常用英语谚语和习语.doc

Proverbs and idiomatic expressionsProverbs1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.一鸟在手,胜于二鸟在林His father thinks that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.他父亲认为得到手的东西才靠得住。I suggest you stick to your present job. After all, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush .我建议你保留现职，毕竟，一鸟在手胜过二鸟在林，何必冒险！2. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.小别胜新婚They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I wonder. Im afraid if Im away too long, He will forget all about me.人们都说久别情深，不过我有所怀疑，我害怕离开太久了，他会把我忘的一干二净。3. All that glitters is not gold. 发光的东西未必都是黄金But I also tell my children that all that glitters is not gold.但是我同样告诉我的孩子们“闪光的未必都是金子”。4. Birds of a feather flock together.物以类聚Birds of a feather flock together, and therefore they are such good friends.物以类聚，所以他们能成为好朋友。All his friends are dishonest . Birds of a feather flock together.他的朋友都是不诚实的。真是一丘之貉。5. Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. 鸡蛋还未孵,先别数鸡雏;莫过早乐观Ah, my child, said her mother. Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. “孩子啊，”她的母亲对她说，“不要在蛋还在孵化的时候就为你的鸡作打算。”6. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.勿孤注一掷；不要孤注一掷；不要把鸡蛋全放在一个篮子Investment: Dont put all your eggs in one basket. 投资: 不要将你的所有鸡蛋放在同一篮子里.7. Even Homer sometimes nods.智者千虑，必有一失Dont blame the child for such mistakes. Even Homer sometimes nods.别为了这些错误责备孩子，神仙也难免回出错。8. Every cloud has a silver lining. 守得云开见月明；塞翁失马焉知非福He has difficulty in keeping up with his fellow students. But he believes in the saying Every cloud has a silver lining. 要跟上他的同学有困难。但他相信“守得云开见月明”这一说法。9. God helps those who help themselves.天助自助者Dont be so desperate. Cheer up and face reality. God only helps those who help themselves.不要如此绝望，高兴起来，面对事实，天助自助者。10. Haste makes waste. 欲速则不达Haste makes waste. Youve got to do it step by step.欲速则不达.你得一步一步地干。11. Honesty is the best policy.诚实为上策12. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.如果生活给你柠檬,就榨柠檬汁13. Let sleeping dogs lie.不要自讨苦吃We decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not take them to court.我们决定不起诉他们，免得惹事生非。You are always drinking in the working time. Let sleeping dogs lie, please.你总是在上班时间喝酒。请别没事找事。14. Once bitten, twice shy.一朝被蛇咬,十年怕井绳For many retail investors, its a case of once bitten, twice shy, he said.他说，对很多散户投资者来说，这是一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。I am not going to ask any questions now. She yelled at me the last time I did that. As you know, once bitten, twice shy.我不打算提任何问题了，上次我这么做的时候，她冲我大叫。你知道，一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。15. One mans meat is another mans poison.萝卜青菜,各有所爱16. There is no such thing as a free lunch.世上没有免费午餐As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you want something, go and work for it.常言说，天下没有免费的午餐。如果你想要什么，就得去挣。17. There is no use crying over spilled milk.覆水难收Forget it, there is no use crying over the spilled milk.忘了它，事已至此，后悔也是枉然的。18. Think twice, act wise.三思而后行19. Too many cooks spoil the broth.人多误事Mick: Stop interfering. Too many cooks spoil the broth, as the saying goes.米克：别碍事。那句谚语怎么说的来着：人多手杂。20. Two wrongs do not make a right.别人错了，不等于你对了Two wrongs do not make a right. Tow black dont make a white. You cant palliate your own badness with others bad deed.两黑不等于一白。你不能用别人的恶行来掩饰自己的劣迹。Although it was obvious that his friend had cheated him, he shouldnt have hit him. Two wrongs dont make a right. 虽然他的朋友欺骗了他，但他不应该打他。他错他也错，两人都不对。But we must remember that two wrongs dont make a right. If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.但是我们必须要记住：负负不得正，如果有人冒犯了你，你不应该以牙还牙。21. You are what you eat.人如其食（西方谚语，指饮食可反映一个人性格与生活环境）22. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.蜜比醋更能抓住飞虫/好话比尖刻言词更管用Jack: Didnt you ever hear that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? You should try saying something nice to me.杰克：难道妳没听过好话比尖酸话有用吗？妳应该试著对我说些好话。23. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.师傅领进门，修行在个人24. You can never teach an old dog new tricks. 老狗学不会新把戏；朽木不可雕也25. You cant have your cake and eat it, too.鱼与熊掌两者不可兼得You want to get a pay raise and reduce your work hours? Im sorry, but you cant have your cake and eat it too!你想要加薪又想要减少工作时数？很抱歉，鱼与熊掌不可兼得！Idiomatic expressions1. a fish out of water不得其所的人Im not used to hanging out with the big shots. It made me feel like a fish out of water.我不习惯跟大人物混在一起，感觉格格不入。At the conference I was a fish out of water. All the speeches were in French, a language I never studied.参加那个会议真叫我感到别扭。所有人发表讲话的时候都用法语，可是我从来也没有学过法文。Everybody else at the party ended up in the swimming pool. But I was a fish out of water because I cant swim.参加聚会的每个人最后都到游泳池去游泳了，我真感到别扭，因为我不会游泳。2. a game plan 指赢得比赛的全盘考虑和战略Well need a good game plan if we want to win this deal.要想得到这笔生意，我们必须要有一个好的策略。The game plan for the election was beginning to shape up.大选的计划逐渐拟定出来了。The game plan against the small-but-spry Warriors was simple, really.虽然勇士的小个阵容战斗力很强，但我们还是赢得挺轻松的。He devised a game plan for winning it.他想出一种赢得比赛的巧妙办法。3. at sixes and sevens 七零八落、乱七八糟They held a party last night and everything was at sixes and sevens when the guests left. 昨晚他们开了一个家庭聚会。当客人散尽之后，一切物品都挪了位置。 Its far from the only authorities who are at sixes and sevens on this problem. 在这个问题上莫衷一是的人算不得绝对权威。 The members couldnt come to an agreement. They were at sixes and sevens. 委员们不能达成一致意见。他们各持己见。4. bad taste in my mouth 我想起就不舒服的经历The things she said really left a bad taste in my mouth.我想起她说的话很觉得生气。His rudeness to the teacher left a bad taste in my mouth.他对老师的粗暴态度给我留下了极坏的印象。Once I went to a famous university. But the untidy campus left a bad taste in my mouth.有一次我去了一家很有名的大学，但是脏乱的校园给我留下了不好的印象。5. beat a dead horse 白费口舌；白费力气；炒冷饭Oh, Come on. Lets not beat a dead horse.算了，别再白费口舌了。I hate to beat a dead horse, but it is very important that you understand this before you leave.我不想多此一举。但你离开以前必须了解这个。6. bite my tongue 忍住不说；忍气吞声I had to BIte my tongue to keep from arguIng wIth them.我必须忍住不说以避免与他们争论。When my son told me he wanted to quit the university to become an artist, I had to bite my tongue and accept his decision.我儿子告诉我他想退学去当艺术家，我只好保持沉默接受他的决定。7. Bread and butter issues 民生议题Labours main pledges when it came to power concerned more bread-and-butter issues.工党上台后，他保证关注更多基本问题。8. break a leg 非正式祝好运,祝成功I hear youre performing this weekend - break a leg!我听说本周末你有演出好运啊！Break a leg in your test today.祝你今天考试顺利。9. chew the fat 非正式闲聊；聊天；侃大山Bill could sit around and chew the fat all day long.比尔可以一天到晚坐着闲聊。Molly : Hey dude, do you have time to chew the fat?莫莉：嗨，伙计，你有时间聊天吗？10. dont make a scene 别把事情闹大Please dont make a scene in public places.请不要在公共场合大吵大闹出洋相。When youre as upset as you are now, you dont shout, throw things or make a scene.当你感到不安的时候，不要呼喊，也不要乱砸东西制造场面。11. get cold feet 害怕做某事；临阵退缩；临阵畏缩I began to get cold feet, but the other two guys were totally positive .我开始动摇，可其他两个人却深信不疑。Some people always get cold feet when they go to a test.有些人当他们去考试的时候，总是感到害怕。12. go bananas 非正式发怒；激动Let us go bananas and have a ball !让咱们狂欢享乐一下吧！The teacher will go bananas when you talk with your neighbours.你上课的时候和同桌说话老师会发怒的。13. go down a storm 深受欢迎my presentation went down a storm.不错，每个人反应都很好14. grab a bite 随便吃几口垫垫肚子；吃点东西；随便吃点Dave: Hey! Lets grab a bite to eat now. All of this wedding talk has made me hungry!嘿！我们现在去吃点东西吧。讨论婚事让我饿了！Would you like to grab a bite to eat?你想随便吃点儿什么东西吗？15. hit the ceiling 发脾气；生气；(大学里)考试不及格；勃然大怒He hit the ceiling at the news.他听到那消息暴跳如雷。A wife may hit the ceiling because her husband forgot their wedding anniversary .妻子可能会因为丈夫忘了他们的结婚纪念日而勃然大怒。16. if the shoe fits 用于告诉某人他们的批评可能是准确的Well, if the shoe fits, wear it.如果批评得对，你就接受吧。If she insists on becoming a movie star, I will tell her, If the shoe fits! 假如她坚持要当影星，我会告诉她：只要你觉得适合，你就去试试吧！17. in the doghouse 丢脸；受耻辱；被打入冷宫Dont leave your boyfriend in the doghouse.不要冷落你的男朋友。If I dont find the earrings that she lent me, Ill really be in the doghouse.我若不把她借给我的耳环找到，一定会被她骂得很惨。He must get in the doghouse when he faced his father.当他面对他爸爸时，一定有麻烦了。18. in the pink 非常健康；精神或身体状态好；身体健康We are glad to hear that your mother is in the pink again.我们很高兴听到你妈妈又恢复了健康。And Im glad to say he certainly looks back in the pink again.他看起来确实和以往一样健康，我很高兴。19. on cloud nine 喜出望外；兴高采烈；古,非正式非常高兴She was on cloud nine when she heard the good news.她听到那个好消息时非常高兴。The couple seemed to be on cloud nine.那对夫妇看上去极其幸福。20. once in a blue moon 非正式难得；罕见；千载难逢It was an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon.千载难逢的机会降临了。Once in a blue moon my wife and I eat at a very expensive restaurant.我们夫妻俩很少上昂贵的餐厅吃饭。21. play it by ear 随机应变I have no time to prepare for