Useful Idioms-美国常用习语.docx

Useful Idioms (1)1. Wear your heart on your sleeve 感情流露在外；心直口快 To openly and freely express your emotions E.g. Girls nowadays dont wear their heart on their sleeves. 如今女孩子不轻易流露自己的感情。 To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. 在今天，这样做也同样意味着别人很容易就能知道你的感觉。2. Bite your tongue 保持缄默；欲言又止To avoid taking especially about unpleasant topic E.g. The man was so rude I had to bite my tongue to keep from getting into argument with him. 那人如此无礼, 我只好不做声, 避免同他争辩。3. Like a bat out of hell 飞似地，风驰电掣 Very fastE.g. But the kid ran away like a bat out of hell, so Ill have to pay for new glass myself.但是，那孩子像闪电一样地逃跑了，所以我只好自己掏钱来买新的玻璃啦。4. Let sleeping dogs lie 不要多事，不要自找麻烦, 莫惹是非, 勿打草惊蛇To avoid restarting a conflict E.g. Why cant she let sleeping dogs lie? 为什么她就不能不多事？5. Like chicken with head cut off 像只没头苍蝇似的，慌里慌张 To act in a frenzied manner E.g. Molly: Why are you running around like a chicken with its head cut off? 莫莉：你为什么像只没头苍蝇似的慌里慌张的？ 6. Let the cat out of the bag真相大白，秘密泄露，露马脚，露馅儿 to share the secret that wasnt supposed to be shareE.g. We wanted to surprise Mary with a birthday gift, but Allen let the cat out of the bag by asking her what she would like. 我们本想出其不意地送给玛丽一件生日礼物，可是艾伦问玛丽喜欢什么，一语泄露了天机。7. Bend over backwards 拼命竭尽全力to go away beyond the normal a mile hard, to do more than what would normal be done.E.g. He bend over backwards to show it.她拼命把他显露出来。 It is other companies that bend over backwards to comply with Apple, and not the other way around. 到最后还不是其他公司都拼命去迎合苹果，而没有其他路可以走。8. Barking up the wrong tree 方向不对头，方向错误 a mistake made in something you are trying to achieve; Focusing on the wrong treeE.g. Scientists in Switzerland realized that most other researchers had been barking up the wrong tree. 瑞士科学家意识到其他研究者大多研究方向不对头。9. Water under the bridge无法改变的事,过去的事了anything from the past that isnt significant or important anymoreE.g. He started to discuss all the difficulties we had been through, but I told him it was just so much water under the bridge and that it would be best to forget. 他开始讨论我们已经历过的一切困难, 但我告诉他, 这只不过是早已过去的事, 最好把它忘掉。 10. Buy a lemon买到伪劣品 to purchase a vehicle or other product that constantly gives problems or stops after leaving the storeE.g. The car I bought last year is sure a lemon! 去年我买的汽车确实是个伪劣品。11. Under the weather身体不舒服，心情不好 feeling ill or sickE.g. youve been under the weather for some days now; why dont you see a doctor? 你身体不适已有几天, 为什么不去看医生?12. Dont count your chickens before they hatch别高兴太早了，不要盲目乐观 dont count on or expect something until you are sure of itE.g. Shawn: Dont count your chickens before they hatch. How many lottery tickets did you buy? 尚伟： 别太早下定论，你买了多少张彩券？13. Every cloud has a silver lining黑暗中总有一丝光明；天无绝人之路 be optimistic, even difficult time will lead to better daysE.g. Every cloud has a silver lining, and every bright spot has dark edges.14. Play it by ear见机行事 to decide how to deal with something as it develops rather than planning what you will goE.g. In dealing with that unpredictable man, you simply cannot follow a prearranged plan, you have to play it by ear. 和那个捉摸不定的人打交道, 你简直无法按预定计划行事,只好随机应变。15. Break a leg祝好运；大获成功 a superstitious way to say ”good luck” without saying “good luck”, but rather the oppositeE.g. Break a leg in your test today. 祝你今天考试顺利。16. A night owl夜猫子，晚睡的人 someone who gets to bed late because they have things to do at nightE.g. Since Philip has started work on his book he has become a night owl. 自从开始写书以来，菲利普成一个夜猫子。17. A piece of cake小意思，容易办到的 something is very easy to doE.g. Of course, you already know how to do that, so this is a piece of cake - if youve forgotten, Listing 3 is a quick refresher. 当然，您已经知道如何去做了，所以这是轻而易举的事情.如果您忘了如何去做，那么可以参看清单作为复习。18. The honeymoon is over蜜月期结束了 the very pleasant beginning has endsE.g. Austrians voted for EU membership by a two-to-one majority in a June 1994 referendum, but the honeymoon is definitely over. 奥地利在1994年6月举行的全民公决中以2比1的多数票支持加入欧盟，但这一蜜月期明显已经结束了。19. Opening a can of worms一团糟，混乱的, 惹出一大堆麻烦doing or saying something that will lead to confusion arguments, misunderstanding or a lot of workE.g. She pointedly dismissed Mrs. Bourne depiction of her future daughter-in-law as opening a can of worms. 她尖锐地反驳了Bourne女士对这位准儿媳的一团糟描述。20. Flash in the pan昙花一现的人物 something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fail to deliver anything in the endE.g. How can you tell whether a promising startup is the next Google ( GOOG), or just a flash in the pan?谁又能知道，现在看来前景广阔的初创公司，未来会不会成为下一个谷歌（Google），抑或只是昙花一现？21. Im all ears洗耳恭听 you are going to pay special attention to what is being saidE.g. Really? Tell me about it. I m all ears.真的？说说看。我洗耳恭听。22. Ghost of a chance不可能的，不会发生的 not very likely to happenE.g. He doesnt stand a ghost of a chance of selling the house.那房子他根本不可能卖得出去。23. No brainer不需对其动脑筋的事物 an idea that is so apparently simple and good that you agree without even needing to think about itE.g. The ethical case against bribery is a no brainer. 行贿有违职业道德，这想都不用想。24. Cross four fingers祈祷，许愿 to hope that something happens in the way you want it to doE.g. Like many over-leveraged companies, the group has four years to cross its fingers and hope for a strong recovery. 与许多负债过多的公司一样，哈拉娱乐还有4年时间双手合十，祈求业务强劲复苏。25. The whole nine yards一切，全套，无所不包; Everything, all of itE.g. That package lays out the whole nine yards, though, including icons and launcher configuration. 该软件包布置所有内容，包括图标和启动程序配置。26. High on the hog豪华地，奢侈地，养尊处优 living in luxuryE.g. The Chinese people should know that not all Americans are living high on the hog. 老中要知道，不是所有的美国人都过着富裕舒适的生活。27. Start from scratch白手起家;从起跑线开始，从头开始;万丈高楼平地起 to do it all over again from the beginningE.g. All of our projects start from scratch.我们整个项目都是白手起家。28. Reach for the top To set your goal high for someone to be the best, To strive to be the best in what you are doing.E.g. But until and unless that day comes, business executives who reach for the top would do well to build some level of understanding with their family members and rejuvenate themselves however they can. 但在这一天真正来临之前，为最高职位孜孜奋斗的企业高管们仍然需要努力与家人达成某种程度的理解，同时竭尽全力地恢复自身的活力When you are practicing your English, you should really reach for the top.29. Bite off more than you can chew贪多嚼不烂，力不能及 to take on a task that is very too bigE.g. Dont be afraid to bite off more than you can chew. 别害怕去尝试仿佛超过能力所及的事情My students bite off more than they can chew by taking too many classes.30. A drop in the bucket杯水车薪; 九牛一毛，沧海一粟; a very small part of something big or whole. An effort or action having very little over all influence, especially as compared to a huge problemE.g. Here is another example. Joe donated $ 20 to help people in Haiti after the earthquake, even though $ 20 was just a drop in the bucket.海地地震后，Joe给灾民捐了20美元，尽管这只是很小的一笔钱。31. A taste of your own medicine以牙还牙，尝尝同样的滋味 when you are mistreated, the same way you mistreat others E.g. In other words, youre getting a taste of your own medicine. 你是说，现在你也要让我尝尝同样的滋味。I gave them a taste of your own medicine by ignoring their requests.32. Think outside of the box跳出固有模式 跳出思维框框 换种方式思考E.g. While daydreaming is sometimes thought of as a form of procrastination or non-commitment, researchers have found that it could actually help you to think outside the box to solve tough problems.虽然白日梦有时候被认为是一种拖延和不负责的形式，研究人员却发现，它其实可以帮助人们跳出思维框框并解决棘手问题。33. A toss up 难以定夺的事，很难肯定的事情 A result that is still unclear and can go either way.E.g. Its a toss-up whether oil prices will go up or down over the days ahead.油价在今后的日子里会上涨还是下跌都有可能。It is a toss-up as to which candidate will win.34. He lost his head失去理智 惶恐 very angry and overcome by emotionsE.g. When the fire broke out, he lost his head and ran away. 大火发生后，他惊惶奔逃。He lost his head when they did not win the game.35. Hold your horse等一等，耐心一点 be patient, dont get to excitedE.g. Hold your horse! Dont pull all your money into that risky deal.想一想！别把所有的钱都投到那笔冒险的交易中去。Hold your horses, the game is not over yet.36. Apple of his eye极珍爱的人或物 a person who is very special to someoneE.g. John regarded the gold ring left by his dead wife as the apple of his eye. 约翰把他亡妻留下的这只金戒指视为珍宝。Her grandpa says that she is the apple of his eye.37. In hot water指某人或某些人遇到非常麻烦的问题 in big trouble. You have done something that is very badE.g. I needed to be at the airport early, and as I got into a taxi I was worried that I might be in hot water if traffic congestion was worse than normal.我需要早到机场，所以我在坐上出租车时担心，要是交通比平常拥堵的话，我就麻烦了。Her grandpa says that she is the apple of his eye.38. In your face挑衅; 咄咄逼人的; an aggress and bold confrontationE.g. Ask him six months ago if he planned to break up News Corp., and he would have laughed in your face. 六个月前若有人问他是否有意拆分他的传媒王国，肯定会遭到他的侮辱。39. Back seat drive指那些自己不在岗位上,但是却喜欢不断给在位的人提供别人不需要的意见或 建议的人; 干涉与自己职责无关事情的人People who criticize from the side lines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicleE.g. you cannot backseat drive how your children are being raised. 不要对孩子们瞎指挥She is like a back seat driver, always giving advice that is not wanted.40. Pins and needles如坐针毡；焦躁不安；手脚发麻; anxious or nervous in anticipation of somethingE.g. Mrs. Watson sat on pins and needles . 沃森太太如坐针毡。41. On the fence抱观望态度, 举棋不定undecidedE.g. So the next time your child tells you that they are on the fence about that law degree, petroleum engineering, anyone? 所以，如果下次你的孩子说他在法律学位和石油工程学之间举棋不定，那你应该心中有数了吧？42. Out on a limb孤立无助;陷入绝境; put yourself in a tough position in o