思;Shooting the breeze 就是在很轻松、很愉快的气氛下和朋友聊天。
例句 1 :Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I’ll get a couple of cold sodas and we’ll shoot the breeze for a while.
喂,比尔,上完课你到我宿舍去吧。我去买两瓶汽水,咱们聊会儿天,你看怎么样?
例句 2 :At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other.
今天早上我们办公室开会的时候,我们的头儿说,她要看到我们都坐在自己桌子那里忙着干自己的活,而不是花好多时间站在那儿闲聊天。
74、green thumb
大家都知道green 的意思是绿颜色;绿颜色是草和树等自然界生物的颜色,也是美国钞票的颜色。除此之外,绿颜色还意味着年轻、新鲜、有力、成长,而另外一些时候,绿颜色是指不成熟,就像没有熟的苹果那样。Thumb 就是大拇指。可是green thumb 并不是说某人的大拇指变绿了或染上了绿颜色。Green thumb指的是某人在种花或种菜方面很有才能,或在这方面很有知识和技术。
例句 1 :I wish I had a green thumb like Mrs. Lee — look at the beautiful roses in her yard.
我真希望我能像李太太那样会种花,瞧她院子里的玫瑰花多好看呐!
例句 2 :I guess I don’t have much of a green thumb: every year I plant cabbage, beans and sweet corn in my backyard but all I ever get is a lot of weeds.
我猜想我在种菜方面是没有什么才能。每年,我在后院种菜、种豆和种玉米,可是长出来的大都是草。
75、green light
我们已经知道,green就是绿颜色,light就是指灯;Green light就是绿灯,就是说某个计划,或某件事没有遇到障碍,可以按计划进行。
例句 1 :My boss liked my idea to open a branch office in Los Angeles and gave me the green light to go ahead.
我的老板非常支持我在洛杉矶开一个分公司的建议。他让我按计划去办。
例句 2 :The astronauts were in the space shuttle ready to go, but somebody saw one of their computers had a problem. It’s fixed now, but Houston Control is checking it again before they give the green light to launch.
宇航员都已经进入航天飞机,准备出发。但是,有一个人发现他们的一个电脑有问题。现在虽然已经修好,可是休斯顿控制中心正在再一次进行检查,然后再让他们正式发射。
76、在日常生活中,blue是一个非常口语的词汇,美国人经常使用。它的意思就是情绪很低。正因为如此,blues 这个字就成了爵士音乐里面的一种。称谓 blues 的这种爵士音乐,它的特点是节奏慢,曲调很低沉。
在日常会话中,要是你对一个朋友说: “I really have the blues today.” 这就是说,你今天因为某种原因情绪很不好。
77、singing the blues
Singing 的原动词是sing,就是唱歌、唱戏的唱。Singing the blues 的意思就是诉苦、抱怨。
例句 1 :Every time I ask Joe to pay back the money he borrowed from me, he sings the blues about all the things at home he needs money for.
每当我要乔还他借我的钱的时候,他总是诉苦,说他家里有多少开支。换句话说,就是乔用诉说家里的种种困难来做借口,设法不还他欠的钱。
例句 2 :Don’t pay any attention to that guy! He’s always singing the blues about how poor he is, but the truth is he has more bucks in the bank than the two of us put together.
别听那家伙的话。他老是诉苦,说他多么穷。可是,事实上,他银行里的钱比我们两人的加在一起还多。
78、like a bolt out of the blue
Bolt 是闪电,blue 在这儿是指蓝色的天空。 Like a bolt out of the blue 的意思就是晴天霹雳,也就是出乎意外、没料想到。有时,你花几个小时也解不开一道数学题。可是,当你不再去想它的时候,你脑子里突然出现了答案。人们还经常用 like a bolt out of the blue 来形容车祸。
例句 1 :A driver may testify that he was going the normal speed limit when a truck appeared in front of him out of the blue and he did not have time to stop.
一个开车的人可能会在作证时说,正当他以正常的速度行驶的时候,一辆卡车突然出现在他面前,他来不及刹车。
例句 2 :The announcement that the president of our university was quitting to go to another school hit us like a bolt out of the blue. He’s always said he liked it here so much he would stay until he retired.
我们大学校长宣布他决定辞职到另外一个学校去工作。我们都感到很突然,因为他老是说他很喜欢这个学校,要一直在这儿工作到退休。
79、As American as apple pie
美国人很喜欢吃 apple pie,这是一种用烤箱制作的甜点心,它的外面是一层面粉,里面是用苹果做的馅儿。中文译成“苹果派”。美国人喜爱吃 apple pie 是他们刚从欧洲移居到美洲来以后就开始了。每个家庭主妇都经常做苹果派。为了说明 apple pie 是美国生活的一个特点,人们常说: “As American as apple pie.” 这句话的意思是:就像苹果排一样具有美国特色。下面就是一个例子:
例句 1 :So many Asian restaurants have opened up in Washington that a writer on a daily paper here jokes that dim sum, Japanese sushi and Vietnamese spring rolls have become as American as apple pie.
华盛顿开了那末多亚洲饭馆,一家报纸的记者开玩笑地说,广东点心、日本生鱼片加饭团和越南春卷都已经变成像苹果排一样的美国食品了。
例句 2 :Football and baseball are as American as apple pie as they were invented by Americans and played and watched everywhere in this country. Many people would glue to their TV sets whenever there are major competitions.
橄榄球和棒球是美国式的运动,因为它们是美国人发明的,全国各地都有人打这种球或看这类球赛。每当有重大比赛时,许多人就坐在电视机前不肯动了。
80、hot potato
hot 的意思是热或烫; Potato就是土豆。热的土豆固然好吃,但是它会烫你的手,你会想法马上甩掉的。 Hot potato作为俗语,它的意思就是一个争论很激烈的问题,没有一个人愿意为它承担责任。
例句 1 :The question of whether to raise taxes to cut the budget deficit is a real hot potato for a lot of politicians.
是否用增加税收的方法来减少预算赤字的问题对于许多政客来说是一个棘手的问题。
例句 2 :If I were you, I’d drop that client like a hot potato; he’s always suing somebody for something, but he usually loses and he doesn’t pay his lawyer’s bills.
要是我是你的话,我就把你那个顾客马上甩掉。他老是为了什么事去告别人,可是他总是输给别人,他还往往不付律师费。
81、to put all his eggs in one basket
要是一个人把他所有的钱都当作赌注,想冒险发财,这在中文里是“孤注一掷”,在英文里就是: to put all his eggs in one basket。 Eggs就是鸡蛋,one basket 就是一只篮子。 To put all his eggs in one basket 的意思就是把所有的鸡蛋放在一只篮子里,这样是很冒险的。
例句 1 :If you want to play the stock market, it’s smarter to divide your money and buy three or four different stocks instead of putting the whole amount into just one stock and putting all your eggs in one basket.
要是你想玩股票,你最好是把你的钱分开来买三、四种不同的股票,这是比较聪敏的作法。你千万不要把所有的钱都买一种股票。
例句 2 :Going steady in high school with only one member of opposite sex is a mistake. Go out with several people — don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
在中学里只交一个男朋友,或一个女朋友,那是错误的。应该多交朋友,而不要把自己局限在一个人身上。
82、to eat crow
乌鸦是人们都讨厌的鸟,它又大又黑,叫的声音既粗又难听。乌鸦的肉也老得没法吃。可是,有一个美国俗语偏偏就是“吃乌鸦”: to eat crow。 Eat 就是吃,crow 就是乌鸦。乌鸦肉根本是没法吃的,因此要一个人吃乌鸦,那肯定是非常难受的。这也正是 to eat crow 这个俗语的意思。 To eat crow 的确切意思是一个人把自己弄得很丢脸,因为他犯了一个很难堪的错误,而又不得不承认。
例句 1 :That man running for mayor went around bragging he’d win the election by a big 50,000 majority. But he had to eat crow when the woman running against him won by more than 60,000 votes.
那个竞选市长的人到处吹嘘说他肯定能得到大多数选民的拥护,以五万张选票当选市长。可是,现在他很丢脸,因为那位和他一起竞选的女候选人最后获得六万多张选票而当选市长。
例句 2 :Our neighbor had to eat crow yesterday. He’s been telling us what a good tennis player he is. Well, he took my 12-year-old son out to play and the kid beat him three straight sets.
我们的邻居真是丢了脸。他老是在我们面前吹嘘,说他网球打得多么多么好。他昨天带着我那十二岁的儿子去打网球,结果我儿子以三比零把他打败了。
83、monkey business
monkey 就是猴子的意思, business 是指做生意或办什么事。但是 monkey 和 business 两个词合在一起用的时候,它们的意思就变了。 Monkey business 是指不道德或不合法的行为,往往是偷偷摸摸和具有欺骗性的行为,例如盗用公款等。
例句 1 :The newspapers say there’s a lot of monkey business going on at city hall, with officials getting money under the table from people who want the contract to build the new airport.
有些报纸说,市政府里有许多见不得人的事,有的营造商为了从市政府获得建造新机场的合同而偷偷地用钱贿赂市政府的官员。
例句 2 :I think there’s some kind of monkey business going on in that house across the street. People going in and out all day long; maybe they’re selling drugs or something.
我看对马路那个房子里的人一定在进行一些不正当的勾当。一天到晚老有人进进出出,他们可能在贩毒,或搞其他什么鬼名堂!
84、to make a monkey out of somebody
Somebody 是指某个人,To make a monkey out of somebody; 这个俗语的意思是:把某人弄得好像一个傻瓜一样。
例句 1 :My friend Pete made a monkey out of me the other day. He told me the party Saturday night was formal, so I wore a suit and tie. But everybody else there was wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans. It sure made me feel like a fool.
我的朋友皮特那天真把我弄得像个傻瓜一样。他告诉我星期六晚上的聚会是很正式的,所以我就穿上西装,戴上领带。可是其他人都穿园领衫和牛仔库。我真感到自己好像是个傻瓜一样。
例句 2 :Tom made a monkey out of himself by jumping up and down and yelling when his father wouldn’t let him go to the movie.
汤姆因为他爸爸不让他去看电影就一个劲地上下乱跳,嘴巴里还大声乱叫,简直把自己弄得像个傻瓜一样。
85、hot seat
hot是热的意思,seat 就是座位。 Hot seat 这个俗语从字面上来解释就是那个座位很热,或很烫。但它的真正意思却并非如此;有些国家在处决那些被判死刑的犯人时不是用枪决的方式,而是让犯人坐在一张可以通电的椅子上,把他电死的。以前,人们就是把犯人坐的那张椅子叫做 hot seat。可是,美国好些州现在都已经废除了死刑。Hot seat 这个俗语的意思也有所改变。现在,hot seat 这个俗语指的是那种可能会产生麻烦,或让人感到难堪的局面。
例句 1 :I thought it would be fun to judge the high school beauty contest. Instead I ended up on the hot seat. When we picked the winner, I made one girl happy and nineteen others mad at me.
我原先以为参加中学生美女评选是一件很有趣的事。可是,结果弄得我很为难。我们选出了一个冠军,这样,只有一个女孩是高兴的,另外十九个都生我们的气。
例句 1 :If you’re mayor of a big city these days, you’re sitting in the hot seat — it’s hard to make voters happy when you don’t have the money in the budget to give them all the things they expect.
现在这个年头,你要是当一个大城市的市长的话,那麻烦可多啦。预算里没有那么多的钱来满足选民们所期望的一切,要使他们高兴真是难上难。
86、hot and bothered
Hot and bothered 的意思是一个人由于某件事而感到很激动、担忧或者很生气。
例句 1 :Nancy was all hot and bothered when her boyfriend showed up two hours late to take her to the party.
南希和她的男朋友约好了一起去参加一个聚会。可是,南希等呀等,她的男朋友晚了两个小时才来接她。南希可真是既生气,又担心。”
例句 2 :Please don’t get hot and bothered about all these dirty pans and dishes, honey. After dinner you just sit down and relax and watch TV, and let me clean up the kitchen.
亲爱的,你别因为这些脏的盘子和碗就发火和担心。吃完饭,你就去坐下,看看电视,轻松轻松,让我来把厨房打扫乾净。
87、to break your neck
Break 这个字的意思是把什么东西弄断或打破。但是,to break your neck 的意思并不是指你的脖子真的断了。 To break your neck作为俗语是尽一切力量努力去做某件事的意思。
例句 1 :I wish Sam would study harder, because I am breaking my neck to scrape up the money to keep him in college.
我希望萨姆在念书方面再用功一些,因为我一直在想尽一切办法来凑足了钱好让他继续念大学。
例句 2 :You don’t have to break your neck fixing this TV set: I really don’t need it next week.
你不必赶紧地修这个电视机,我下星期并不需要它。
88、to stick your neck out
在任何情况下把脖子伸得太长都是既冒险又危险的。中国话里有“枪打出头鸟”的说法。在英文里就是:to stick your neck out。据说 to stick your neck out 这个说法是来自形容乌龟的处境。当乌龟的头缩在乌龟壳里的时候,一切都很安全。可是,一旦它们把头伸出来,那可就危险了。可是,to stick your neck out 已经成为美国人在日常生活中常用的表达形式了。
例句 1 :I think my boss is dead wrong about hiring his son-in-law, but I’m not going to stick my neck out and tell him!
我认为我的老板雇用他的女婿是绝对错误的,但是我才不去冒那风险去告诉他呐。
例句 2 :I admire our congressman — he’s one politician who’s not afraid to stick his neck out and say what he really thinks, even if it costs him some votes.
我很钦佩我们的国会议员。他是一个敢于冒着风险说自己心里话的政治家尽管那样做会使他失去一些选票。
89、pain in the neck
Pain是痛的意思,Neck 是指脖子;但是,pain in the neck 并不是脖子痛的意思,而是说某人很讨厌。这个俗语非常普遍,你每天都可以听到美国人这么说: “He’s a real pain in the neck.” 这就是说:“那个人真讨厌。”
例句 1 :I want to run and hide every time I see that woman come into my place. A real pain in the neck; she’s always complaining about the food and the service.
每当我看到那个女人来到我饭馆的时候,我总是想拔腿就跑,到什么地方去躲起来。她可真是讨厌,老是抱怨不是饭菜不好,就是服务不好。
例句 2 :I don’t want to be a pain in the neck, son, but I’ve reminded you a dozen times already to clean up your room. Better do it tonight, or you can’t use the car this weekend.
儿子,我并不想让你讨厌,但是我已经提醒你几十次了,要你把房间整理乾净。你还是今天晚上把房间打扫干净的好,否则,这个周末你就别想用汽车。
90、neck and neck
neck and neck 是指比赛进行得很激烈,竞争双方不相上下。 neck and neck 这个说法原先是来自比赛,如赛跑、赛马等。就拿赛马来说吧,有的时候两匹马齐头并进,很难分辨出那匹马在前头,那一匹在后头。在有的情况下,一匹马由于它的脖子比另一匹马先到终点而获胜,还有的时候甚至由于它的头,或它的鼻子先到而成了冠军。
例句 1 :Right now, only a week from the election, the republicans and the democrats are running neck to neck and none of the experts can predict which party will win.
现在离开选举只有一个星期了,但是,共和党和民主党在竞选方面仍然不分上下,没有一个专家能预测到底那个党会在竞选中获胜。
例句 2 :I’m running neck and neck with the clock to see if I can finish on time.
这次节目的时间已经很紧了,我正在加紧播送,不知能不能在限定时间内播完这次节目。
91、To have a heart
To have a heart 是一个俗语,它的意思就是要求别人对说话的人表示同情,或者是要求别人帮助他。
例句 1 :Hey, Dad, have a heart and let me use the new car; I have this big date with Jennie tonight.
爸爸,请你发发善心,让我用那辆新汽车吧。我今天晚上请我的女朋友杰尼出去玩,这个约会可是很
重要的呢!
例句-2: “Charlie, I know I’ve owed you the hundred bucks for a long time. But, have a heart:give me a
little more time because I really don’t have it right now.
查理,我知道我借你一百块钱已经好久了。但是,请你做做好事,再宽容我一点时间,因为我现在确
实没有这笔钱。
92、cross my heart
Cross my heart 在中文里的意思就是“保证”或者“发誓”等。一个小孩会说:cross my heart 来让你相信他说的话是真的。
例句 1 :Billy, cross my heart, it wasn’t me who broke your bicycle.
比利,不是我把你的自行车弄坏的,我发誓。
例句 2 :Honey, cross my heart, I’ve never looked at another woman since the first day I set eyes on
you! Believe me, that’s the truth!
亲爱的,我向你发誓,自从我见到你以来,我从来也没有对别的女人看过一眼,这可是千真万确的呀!
93、:My heart stood still
heart就是心, stood是 stand 的过去时,意思是站着,still就是静止的、不动的。My heart stood still 就是指某件事使你非常害怕,或惊恐,以致你的心脏都几乎停止跳动了。
例句 1 :My heart stood still when the other car ran through the red light and I knew we were about to crash.
当我看到那辆汽车穿红灯的时候,我知道我们要撞车了。我的心都好像停止跳动了。
例句 2 :I have to tell you my heart stood still when I saw that baby fall into the water. But that boy jumped right in after the kid and pulled him out before he went under — that boy deserves a medal!
我告诉你,当我眼看那小孩掉下水去的时候真是把我吓得几乎连心都停止跳动了。但是,那个年轻人立即就跳到水里,还没等那小孩沉下水去,就把他救了出来。他真应该得到一枚奖章!
94、heart-to-heart talk
Heart-to-heart talk 的意思就是两个人很严肃、很坦率地谈论一些私事。 Heart-to-heart talk 翻译到中文就是“坦诚地谈话”,或者是“促膝谈心”。比如说,当一个妻子发觉他的丈夫在赛马方面花的钱太多,她可能就要和她丈夫好好地进行一次 heart-to-heart talk。或者,一个工作人员老是迟到早退的话,他的老板可能就要把他找到办公室来进行一次 heart-to-heart talk。
例句 :Son, you and I have to sit down and have a heart to heart talk about your school grades. You have to do something to bring them up if you want to get into a good college.
儿子,你我得坐下来好好谈一谈关于你的学习成绩问题。你要是想进一个好大学的话,你得把分数提高才行呀。
95、to go all out
大多数的人都很钦佩那些力量充沛、勇往直前的人。这种人为了达到目的而采取行动的时候毫不畏惧。在认定了目标以后,他们就会全力以赴。这种精神在英文里就是: to go all out。一本字典对 to go all out 的解释就是:以最大的决心和所有的力量去做一件事。 To go all out 这个俗语经常用在体育方面。
例句 1 :Our basketball team went all-out to win the championship game. But so did the other team, and they beat us by two points.
我们的篮球队为了在比赛中获胜而全力以赴。可是,另外一个队也是这样,结果他们多得了两分而把我们打败了。
例句 2 :This time the other party is going all-out to win — they’re spending twice as much money as we can on radio and TV commercials.
这一次,跟我们对立的政党正在全力以赴地争取在选举中获胜,他们在电台和电视上做广告化的钱比我们能化的要多两倍。
96、to go through hell or high water
To go through hell or high water,这个俗语使人们联想到某一个在必要的时候能够赴汤滔火的人的形像。
例句 1 :I love my friend John like a brother — I know he’d go through hell or high water for me.
我对约翰就像对待自己的兄弟一样,我知道他会为我赴汤滔火的。
例句2 :That’s a very close family — whatever happens to one of them, sickness, money trouble, anything, the rest of them come to help. They’d go through hell and high water for each other.
这家人之间的关系非常密切,不管任何人发生什么事,无论是生病也好,缺钱花也好,或发生其他任何问题,每个人都会来帮忙的。不管家里谁有了困难,大家都会为他赴汤滔火。
比较to go all out和to go though hell or high water
To go all out 的意思是尽全力去做一件事,或达到某个目的。 To go though hell or high water 是指不管有多大的困难,有多少危险,但是有关的人仍然勇往直前。这两个习惯用语的含义有其相似的地方,都是竭尽全力的意思,但是 to go though hell or high water 要比 to go all out 的语气强烈得多。从我们以上举的例子里就可以看出这一点。
97、to go for broke
To go for broke 的意思就是一个人准备冒损失一切的危险来采取一项行动,也可以说是“孤注一掷”。体育运动员往往会遇到这种情况。
例句 1 :The biggest auto race of the year is ready to start. All the drivers are ready to go for broke and drive their cars until they fall apart.
今年规模最大的一次汽车比赛快要开始了。所有参加比赛的驾驶员都准备竭尽全力地争取获胜,那怕担当一切风险,把汽车开得散了架子也在所不惜。
例句 2 :Okay, I’m going to go for broke and bet all the money I have on my cards. I don’t see how anybody can beat what I’m looking at here in my hand.
行啦,这回我得豁出去把我所有的钱都压在这付牌上。我就是不相信任何人能够打败我手上的这付牌。
98、to go overboard
有些人在情绪激动或者发怒的时候往往会在没有充份估计形势的情况下,不顾后果地鲁莽从事。这在英文里就是 to go overboard。 Overboard 这个字的意思是从船上掉到水中,就像一个粗心大意的水手,专心致意地忙着工作,一不小心,手没抓紧就掉下水去了。 To go overboard 作为一个习惯用语可以解释为在不顾自己安全的情况下就鲁莽地采取行动。
例句 1 :John, let’s not go overboard and get a new car right now. With all the other expenses we have, we won’t be able to make the monthly payments.
约翰,我们最好现在不要匆忙地买新汽车。我们手上还有其他要付的帐,我们没有能力再每个月为新汽车付还借款。
例句 2 :I wouldn’t go overboard and buy a lot of stock in that company right now. I hear their profit is down from what it was last year.
我现在决不会太轻率地大量买那个公司的股票。我听说他们今年的利润比去年的低了。
99、to put your best foot forward
比如说,你正在找工作,和某个公司约好了去面谈,或者你第一次要去和一位异性会面,这个时候你就想要给他们一个好印象,这在英文里就是 to put your best foot forward。为了给人造成一个好印象,也就是说 to put your best foot forward,你在去面谈前肯定会尽量把衣服穿得体面一些,在和人面谈的过程中脸上还老是笑容可掬。
例句 1 :Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You have to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.
你明天去那个公司面谈前最好去理一下发。你得给他们一个好印象才行,因为有二十多个人都在争夺这个工作。
例句 2 :I finally got a date with that girl I’ve been trying to go out with so long. So I’m putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow.
这个人说:“我总算和那个女孩约好了明天一起出去玩,这是我长久以来所梦寐以求的。所以,我在明天去接她前先送她一打玫瑰花和一盒巧克力,这样好给她一个好印象。
100、to land on your feet
你难免有的时候会在生活中或工作中碰到一些麻烦和困难,可是,要是你很聪敏或者是很幸运的话,那末这些麻烦和困难都能得到解决。美国有一个俗语就是形容这种情况的,那就是to land on your feet。 To land on your feet 的字面意思是:你的脚站在地上。可是它的确切含义是:你在经历了一些困难后最后又回到一个稳定的状态,也可以说是逢凶化吉了。那么,这个俗语的出处是什么呢?有的语言专家认为,这个俗语可能来自对猫的观察。你也许注意到,当一只猫从树上掉下来的时候,它表现出一种特殊的技能:它能在空中还没有落地之前调整自己身体的姿势,从而使自己平安地落地。
例句 1 :My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money.
我的弟弟因老是不准时上班而被公司解雇了。可是,他倒是逢凶化吉又找到了一份工作,而且工资还加了一倍。
例句 2 :Mr. Green is one of these people who’s not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he’ll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.
格林先生就是那种不怕冒很大危险去投资的人。有时,他也确实会亏本,但是他总是会逢凶化吉,找到钱去投资生财的。
101、To get off on the wrong foot
这是指某人一开始就没给人一个好印象,或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了。
例句 1 :When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot — on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he’s out looking for a job again.
乔找到了一份新的工作,可是他刚开始到那家店里去上班时就给人一个坏印象。第一天上班他就晚到两个小时,让他的老板好不高兴。现在他又在找工作了。
例句 2 :I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.
那天我终于和班上新来的那个女同学约好了出去玩。可是,当天我的车出了问题,晚了两个小时才去接她,所以我一开头就把事弄糟了。
102、to put your foot in your mouth
有意无意做错事、说错话的情况是很经常的。to put your foot in your mouth的意思就是无意中说错了话而伤害了别人,或者叫自己很不好意思。
例句 1 :When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn’t know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.
沙莉吃晚饭时说了一个笑话,拿一个只有一条腿的水手开玩笑。她可不知道坐在饭桌对面那个人的哥哥就是个残废,行动都得靠轮椅。
Sally如果事后了解情况的话,她肯定会说: “Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth.”
例句 2 :I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I’d forgotten that his wife died six months ago.
我昨晚在那个聚会上无意中说错了话。我让布朗先生替我向他的太太问好。不知怎么回事,我忘了他太太已经在半年前去世了。
103、cold feet
一个人在充满信心的时候往往就会无所畏惧,勇往直前。但是,当一个人对某件事感到胆怯的时候,他就会畏缩不前。我们经常可以看到一种情况:有的人对一件事开始的时候很有信心,很有把握。可是,事到临头就变得没有勇气了。在英文里有一个俗语是用来形容类似情况的,那就是 cold feet。 Cold 是冷的意思, feet 就是两只脚。 Cold feet 并不是在雪地里走而使你的脚很冷。Cold feet 是指临时上场感到胆怯。
例句 1 :Peter told his wife that this time he was really going to walk in and demand a pay raise from the boss. But when he arrived at the office, he got cold feet.
这个名字叫皮特的丈夫对自己的妻子说,这次他可一定要到他老板的办公室去要求增加工资了。可是,他一到了办公室就感到胆怯,不敢去见他的老板。
例句 2 :I really need to get my teeth fixed, but every time I start to phone the dentist, I think about the sound of that drill and right away I get cold feet.
我实在应该去牙大夫那儿看牙了。但是,每当我拿起电话想和大夫预约的时候,我就好像听到那钻牙的声音,一下子,我就害怕起来了。
104、Jump in and get your feet wet
Jump in and get your feet wet 这个俗语的意思是:到实践中去学,也可以说是跳到游泳池里学游泳。比如说,好些听众都在学英语。这是一种外语,许多初学的人都怕难为情不敢用英语来对话。可是,老师很可能就会劝这些学生: “Jump in and get your feet wet. ”
例句 1 :I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English after these first few lessons. But that’s the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words — jump in and get your feet wet.
我知道你们大多数人感到,刚上了几课英语,就用英语来说话很不好意思。不过,当你见到美国人时,你不妨试着说一点。到实践中去学是最好的办法。
例句 :I want to get into politics so I’m volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don’t get paid for it but it’s a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.
我希望将来能够到政界去工作,所以我现在在帮一个竞选市长的候选人张贴宣传标语。我帮他做这些事是完全义务的,是没有工资的。但是,这是到实践中去得到一些经验的好机会。
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