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发表于 7-8-2009 10:21:56
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1201. He made a telling point when he visited the company. 在拜访这家公司时，他表达了一个十分重要的意见。There are ten telling points. the most telling witness, 这里的telling都是“十分重要”之意。
1202. I don’t want to raise your hopes, and I don’t want to dash them either, the chances are fifty-fifty. 我不想要燃起你的希望，也不想破灭你的希望。机会是各百分之五十。dash one’s hopes, 也可以用shatter来代替dash: to shatter one’s hopes
1203. She sprints up the stairs and disappears into her room. 她三步并作两步跑上了楼梯，在自己的房间里消失。100- meters sprint 百米短跑，又作100-meters dash。
1204. Too good to be true. 或者说Look too good to be true. 天下哪有这样的好事！如果有人许诺你，你投资壹万，明年你就可得五万，你就说这句话。
1205. This young couple is always at each other’s throat. 这对年轻人总是吵得不可开交。 at each other’s throat, 吵架
1206. He knows how to smooth talk people. 他特别会哄人。They smooth-talked the company into a huge donation. 他们说服了这家公司捐了一大笔款。Don’t sweet talk me. 别跟我甜言蜜语。They tried to sweet-talk the boss into giving them raises. 他们跟老板说好话，想要加工资。一个人会花言巧语也可以说是silver tongued. Don't sugarcoat the situation. 不要掩盖这问题了。There is no way to sugarcoat the bad news. 根本无法去粉饰这糟糕的消息。
1207. You can try to flatter the person you are talking to, but don't go overboard. Light compliments might help you, but over-the-top compliments will make you look slick. 你可以试着去恭维交谈的对象，但不要过分。说几句好话会对你有益，但是过了头的奉承只会让人觉得你是别有用心。overboard 原意是从船上掉进水里去了。overboard 与over-the-top 都是“过了头，过分”的意思。slick 光滑的，狡猾。
1208. I have been there and done that. 这事我也经历过。（直译是：我已经到过那里，也做了那件事。）
1209. Every little bit helps. 集腋成裘助大事。相当于“莫嫌善小而不为”之意。鼓励大家做奉献的用语，不管你奉献多少都会有帮助。
1210. Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. 有时会只见树不见树林。不识庐山真面目。
1211. You have changed a lot. Have you had a bit of the nip and tuck? 你变化真大呀，你是不是做了整容手术？
1212. He is very good at covering his tracks. 他很会躲避追踪。
1213. I don’t know he is Old Bill. 我不知道他是警察。
1214. I was even thinking I might up sticks and move to somewhere completely new.我当时甚至想过搬到一个无人知晓的地方去住。up sticks 搬家。
1215. Business 101: Six ways to start a small business. 商业入门：小型商业的六种启动法。大学每门入门课都叫101. 所以凡是标101就意味着是入门课。如果标的是401，很可能就是四年级的课程了。
1216. I’ve just got to tell you, your assistant is simply not up to par. I mean, she’s an actual liability at this point. 我只好告诉你，你的助手根本就不行，现在她只会是你的累赘。
1217. I’ve heard her badmouth you on more than one occasion. 我不止一次听到她说你的坏话。badmouth 说人的坏话。
1218. The world never works like that. Life is hard and life is unfair. 世界不是你想象地那样运作，生活不易，不会有公平可言。
1219. Can you loan me 100 Yuan to tide me over till payday? 你能不能借给我100元，帮我熬到发工资。This can tide us over for a long time. 这可以帮我度过一段日子了。This £50 will have to tide me over until I get paid. 我就这50英镑了，一直要熬到发工资。
1220. This is going to cost him the best part of a week’s salary. 他一个礼拜的工资都得花在这上面了。（这会要耗掉他一个礼拜的大部分工资。）
1221. Let us have a brief rundown of the events. 让我们给这些事件再作个简单的回顾。rundown, 总结。相当于sum-up。Let us run down the list once more. 我们再把这个单子过一遍吧。rundown 也有停下之意，a rundown watch.
1222. Keep tabs on the whereabouts of the children. 留神孩子们的行踪。keep tabs on 注意观察。Let’s keep tabs on expenditures. 花费多少，我们心里一定要有数。The tab to hire him would be high. 雇他，代价可不会小。
1223. He craves a good deal. He is a good bargain shopper. 他最喜欢找便宜货，他买东西最会砍价。
1224. It costs only 5 Yuan. You can’t beat this price. 这才五元，你不可能找到比这更便宜的了。
1225. Bargain hunter,专找便宜货的老手；bargain hunting, 专找便宜货；Bargain shopping is too much work.找便宜货太费时间。
1226. She is a tough customer. 她这个顾客不好忽悠。
1227. At 50 Yuan a night for a standard room, it is a good-value place to stay. 这标间才50元一晚，值得。
1228. If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is never to take anything you are told at face value. 如果这一生中我学会了一件事的话，那就是绝不要听什么就相信什么。face value, 表面的东西。
1229. I have tried to put all that behind me, to start afresh. But I found out that no one can really escape the past forever. 我已经费了很大的努力，要忘记以往的一切，但是我发现没有人可以真的永远逃避历史。
1230. My wife and I have had our ups and downs. 我和老婆关系经历了不少起起伏伏。
1231. 打水漂有三种说法，1. skip a stone/ skip stones, 打水漂，skip rope, or jump rope, 跳绳，a skipping rope,一根跳绳. 2. skim a stone/stone: In skimming, spin is the thing. 水漂打得好，关键是要石头旋转得快。3. ducks and drakes. play ducks and drakes, 玩打水漂游戏。在这三个表达法里，只有第三个有中文的比喻用法，“浪费” You have no right to play ducks and drakes with money that from your parents. 你没有权利把父母的钱去打水漂。duck-stone是打水漂的石头。
1232. To study English with Xindongfang is just pouring money down the drain. 跟新东方学英语就是把钱打水漂。pour money down the drain 把钱冲了下水道，就是浪费的意思。
1233. Teacher X’s writing gives your handy tips and bits and pieces of information for easy learning of English. 信老师的东西能给你带来一些实用的指点，以及各种各样的内容，来帮助你的英语学习更容易入门。You can create the whole story from bits and pieces. 你可以从这些支离破碎的消息中勾勒出一个完整的故事。bits and pieces 零零碎碎的。
1234. No-one is saying anything at the moment. It is all very hush hush. 到目前为止还没有人就此发表意见，大家都在保持沉默。
1235. He failed to make the short list of the top five. 他没有能进入前五名。make a short list of, 进入前几名。Who will make the short list for the poli-bureau? 谁最有希望进入政治局？
1236. 比较look at somebody 和look somebody in the eye: I remember the first time that I really looked you in your eyes I was thinking to myself there will never be anybody else. 我记得我第一次真正地注视你的双眼时，我就在想，绝不会再有第二人了。 I love how you look at me with those gorgeous eyes.我很迷恋你看着我的那对漂亮的眼睛。
1237. He is so arrogant that he believes he is holding all the cards. 他太狂了，以为握有人生的所有的王牌。I am the one with all the cards. 是我在掌控了局面。play your cards right. 不要出错招了。put/lay (one's) cards on the table,光明正大地做事 He was a tough negotiator who had a number of cards up his sleeve. cards up one’s sleeve 与前一个表达法刚好相反，是“耍手段，搞阴谋”。
1238. He appears to know the score on everything. 他好像什么都是行家里手。know the score, 什么都知道，特别是那些不是很好的事。You know the score - no payment until after we receive your product. 你明白规矩：货到才寄款。
1239. He is beginning to have second thoughts about the whole thing. 他对这整个局势开始有了不同的想法/看法。这里的想法或看法要用复数。
1240. His looks are fading as his waistlines expand. 随着腰围不断地扩张，他那英俊的面孔也日渐衰老。“大肚腩”的表达法曾在513句有详细的解释。另外还有：She has got this bulge just above her waist. “I wasn’t eating more or exercising less,” Sherry says. “It just showed up. And the worst part was, I couldn’t get rid of it.”
1241. Everyone has got a weakness. It is just a matter of knowing where to look. 每个人都有弱点，问题是如何找到他的弱点。
1242. hold all the aces, 占优势，ace是扑克牌里的A。In the battle between the construction company and environmentalists, the construction company seem to hold all the aces. 在建筑公司与环保人士的博弈中，建筑公司似乎在掌控着局面。hold all the aces 又叫hold all the trumps。Don’t argue with him, he holds all the trumps. 不要跟他争，他牛得很。
1243. have an ace up one’s sleeve, have a card up one’s sleeve 最后才使用的绝招，高招。You can count on John to have an ace up his sleeve. 找约会错不了，他总有高招。
1244. 流星的三个说法：meteor, falling star, shooting star
1245. To understand China, three factors are becoming increasingly important- the nation is more and more metro-centric, more and more multi-cultural, and more and more dominated by the Party. 要了解中国，有三个因素至关重要，这个国家越来越城市中心化，文化越来越多元化，共党对社会控制也越来越紧。
1246. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 车到山前必有路。问题来时再去对付，不要现在无事就去忧虑。“What if the flight is delayed?” “I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.”如果飞机误点了怎么办呀？到时候总会有办法的。这句话有点类似耶稣说过的一句话：Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 所以不要为明天忧虑。因为明天自有明天的忧虑。一天的难处一天当就够了。马太6：34.
1247. When we went to the airport for our vacation, we followed the "hurry up and wait" philosophy, arriving several hours prior to our flight. "hurry up and wait"这里是“赶早不赶晚”之意。我们搭飞机去度假时，都是采取“赶早不赶晚”的哲学，宁愿早几个小时到机场去等候。Air travel seems to be nothing but hurry up and wait — you race to the airport two hours before your flight time, and then depart two hours late. 搭飞机是场“匆匆赶路却要等”的游戏—你提前两小时急匆匆地赶到机场，结果飞机却延误两小时。
1248. Wait until your father gets home. 这是当妈妈管不了调皮的儿子所说的话。“等你老爸回来有你的好看。” Don’t wait up.这是在外应酬老公打电话给老婆说的话。“不要等了”（自己早点睡）。
1249. I can hardly wait. 我是有点迫不及待了。
1250. on one’s last legs, 快要翘脚了，不行了。It looks as if her grandfather's on his last legs now. 看样子她爷爷很快就不行了。I'd just done fifteen miles and I was on my last legs.我刚刚走了15英里，快累垮了。
1251. Teacher X is miserable. He was downsized/ laid off from his school at 50 because he often made counter-revolutionary comments in his class. 信老师真的可怜，他50岁那年被解雇了，因为他常常在课堂上大放反革命阙词。失业，英文有很多说法：直接的说法是，unemployed, 但讲英语的人要面子，不说unemployed, 或lose one’s job 而说，be downsized, be laid off，或者You will be dismissed. 你会被解雇的。He is made redundant. 他现在是多余的劳动力了。（意思是解雇他了。） re-organized(重组)。“裁员或精减”等词汇听上去比“解雇”要委婉一点。There will be staff reduction. You will be among them. 会要裁员，你是其中一位。口语RIF是Reduction-In-Force(劳力裁员)的缩写，也是“解雇”的意思, My buddy and his department were RIFed today. 我的好友和他所在的整个部门都给砍掉了。俚语解雇的说法：I was pink slipped again! 意思是，I was fired again. 也可以是名词：He was laid off from work today. He received his pink slip.
1252. That is the price he has to pay when he doesn’t shut up. The rug can be pulled out from under his feet anytime.这就是他得为不愿闭嘴所必须付出的代价。他的好日子会随时结束。rug是地毯的意思，当有人把你脚下的地毯给抽走时，就是没有人帮助你了，你的日子也就不会那么逍遥了。
1253. Nearing five years after losing his job, Teacher X, 55 now, keeps hearing he is overqualified. Actually, that is code for “you are too old.” And people privately told him that he was a big threat. No young people would accept him when he tells people their mnemonics are just nonsense. 信老师今年55了，他失业差不多五年了，常常听人说，他的条件太好了。这句话的意思实际上是，“你太老了”。私下里，别人告诉他，他是一个蛮大的威胁。如果他老是告诉大家，那些年轻人的记忆法都是荒唐至极的东西，他们肯定不会接纳他。near 这里是动词，overqualified 实力太强，是那种有了更好的机会就会跳槽的人。code 或者code language, 代名词，替代语。
1254. He is over the hill, but he still fights for his right, and fights for his life. over the hill走下坡路，就是一个人老了（old geezer 见116句。）他老了，但是他仍旧在为权利而战，为生命而战。General Douglas MacArthur said: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”麦克阿瑟将军说过，老兵永远不死，只会慢慢凋谢。
1255. Teacher X is a guy for ideals, so he knows rejection, but he is not prepared to experience rejection on this scale his whole life. 信老师是为理想而生存的人，所以他深知遭拒绝的味道，但是他还是没有料到他会遭遇一生中如此彻底的拒绝。Guy for ideals, 为理想而活的人，指不是为物质等而活。on this scale, 如此程度。
1256. It is the time he faces the music. 是面对现实的时候了。face the music, 面对（自己行为带来的）困局，The partners ran away and poor Venu was left to face the music. 合伙人都跑了，可怜的Venu只好一个人来处理残局。
1257. You can’t fight the City Hall. You can’t see any way to turn the situation around and win. 你根本没有办法跟政府去斗。你根本就没有法子来扭转局面获胜。fight the City Hall, 跟市政府去斗，跟官僚斗。如果有人上访之类，你就可以说这句话了。更共产党斗？没门。还有一个类似的说法， spit in the wind, 做徒劳无益的事。Trying to get a pay increase here is like spitting in the wind. 想要加工资那才是枉费心机。
1258. His approach is to fight fire with fire. 他的法子不过是以其人之道还治其人之身。
1259. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.如果第一次不成功，就一试再试，绝不言弃。记得这里的try 一定要用两次。
1260. Getting laid off is often the perfect opportunity to rediscover your passion and purpose. You can emerge from this challenging period happier and more successful. 失业通常也是绝佳的一次机会，让你能重新找回自己的激情与人生目的。度过难关后，你会更幸福，更成功。
1261. With his savings decimated, he is resigned to working longer than planned. 随着存款见底，他不得不延迟退休日期了。decimate, 清除。be resigned to 只得接受
1262. At this age, he is vulnerable when the ax falls. 到了这个年龄，他很难应付危机了。the ax falls, 发生危机。So what do you do when the ax falls, and your head is on the chopping block? 危机发生时，而你又身处其中，你会如何反应？
1263. If you can't take the heat than stay out of the kitchen. 如果你缺乏承受力，就离麻烦远一点。（例如，想要待遇好，又不敢维权，就躲远一点好了。）直译是，受不了热，就不要进厨房。这是Truman总统说的一句话，后广为流传。
1264. You need to find some kind of bridge job first while looking for a nice one. 骑驴找马，这样去找理想的工作比较好。bridge job过渡性工作，如零工。That is when the light bulb goes off. 这是柳暗花明又一村的时刻。
1265. Everything old is new again. 推陈出新。新的时尚不过是旧的翻版。
1266. “Right or wrong, the customer is always right”， according to Marshall Field. 菲尔德说得好，不管对错，顾客永远是对的。你在引用这句大家都知道的话时，要加上菲尔德，这才显得你有水平。这个叫name-dropping。
1267. Respect the customers is the phrase that speaks to everything we do. 尊重顾客，这就是我们所作的一切。 It speaks volumes on the subject of respect. 这事最有力地阐述了尊重是回什么事。speak 这里是“解释，阐述”。
1268. Flattery will get you nowhere. 这是一句幽默话，你的马屁帮不了你。Well, I'm glad you liked the meal, but flattery will get you nowhere! 嗯，我真高兴你喜欢这顿招待，但是不用客套了。也有人反其道而说：Flattery will get you everywhere.
1269. Two wrongs don’t make a right. 两个错误并不等于一个正确。这句话当然是从Two negatives equal one positive. 发展出来。（两项负数等于正数。）上句话也可以说成：Two negatives don't equal a positive.
1270. Like a bad penny, he keeps coming back. 他是个扫把星，肯定会再来。又可说成：turn up like a bad penny. a bad penny 甩也甩不掉的霉气。
1271. This happened right before my very eyes. 这事就发生在我眼前。Charter 08 brings us right down to this key issue: are the Chinese people governed by a dictatorship or a constitution? 08宪-章把这个关键的问题陈放在大家的面前：中国人民是该由一部宪法来统治呢，还是由一个独裁政权来统治。
1272. He is a right-handed man. 他是右撇子。
1273. There is good and there is evil, and it is the duty of all right-thinking people to try to promote the former and stamp out the latter. 世上有善也有邪，所有思维正常的人都有责任来倡导前者，抑制后者。right-thinking 正确思维的，stamp out, 根治，清除；比较1160句里的两个词组：crack down, and clamp down, 此二词组有时又贬义。还可比较wipe out, 与stamp out 意思相近。
1274. I have the right to remain silent. 我有权保持沉默。哪个警察来骚扰你，你就有话可说了。(当然，这话只能用英语在民主国家去说，在中国你敢说话，警察把你揍得满地找牙。)
1275. I've seen bad grammar, but this takes the cake. 我看到过很糟糕的语法，但没有看到过这么糟糕的。take the cake 糟透了。但这个词也有正面的意思：Thanks! You guys take the cake. 这句话相信大家都知道，That is just a piece of cake.这事太容易，做起来不费吹胡之力。
1276. It isn't over till the fat lady sings. 不到最后关头绝不言弃。歌剧最后结尾时，由女高音歌手唱最后一段。女高音歌手一般都是胖胖的，这样的女人底气足。（百年前说一个人胖并不是侮辱，现在不同了，千万不要说一个女人胖，她会跟你拼命。）
1277. The Spring Festival is coming. I find it difficult to keep a lid on my excitement at the prospect of returning home after such a long time away. 春节即将来临，想起离家这么久且马上就要回家了，我就按捺不住内心的激动。keep a lid on, 控制住。
1278. Wenzhou people tend to keep themselves to themselves. 温州人喜欢抱团/自成一体。
1279. They will die for conviction. 他们愿意为信念而献身。belief 与conviction 差不多意思，语感上，conviction 比belief 更坚定一点。另一个同义词是faith。Conviction还有“裁决、判刑”之意。
1280. She is a hairstylist. 叫一个人理发师太土了，现在都叫发型师。hairstylist，其实就是barber, 区别是，barber收费5元，hairstylist收费6000元。barber 又叫hairdresser，发型设计师。现在理发店也改名了，叫Beauty Salon。
1281. Many hands make light work.众人拾材火焰高。又可以说Two heads are better than one. 这句话还可以说成：Two hands are better than one. 但也有反其道的说辞：Too many cooks spoil the broth. 厨师多了会坏汤。
1282. Everyone else does it. 大家都这么做呀！（给自己找借口下台的说辞）或者说：But all the other people are doing it.或者说： Well, everyone does it that way.这话又可以说成：If everyone else does it, it must be OK. 如果人人都这么干的话，那肯定是没有问题啦。
1283. pull an all-nighter熬夜: I pulled an all-nighter to study and ended up in the wrong class twice. （昨晚）我熬夜学习，结果两次跑进了其他班。Sorry I'm so out of it, had to pull an all-nighter last night! 对不起，我有点迷迷糊糊，昨晚一夜赶工没有睡。
1284. I can’t get through what I went through without your help. 没有你的帮助，我根本不可能走过这段低谷。（我根本走不到现在。）
1285. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. （我们）主要的事就是保持主要的事一直是主要的事。
1286. Get over it. Get through it. 这两句话差不多。意思都是：不要再计较了。算了吧。
1287. 这件衫没有那件删贵。This shirt is less expensive than that one.这件衫没那件好。注意不能说成：This shirt is less good than that one. 最好也不要说成This shirt is worse than that one. 因为我们最好避免使用bad, worse, worst这几个词。正确的说法是：This shirt is not as good as that one. 但是英语有less than good的表达法，委婉语，表示不好，不理想：Good news and less than good news. 好消息与坏消息。
1288. These overnight millionaires spend like there is no tomorrow. 这些暴发户挥霍无度。
1289. Let us get the party started. 我们开始行动吧！还一句类似的话：Let us get the ball rolling. 差不多是同样的意思。I am glad you have started the ball rolling. 很高兴你把这事推动起来了。
1290. She is taken and not available any more. 她已经是名花有主了，不要再打主意。
1291. Sin is red-handed mutiny against God. 罪就是对神的最直接的反叛。 Hah! I knew it was you stealing the cookies. I caught you red handed!我就知道是你在偷饼干，我抓到你的现场了。red-handed 现场，
1292. Action speaks louder than words. 行动胜于雄辩。也可以简化为Action speaks louder. 如果有个人夸夸其谈，你就说Do something, man. Action speaks louder. 老兄，做点实事吧，行动更有力。类似的话还有Facts speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩。
1293. While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. 我们有选择行动的自由，但是没有选择行动后果的自由。这话的意思是你得为自己的行动负责。
1294. There is no business like show business.百业首推影视业。（有部电影，就是此名，翻为“难忘的舞台生涯”）。影视业是名、利、性集大成者，其他行业无可比拟。与这个句型相关的常用语有：There is no place like home. There is no one like you.
1295. Drug barons were greasing the palm of the chief of police. 毒枭正设法使警察头头为他推磨。grease the palm of 贿赂。You need to grease a few of the right palms to get you that job. 你如果想得到这个工作，看来得疏通几个关键性的人物。oil someone’s palm 也是同样的意思。
1296. The police chief tipped off the prime suspect and got him out of the country. 警察局长给主要嫌疑犯通风报信，让他逃到了国外。tip off 通风报信。The police had been tipped off about the robbery. 有线人给警察密告了这次打劫。
1297. Nowadays, every Chinese official wears many hats. 现在每个中国官员都有好些头衔。 They won’t do anything for you before you oil their palm.如果你不给他们好处，他们就不会为你办事。
1298. Gangland's Mr. Big is guilty of kidnap and blackmail. 岗兰地的警察因绑架勒索获罪。
1299. He gets lots of money under the table. 他有很多的灰色收入。
1300. Be true to yourself. 坦荡做自己。（不跟风，不取悦他人）You need to have the freedom to be yourself. 你得有发展自我的自由。It’s important for people in a relationship to retain a sense of self.在人际关系中，维持自我意识非常重要。(今天中国人最大的问题之一就是缺乏独立的人格，要不然依附国家机器，要不然跟着老板造假。)
1301. When I make up my mind to do something, I do it. 一旦我打定主意要做什么，我就会去做。
1302. What is done is done. 这是既定事实了。这个句子的否定表达法是：What is done cannot be undone. 可以套用中文：覆水难收。还有类似的成语：There’s no use crying over spilt milk. 覆奶难收。
1303. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. 邪恶占上风只需要一个条件，那就是善良的人按兵不动。
1304. There is more than one way to skin a cat. 处理此事的方法不止一个。（直译：剥猫皮方法不止一个。）类似于All roads lead to Rome. (条条道路通罗马)与欧美人接触，迟早要遇到的一个话题是，你们中国人吃猫吃狗是不是？这个问题让我们中国人看起来好像很野蛮。我就跟他们说，其实，你们民族不久前也是吃猫吃狗的。他们说，不会吧？你怎么知道？我就说，你听说过这句谚语吗？英美人当然都知道这句话。我接着问，不久前你们还剥猫的皮，为什么要剥猫的皮？不就是要下酒吗？而且剥猫的皮方法还不止一种，而我们中国人大概只知道一种剥猫皮的方法。所以这说明你们英美人喜欢吃猫胜过中国人。说得英美人一愣一愣的。他们就回答说，I have never thought of that. (这我还从来没有想过呢。)如果你还想掉书袋，就说，Mark Twain 在1889年的小说 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court 就用过：“She was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat.”（她聪明、狡猾，总是能设法得到自己想要的东西。）
1305. All roads lead to Rome. 这句话虽类似1304句，但重点不一样，这话的意思是，做一件事的方法很多，无所谓你的方法最好。这句话有三个翻版：一是Not all roads lead to Rome. All roads do not lead to Rome. 不是每个方法都凑效。第二个版本是All roads lead home. 现在春运，铁路很紧张，你归家心切，就说这句话。第三个版本是，你邀请海外朋友来中国玩，可以说：All roads lead to China.
1306. This post has been removed by a blog administrator. 这个贴已经被斑竹给删了。开博客的人是blogger。博客就是blog。
1307. We needed her help but were fobbed off by promises. 我们很需要她的帮助，但她用空头支票忽悠了我们。This guy fobbed off a fake diamond on me. 这个人拿一个假钻石忽悠了我。He saw in my expression that I wasn’t going to be fobbed off. He finally told me the truth. 从我的脸色他知道他不可能忽悠我，最后告诉了我真相。
1308. He is a good boy, but he is with the wrong crowd now. 他是个好孩子，只是现在跟错了群。或者说，He is falling in with the wrong crowd. 他跟错了伴。He picked up the wrong crowd to be around. He is hanging out with trouble-makers. 他交了一些损友。You've fallen in with the wrong crowd. 你跟错了队。（在公司的勾心斗角中，你巴结错了人。）
1309. He put his life on the line to save the kids. 他冒着生命危险救了那些小孩。另一个说法：put life at stake。
1310. I think Jianli hit the nail on the head when he said that what's lacking in China is democracy. 我觉得建利击中了问题的要害，那就是中国缺乏民主。hit the nail on the head, 击中问题要害。
1311. Mr. Y: Teacher X, what do you think is happening? It is freaking cold every winter. I can hardly survive it. X: Well, don’t complain! Al Gore complained too much about Global Warming, so God turned down the temperature a little. If you complain too much, God will turned it up again. Then Al Gore will complain. When Al Gore complains, he wins the Nobel Peace Prize. When you complain, you get nothing. So just take it, Dude. 信老师，怎么回事呀，现在冬天怎么这么冷呀，都受不了啦！信：呃，别抱怨，好不好！高尔抱怨太多，说地球变暖，所以上帝就把温度调低了一点。如果你抱怨太多，上帝等下又调高点。结果，高尔又要喊了。高尔抱怨时，他得了诺贝尔和平奖，你抱怨呢，什么也得不到，所以还是忍着点吧，呆子。
1312. 寒潮：A bone-chilling cold snap sweeps over northeast China. 刺骨的寒潮袭击了中国东北。寒潮又有cold spell, 或者cold wave。Freezing spell is believed to boost vegetable prices. 寒潮会引起蔬菜价格上涨。Of course, we were warned that a cold front is headed our way but this was beyond what I expected. 当然我们已经实现得到了警告说有股冷空气要到我们这里，但是我没有料到会这么糟。
1313. It is extremely cold. 这句话有这样几种表达：It is freaking cold. It is freezing cold. It is a bone-chilling cold. 都可以译为“刺骨地冷，冷死人了”。
1314. It is not just cold, it is also windy. When you have a combination of a skin-freezing temperatures and a strong wind, you are dead! 不仅冷，还风大。如果刺骨的气温加上狂风，你就死定了。
1315. On a cold, windy day, you body loses more heat than it does on a cold, still day. Heat is literally blown away from your body, causing you to feel colder. You need to dust out your winter jacket and put it on.在一个寒冷又刮风的日子，你身体会比在一个寒冷无风的日子失去更多的体温。风是直接把你的体热给吹走了，让你觉得更寒冷。It is 1 degree but with the howling wind it feels like -5 degree.
1316. Many fatalities from accidents occur as a result of slippery roads. 因为路滑，因交通事故而引起的死亡增加了许多。
1317. Don’t expose your skin when you have skin-freezing temperatures. Your skin can freeze in 30 seconds. You will quickly develop frost bite. 这么寒冷的天气，不要把皮肤给暴露了出来。你的皮肤会30秒就冻上，很快就会得冻疮。
1318. Temperatures plunged towards 10C across most parts of China. In face of such a severe winter weather, we need to be prepared. 中国大部地区气温一下降到了只有10度，面临这样的严酷的气候，我们得做好准备。That is a drop of nearly 15 degrees in less than 24 hours. Weather changes are getting increasingly abrupt.
1319. The air is carrying a chilling bite. Expect sub-freezing temperatures to last into next weekend温低得刺骨，得做好准备，零度以下的气温会持续到下个周末。
1320. This winter we have got everything: snowstorms, blizzards, freezing rain, and sleet.这个冬天我们什么都遇上了，暴风雪，冰冻，雪加雨还有冰雹。
1321. I don’t know the answer, but I know that you’re going to be seeing a lot of this hand-wringing in the days and weeks to come. 我不知道答案，但我知道在以后数天甚至几个礼拜的时间里，你会不时看到这种难堪的局面。Stop your hand wringing and do something. 不要愁眉苦脸地，想点办法！hand wringing, 搓手，表示难过，但又不知道如何应对。
1322. It doesn't take big dollars in order to get where we want to go. 要达到我们的目标并不需要太多的投资。
1323. Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.(Proverb 27:17) 铁磨铁，磨出刃来，朋友相感也是如此。这句话鼓励彼此砥砺之意。与有智慧的好朋友在一起会帮助你成熟。
1324. Sometimes it is easy to get old, but it is difficult to get mature. 常常我们很容易就老了，却不容易成熟。一个人的成熟并不会随着年龄的成长而理所当然地成长。
1325. We are what we eat. 食物决定身体。这句话劝人不要吃垃圾食物时很有用。
1326. One man's meat is another man's poison. 人之毒药，我之佳肴。你带老外吃中国菜，其中有鸡爪，猪脚，等食物，老外看了咋舌，你就可说这句话了。意思是，“一个人的喜好却是另一个人的恐怖。对一个有益但对另一个无益。”类似的话有One man's trash/rubbish/junk is another man's treasure. 人之垃圾，我之宝藏。别人要扔掉的垃圾，你却刚好可以用得上。One man’s funeral, another man’s feat.一个人的葬礼，另一个人的盛宴。
1327. 现代社会的最大标致之一就是垃圾成堆。junk 这个词必须记牢。junk food 垃圾食物。例如方便面，麦当劳，批萨，等等。junk mail, 垃圾邮件。例如广告，等等。junk yard, 西方报废汽车处理场，可以在那里找到廉价的汽车零件。CCTV Spring Festival Gala/Show is totally junk. 中央电视台的春节联欢晚会全是垃圾。junk food music, 无聊的歌曲，He has been listening to way too much junk food music lately: Mice love rice, Lovely MM changes her clothes—the list goes on. 他最近垃圾歌听得太多了，像老鼠爱大米，可爱MM换衣服，还有很多。也可以直接说junk music。Get off the junk and straighten up your life! 不要做那些毫无意义的事，振作起来吧！take away the junk, 倒垃圾，打扫。The less you're in the store, the less junk foods you're likely to want. 你逛超市的时间越少，就越不会去买那些垃圾食物。
1328. Do it whatever it takes. 要不惜一切代价做成这事。
1329. He did a good job to keep people on toes. 他做得很好，让大家一致注意力集中。He gave me a couple of extra things to do just to keep me on my toes. 他又给了我一些额外的事做，只是不想让我闲下来。keep someone on toes, 让某人集中注意力，不闲下来。
1330. I mean what I say, and I say what I mean. 我讲的都是肺腑之言，绝不空言。
1331. 注意lookout 与outlook的区别： Be on the lookout for scams.小心有诈！ outlook的意思是“态度、期待”。He has a positive outlook. 他乐观进取。the long-term outlook for economic growth. 对经济成长的长期期待。
1332. Be patient. We are getting there. 再耐心一会，我们很快就完成了。
1333.The gas-mileage for this car is good. 这辆车很省油。或者This is a good gas mileage car. How can I get a better gas mileage? 我怎样做才能省油？
1334.The situation is not very pleasant, but you know you can always learn something from everything.形势是有点不妙，但你知道，你总是可以从每件事上学些东西。There is something for everyone. 每人都有份。
1335.The situation is heating up fast for Yahoo. 雅虎公司的状况一下就难以应付起来。TThe political situation is heating up. 政治形势变得动荡起来。
1336.You need to come to grips with the situation. 你得真正明白目前的处境。Winter held Canadians firmly in its grip Sunday. 周日让加拿大人领受了严冬的厉害。
1337.To teach teens to be frugal is no easy feat. 教青少年节约绝非容易。no easy feat, 不是件容易的活。
1338.He was absolutely skewered in the press years ago for doing this. 他几年前因干了这事被媒体狠狠地修理了一顿。skewer 这个词应该学会。skewer就是羊肉串的那根串肉干。
1339.IYKWIM=If you know what I mean.这是网络聊天时常用的缩写。
1340. 小孩说话喜欢押点韵，很多大人这样对小孩说这些押韵语，后面的词组没有什么实质含义：You know what I mean. Jelly Bean. See ya later, alligator. In a while, crocodile. Neat-O mosquito.Later, gater.Bye bye, apple pie.
1341. Teacher X's blog can help you to decipher many secrets of our society. 信老师的博客可以帮助你理解我们社会很多的秘密。No one can decipher his sloppy handwriting. 没有人看得清他的笔迹。It can decipher common internet slang. 这能帮助网络流行俚语。类似的词有decode。Decoding is the reverse of encoding. 解密是加密的对立。
1342. Just for the record, I want you to know I am fully supportive of you. 我可以明确地告诉你，我是支持你的。just for the record, 记录在档。
1343. I wasn’t born yesterday.我又不是三岁小孩.
1344. I can save my family 1,500 a month by sleeping on a cot in my office as opposed to getting a fancy place that's maybe a little bit more comfortable.
1345. I am not telling you how to do your job, but this is what I feel you need to do. 我并不想对你指手画脚告诉你如何干你的工作，但这是我觉得这是你该做的事。
1346. Never Land. 相当于Utopia,乌托邦，现实中没有的地方，又作never-never land。Communism into is merely some meaningless utopian notion, in some far-off never-never land. 共产主义不过是个毫无意义的乌托邦理念，在一个遥不可及的地方。
1347. The merry-go-round快乐旋转木马，这是西方游乐园里常见的一种游戏。I loved to ride the merry-go-round when I was young. 我孩提时代很喜欢骑快乐旋转木马。因为这种游戏可以不停地旋转，所以又比喻为不停的快乐。the communist merry-go-round 共产主义永乐境界
1348. the reality check, 核实。If your parents have been covering your living expenses at college, you probably need a reality check before stepping out on your own. 如果一直是你父母付你大学的生活费，做独立生活前，你或许得了解一下真实世界了。
1349. chime in 与---一致 Their views chimed with ours. 他们的观点与我们的相当吻合。The seafood and wine chimed perfectly.海鲜与红酒是很好的搭配。类似的表达法有：accord with, agree with,
1350. I am not gonna flinch. 我不会胆怯的。Let us see who will blink first. 那我们就瞧瞧，谁会先怕事。
1351. Heavy markdowns are not enough to pull retailers out of a months-long slump. 大减价也不足以让零售商度过长达数月的萧条。markdown 减价。slump 疲软。pull someone out of 使谁摆脱困境。I wish I knew how to pull you out of you misery. 我真希望我能知道帮你摆脱痛苦的办法。
1352. There is a steep drop-off in consumer spending. The only thing retailers can do now is to further slash prices. 消费者花钱遽然减少，现在零售商唯一能做的就是进一步减价。a steep drop-off 悬崖峭壁。to further slash prices 进一步削价。
1353. They are cutting into their margins, but they really don’t have another choice. If they don’t discount, no one’s coming into their store. 他们只好忍痛降低本来就低的利润，因为他们已别无选择。如果他们不削价，就不会有人来他们的店铺了。They offer deep discount.他们提供大减价。
1354. The men and women who build China are struggling with unemployment like no time in recent history.中国的建设者们正在竭力挣扎，应付这些年来最大的失业危机。like no time in recent history 最近历史上最….也可以说：like never before (in recent history)。
1355. My business has only a razor-thin profit margin. 我的生意利润薄得很。The profits are too good to pass up. 利润颇丰，不可错过。
1356. Retail sales have plummeted. Who is to blame? 零售业惨跌, 这该怪谁?
1357. 形容经济糟糕的说法：Now the economy is on the rocks. 现在经济已经触礁。economic nosedive, 经济直线下降；economic meltdown, 经济崩溃economic downturn, 经济下滑；economic recession, 经济衰退。economic depression 经济大萧条。
1358. We haven’t hit the bottom yet. 还没有探底。I can’t afford it now. I will wait until I think it’s a reasonable price. 我目前负担不起，我还想等等，等到我觉得价钱合理，不太贵。 They graciously wiped the slate clean as a gift. 他们很慷慨地把债务一笔勾销，算是一笔大礼。
1359. A penny saved is a penny earned.省一文就是赚一文。You need to cut your losses.你得设法减少损失。You need to weigh the cost before your move. 在行动前你得衡量得失。He lives hand to mouth. 他仅过着温饱的生活。Look before you leap. 周密准备再行动。
1360. There is no such thing as a free lunch. 天下没有免费的午餐。也可以简单地说：There is no free lunch.
1361. Safety never takes a holiday. 2009年2月5日的汉正街起火使我想起了这句话，几年前武汉的好友还带我走过这条街。也可以说 Don’t let safety take a holiday. Remember, being safe should never take a holiday.
1362. He is just not that into you. 他对你不感兴趣了。
1363. Bad news travels fast. 坏事传千里。
1364. Lock, stock and barrel, 全部。We're going to immigrate, lock, stock and barrel, to U.S.A. and begin a new life there. 我们准备移民美国，把一切都搬到那里，开始一个全新的生活。The fire burned down our house - lock, stock and barrel. We lost everything. 一场大火把我们家烧了个精光，我们什么都没有了。前面我们还曾学个一个词， enchilada，也是表示全部，谁能翻出来？
1365. It is very important to keep in touch with friends. keep in touch with 与 保持联络。 类似的词组有touch base：I had a really good time in Beijing. I touched base with some old friends and made a few new ones. 在北京的时间过得不错，我联络了一些老朋友，也交了一些新朋友。I love to keep up correspondence with far-flung friends. 我很喜欢与远方的朋友保持联络。I love to keep track of my friends. 我很喜欢了解朋友们的近况。
1366. All that glitters is not gold. 闪闪发光物未必尽金子。也有人会简单地说，all that glitters. 甚至有珠宝商店就叫“All that glitters”。你也可以套用这个句型，说All that glitters is not healthy food. 闪闪发光菜未必是健康食品。“黄金”也有最宝贵的意思。His talk on democracy is gold to China. 他对民主的讲话对中国来说太重要了。
1367. domino effect, chain reaction, 这两个词组都是表示连锁反应。
1368. stick your head in the sand, 鸵鸟政策，假装不知道。Washington still prefers to stick its head in the sand. 美国政府仍就宁愿装聋作哑。有人以为鸵鸟遇到危险时，会把头埋在沙里，好像危险就不存在，所以有此成语。但事实上，鸵鸟并没有这种行为。You cannot stick your head in the sand as if nothing is happening. 你不能装着好像什么都没有发生。
1369. outflank 与outwit意思差不多，都是“胜过，技高一筹”的意思, We can outflank our opponent by lowering the price and providing better service. 如果我们能降低价格，提供优质服务就可胜过对手一筹。He once again outwitted people, telling them he was bringing development. 他又一次（耍手段）让大家相信他会拉来建设项目。
1370. It will take a big bite out of my salary to sit in that English class. 要参加那个英语班得花掉我大部分工资呀。a big bite 也可以说a big chunk。
1371． Finally I see the light at the end of the tunnel. 我终于看到了希望。
1372． Don’t belong to your belongings. 不要做身外之物的奴隶。
1373． For a moment I felt a twinge of regret that a piece of my past is gone. 在那一刻，我感到了一阵悔恨的刺痛，我生命中的一段历史永远消失了。类似的有：feel a pang of guilt, 感到一阵内疚的刺痛
1374． Sanlu used these babies as guinea pigs for their untested schemes, the results proved disastrous. 三鹿为了自己的勾当，竟把这些婴孩当天竺鼠，去做实验，结果是天大的灾难。guinea pig 常常用来做科学实验，主要看新药物有没有效果。
1375．China and India are squaring off against US for oil. 中国和印度白开架式要与美国争夺石油。square off 摆开打架的阵势
1376．He took over this job at an especially dicey time. 在这样一个非常时期，他接受了这个职位。a dicey time 不利时期，又有 a trying time，同样意思。
1377．Are you suffering from attention deficit? Why can’t you listen to me for a moment? 你是不是患有注意力缺乏症？你为什么不能听我一分钟？attention deficit 注意力不能集中，多见于小孩。
1378．Don’t be sloppy, you have to look presentable and neat around customers. 不可以邋邋遢遢，在顾客面前你一定要看上去还过得去，干净利落。
1379．Obama’s idea is a prescription for more disasters. 奥巴马的想法是引向更大灾难的处方。
1380．My criticism of the current government has at times been muted. 我对现政权的批评常常遭到噤声。At times, I wonder if it is worth writing my blog. 有时我怀疑写博客是否值得。
1381. 这个故事毫无根据。However the story is completely unfounded . This story is totally groundless. This is a story totally off the wall. 当然，也可以说，This story is a pure nonsense.
1382. China’s government has been monitoring and censoring messages sent through the internet service Skype, according to a study. 根据一项研究表明，中国通过Skype网路服务来监视以及钳制网络上传递的信息。
1383. 这是一些口语中常用、意义相近的一些词汇：at last; finally; eventually; or in the end。at last, 指经过一段艰难，期待后；finally, It finally arrived. 这东西最终到了。eventually, 有逻辑递进的味道，If you study hard, eventually you can graduate. 只要你好好学习，最终你会毕业的。In the end, the mountain is just too high. 后来发现，这山实在是高不可攀。（这句话是说，困难太大，无法完成任务）这些词要要注意与lastly的区别。Lastly, I want to thank everyone for coming. 最后，我要向每位能来表示感谢。这里的lastly可以与finally交换，但不能用上面其他的词组。
1384. final call, or last call, 飞机起飞前，广播告诉大家，这是最后一次通知登记。
1385. Your sense that Xiao Chen is related to General Manager Chen is right on the money. 你的感觉小陈与陈总有亲戚关系是有道理的。His prediction is right on the money. 他的预测很准确。
1386. Money talks. 有钱能使鬼推磨。有人把广东话“冇钱冇说”直接翻译为：No money, no talk. 还一个说法：Money is everything. 有钱就有一切。
1387. This movie is corny. 这个电影太老套。a corny joke 老掉了牙的笑话。
1388. hightail 赶快跑，Here comes the Sheriff. Let's hightail it out of here! 警察来了，赶快跑！ Let us hightail it to the bank to make a deposit before closing. 快点，在银行关门前把款存上。
1389. Times flies when you are having fun.
1390. There are two things you don’t talk about while on the clock: religion and politics.
1389. Times flies when you are having fun. 人一愉快，时间过得就快。精神爽，时间快。
1390. There are two things you don’t talk about while on the clock: religion and politics. 上班时有两件事是不能谈的，一是宗教信仰，二是政治。clock 这里指的是上班时打卡机，punch in and punch out, 用计时卡登记上班、下班。
1391. Permission is granted to copy this column when it is for educational purpose, not for a commercial one, provided that the link is included and the author is cited.（That means Teacher X.）如果是为了推广学习，而不是为了商业目的，本栏许可复制，只是请包括复制链接以及表明原作者。(也就是信老师。)
1392. This column may help you avoid titters of amusement at the way you write or speak. 专栏会帮助你提高成绩，找到工作，生意有成，以及帮助你避免你作文或口语中的低级笑话。titter 傻笑，暴笑。His slip of tongue brought titters from the crowd. 他的口误引起了人群的哄堂大笑。另一个表示笑的词是giggle，特别是女孩子的窃窃私笑。
1393. I am prepared to go to some extreme lengths to make sure I will succeed. 为了能成功，我已经做好了准备，愿意付出额外的代价。They go to great lengths to accommodate us. 他们为了招待好我们费了巨大的精力。
1394. I am determined to go to any limits to prove I am able to accomplish it. 我下定了决心，愿意付出任何代价来证明，我能完成这项任务。
1395. He is tall and of slim build with well-defined features. 他身材高瘦、棱角分明。He has a muscular build that suggests he works out regularly. 他身材健壮，显出他常常锻炼。
1396. He is medium height. 他中等身材。
1397. He is quite stocky. 他非常壮实。
1398. I am melted by her deep dark eyes and cracking sense of humor. 我完全陶醉在她那深深乌黑的大眼和特有的幽默感中。melt 融化。
1399. He is a nosey meddler. 他喜欢管闲事，非常讨厌。He is a busybody. 他老是管闲事。You are not supposed to poke your nose into other people’s business. 你没有权利去管别人的闲事。
1400. 由hold衍生的几个词: stranglehold,这是由strangle + hold, strangle 掐死，stranglehold, 压制，扼杀 The Party has now a stranglehold on the media. 党死死地控制着舆论。foot-hold, 立足处All big companies are eager to gain a foothold in China. 所有的大公司都急于在中国获取一席之地。stronghold, 据点，碉堡根据地。holdout, 坚持They put their normal life on hold and jumped in to help him out. 他们停下正常的生活，全力地去帮他脱离困境。
1401. Are you suspicious that your significant other is playing the field? 你是不是在怀疑你的另一半有出轨行为？are you suspicious也可以说，do you get suspicious or do you suspect。significant other = the other half=lover, play the field 鬼混；也可以说：He is cheating. 他有婚外恋。
1402. He hopes no one will put the pieces together. 他希望没有人能看出门道来。put the pieces together, 了解全貌
1403. He's pulling "Houdinis" with me. 他在跟我玩隐遁术。（意指找他人不到。）Houdinis 是个杂技演员。
1404. That is the cost of the free market and the ugly side of pure capitalism - winner takes all. 这就是自由市场经济的代价以及纯资本主义的丑陋面—赢者通吃。cutthroat competition.
1405. It is the survival of the fittest game, very unfortunately. 实在是很不幸，这是一场适者生存的游戏。
1406. 问题、麻烦英语里除了problem外，有好些说法。一是可以用trouble，注意此词为可数以及不可数名词，He is a big trouble for us. 他是我们的一个大问题。He is making trouble for us. 他在给我们制造麻烦。They are reluctant to talk about the case, fearing trouble with the authorities. 他们不愿谈论这个案子，因为害怕政府会给他们麻烦。所以much trouble 以及many troubles 都可以。
1407. 二是委婉的说法，用situation。 Hi, Boss, I am having a situation here. 喂，老板，我这里有个麻烦。They are having a worsening situation.他们的面临的问题越来越大。It is a difficult situation to step into. 想要趟这浑水可得小心。
1408. 三是用issue，这也是比较委婉的说法。I really have an issue with him on this. 在这件事上，我不能同意他的做法。You can handle those sensitive issues with no sweat.你可以不费吹灰之力就能把这些敏感的问题解决。We have been too chicken to talk with her directly about this issue. 我们都怕得要命，不敢与她正面谈这个问题。chicken 胆小鬼。
1409. 四是用condition。People have a tendency to adjust their behavior when they find out you have or had a medical condition. 如果周围的人发现你曾经或现在患有某种疾病，他们对你的态度往往就会发生变化。
1410. Your enviable pull with society's high rollers should also stay private. Don’t brag about it. Loose lips will tarnish your image.你不要张扬你与社会上那些大腕很铁、令人羡慕的关系，不要时刻挂在嘴上，流言蜚语会使你形象受损。pull with 很铁的关系；high roller 大腕；stay private, 不张扬；loose lips = gossips。
1411. Petty co-workers can start rumors about you or make snide remarks behind your back. 那些无聊的同事会在背后散播你的流言蜚语。petty 狭隘、琐碎的，snide 讽刺、讥讽。
1412. space 打字空一格就叫space; personal space, 个人空间（注意不是personal room）The government should leave alone citizens their personal space.政府应该不侵犯公民的私人空间。 This room is quite spacious. 这间房很宽敞。注意，没有spaceful这样一个单词。space out, 神智不清，a spaced-out fantasy 虚幻的想象。
1413. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 分别可以加强感情。
1414. relation 与relationship 都是可数名词：diplomatic relations, 外交关系；Latin relationships, 拉丁美洲国家的关系。
1415. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. 与朋友保持密切关系，与敌人的关系却要更密切。（知己知彼，百战不殆的意思。）
1416. If you're the kind of person who thrives when interacting with other people, sitting alone in a cubicle all day can be absolute torture. 如果你擅长与人交往，那么一个人成天呆在办公室会十分地痛苦。cubicle 一个大的办公室内间隔起来的个人办公区域，很小。
1417. He is a people person/ not a people person. 他喜欢跟人打交道/不擅长跟人打交道。He seems to be especially good at interacting with others, a real people person! 他似乎特别擅长与人交往，他是那种喜欢跟人交往的人。
1418. He is an instinctive communicator, he gets a 'feeling' for people very early on in the conversation, listening to what they say and moving things forwards very subtly, in fact he was born with a silver tongue! He is able to get his point across without being forceful or domineering, even if the person he is talking to doesn't agree with him. 他有种本能可以与人很好交流，谈话一开始，他就能欣赏对方，他愿意倾听别人的交谈，不经意间把事情就谈妥了，事实是，他有种天生的表达能力。他能够让对方接受他的观点，而又不让人感到他咄咄逼人，或一个人滔滔不绝，甚至对方并不同意他的观点。
1419. You need to mend your rocky relationship with your co-workers now. 你得修补与同事的不正常关系了。rocky 不稳定，a rocky marriage, 不稳定的婚姻。
1420. It has upset their relations. 这让他们的关系紧张。
1421. It takes two to tango. 跳好探戈需要两人的配合。（意思是，做好工作需要两人的密切配合。相爱需要双方的投入。）
1422 He is decent, very smart, doesn't exercise his ego, really believes there are solutions to every problem and works with people on both sides of the aisle.他为人正派，有头脑，不爱出风头，有种坚定的信念，每个问题必有好些解决的办法，他与问题的双方都能很好地沟通。ego 自我，骄傲。aisle 剧院内的走道，both sides of the aisle，走道的两边，意味着沟通的双方，注意S in aisle is mute.
1423.Definitely there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. 绝对没有这样一个答案可以适应所有的问题。（绝对没有一药治百病这样的灵丹妙药。）
1424.What you do here can be regarded as a launching pad of life. If you can do well in this visual world, you can do it well in the real world. 你在这里的表现可以视为是生活的发射台。如果你在虚拟世界能表现优秀，你在真实世界也能做好。a launching pad, 火箭发射台
1425. Each of us is called to reach for greatness (great things). 我们每人都有番使命要成就。be called to 受使命的召唤，for greatness 做番伟业、大事。
1426.It is such a great honor that I can work under the wise and guiding hand of the Company. 能够在公司的英明指导下工作，这是我极大的荣幸。（对公司领导、老板拍马屁时说的话）
1427. Your suggestion strikes a real chord with me, and I want to echo the hope that someday we will succeed. 你的建议正中我下怀，你的希望就是我的希望，有天我们一定会成功。
1428. They will definitely be racked with guilt when they don’t anything about “Analects of Confucius”. 他们对孔夫子的论语一无所知，心里充满了愧疚。racked with, 也可以说filled with。You will be happy with this fun-filled vacation. 这个假期有很多开心节目，你一定会感到快乐的。This is a gang-plagued Burmese border city. 这个缅甸的边境城市到处都是黑帮。They are fraught with anxiety in the wake of the economic meltdown. 面临经济危机，他们心里充满了焦虑。糖放得太多：sugar infused, sugar saturated,
1429.lame duck, 有气无力的人，即将下台的美国总统就叫lame duck，虽仍贵为总统，但已经没有人会听他的话了，国会也不会再批准他的任何提案。Enough with your lame apologies. 收起你的这些破借口吧！
1430.This is a go-to firm for important cases. 这是承接要案的专业公司。 a go-to guy, 专家，行家
1431.Propaganda is just an art and science of making evil look good. 宣传是一种艺术和科学，将邪恶打扮得很美丽动人。the Propaganda Department 就是从事这门艺术的职业高手。
1432.What is the catch? Where is the gimmick? 背后的小算盘是什么？有什么诡计？如果有人给你推销一些说得天花乱坠的事时，你就可以说这话。
1433.In China, you have to walk around assuming a shoe is going to drop at any moment, from any direction, because you never know what you eat is safe or not.在中国，你得时时刻刻小心谨慎，因为随时都可能会有意想不到的麻烦从天而降，因为你根本就无法知道你吃的东西卫不卫生。These feelings pelt you with shoes 24-7. 这些感受一天24小时缠著你，挥之不去。We have to constantly look for dropping shoes. 我们毫无选择只能小心提防那些飞来的横祸。
1434. Your girlfriend was not a happy camper.你的女朋友不是那种随遇而安的人。注意 a happy camper 走到哪里都感到快乐的人，但此词一般用于否定句。
1435.I am no masochist. 我又不是受虐待狂。（别人叫你干脏活、累活而你又不愿意干时就可以说这话了。）masochist 受虐待狂。
1436.英语词汇中有些词押韵，比较好记。这里有几个例子：Junk mails are cutting down trees willy-nilly, and that has got to stop. 不管你信不信，垃圾邮件在毁坏树林，所以必须阻止这事发生。
1437.hunky-dory 棒极了 When I asked him how was everything, he said everything was hunky-dory. 我问他最近还好吗，他说再好不过了。Over the last few weeks I’ve been over to Shanghai to visit my girlfriend a few times, had a few ding-dongs and made up again so at present everything is hunky dory and long may it remain so. 最近几个礼拜，我去上海看了女朋友好几次，有时会有些磕磕碰碰，但很快就和好了，现在一切都很好，但愿能长久如此下去。
1438. You need get down to the real nitty-gritty before you buy. 在决定买前，你得搞清楚方方面面的情况。nitty-gritty 基本情况，一般指那种不太好的基本情况。
1439. Painful chitchat on a train is a miserable experience. 火车上与人话不投机是个很痛苦的经历。chitchat 聊天
1440. tittle-tattle 闲言碎语，杂谈 These two women love to tittle-tattle. 这两个妇人最喜欢叽叽喳喳。
1441. Okey dokey 好，是，Okey的玩笑说法。
1442. "Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it? You look all shook up," Rene said to Jean when she came out of the boss's office. “你都好吗？你想谈谈吗？你看上去一脸愁云。”静从老板办公室出来时，冉对她说。shook-up 情绪激动、波动得厉害。注意与shake-up 意思不一样，后者是重组之意（公司、政府重组。）
1443. tit for tat, 你来我往，报复，一报还一报，针锋相对，类似于an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, like for like, measure for measure. 以眼还眼，以牙还牙。也是“博弈论”中的一种推论。 It is a game of Tit for Tat between Hamas and Fatah, Palestinian style.哈玛斯与法塔之间上演着一场巴勒斯坦风格的互相残杀的游戏。还有一个类似的：titbit 一点点，珍品。Your PC is a titbit for hackers! How to secure your PC? 你的个人电脑是骇客的最爱。你怎样保护你的电脑？
1444. You can be a straight shooter yourself. 你自己就可以直截了当地谈这个问题
1445. flat out He told me flat out. 他直截了当地告诉了我。这句话也可以这么说：He told me up front.
1446. He made the mistake of charging headlong into danger. 他这样把自己轻易地陷于了危险境地是个极大的错误。They met online only for a few months and rushed headlong into marriage. 他们在网上认识就几个月，就匆匆地结了婚。
1447. I’ll go head to head with you. 我完全支持你。 He goes head to head against her. 他事事要跟她作对。
1448. I have got the flu. I have nearly coughed my head off for a whole week. I cannot sleep much so I get up at 2 and continue my English 1500. 我得了感冒，一个礼拜咳得死去活来，晚上睡不著，于是两点起来继续写我的英语1500句。
1449. They had an on-again, off-again correspondence for a few months. 他们断断续续地联络了几个月。
1450 句 因为没有通过审 查，发不出。现在审 查 软件设计得真厉害。以前据说周恩来抗议国民党，让报纸开天窗。看来得重演了。
1451. The gas stations are few and far between. 加油站既少得可怜相距又远。Some people think that good movies are few and far between. 好些人都觉得如今好电影是凤毛麟角。few and far between 稀少
1452. the dead hand; the invisible hand, If we allow the dead hand of government to continue its way, we will be all miserable. 如果我们仍旧让政府一管就死的手来横行霸道的话，我们的日子就不会好过了。We need to fight against the dead hand of the government. 我们得与政府管制作斗争。the invisible hand 看不见的手，指市场经济，这个概念由Adam Smith首先提出。还有the strong hand, 强人，强有力的手（指上帝的力量。）
1453. Idle hands are the devil's workshop.闲着无事，为鬼推磨。直译是“闲散的手是魔鬼的工作室。”
1454. He is a self-professed expert on everything-he proves to be the classic bumbler. 他自称是什么都是行家，但事实证明他不过是个典型的白痴。
1455. When I am about to nod off in the office, the boss walked in. 我在办公室刚刚欲睡，老板走了进来。nod off, 打瞌睡。也可以说，When I was drifting off to a restful nap, the boss walked in. 我刚要梦游时，老板走了进来。
1456. The main culprit is public fear. 最大的威胁是大众的恐惧感。culprit 嫌疑犯。Is the meat consumption the main culprit for global warming? 肉食是不是全球变暖的主要元凶？
1457. We don’t need a quick fix. 我们并不需要一个速成方案。There is no quick fix to the problem of English in China, but neither can we ignore the problem and hope it goes away. 中国的英语热问题不是一个简单的方案可以解决的，我们也不可以对此问题不闻不问，好像希望这个问题会自行消失一样。
1458. Flick the air-con when you get into the room. 进房间时把空调打开。flick 本意是轻轻地弹，例如to flick dust from one’s coat, 把灰尘从外套弹走。When you walk into this room, lights will flick on automatically. 你一走进这房间，灯就会自动亮起。to flick the air-con off, 关空调。flick 也做电影解释：the best flick 最好看的片子。
1459. I would like to give it a spin as early as possible. 我想能尽早地开始试一下。give it a spin = give it a try. This lobbyist spins on behalf of cigarette companies. 这个说客代表烟草公司歪曲事实。He is good at the art of spin. 他最会哄骗。America is living in spin. 美国处在一片谎言中。
1460. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. 棍棒和石头或许可以打断我的脊梁，但是流言蜚语却把我无可奈何。
1461. Why is 13 Friday unlucky? It is said that Jesus was crucified on Friday the 13th. On his last dinner, there were 13 people sitting in the table, 13th being Judas. The sum of the numbers in 1453 in which Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople (today; Istanbul) is the number 13. Islamic prophet Muhammad was born in the year 571 which sums up to the number 13. 为什么13号礼拜五被视为不吉利日呢？因为据说耶稣就是在13号礼拜五给钉在十字架上受难。在最后的晚餐上，有十三个人，第十三位就是犹大。奥斯曼土耳其人于1453年征服了君士坦丁堡城（就是今天的伊斯坦布尔），1453之和是13.伊斯兰教先知穆罕默德生于571，这个数之和也是13。
1462. 前面谈了两个打瞌睡的词组，这里还有几个打瞌睡、睡觉的说法。Finally I got some decent shut-eye. 终于我合眼好好睡了会。cat’s nap 眯会眼； retire to bed, 上床睡觉；I dozed off. 我一下睡着了。I can catch some more Z’s. 我能再睡儿。 fall asleep, 入睡； insomnia, 失眠； sleep medicines, 安眠药；slumber, 死睡； sleep like a log, 睡得很死；Sleep Disorder, 睡眠紊乱症；Sleep Apnea, Sleep Walking, 游梦；Sleep Talking, 讲梦话； Grinding Teeth, 磨牙；Night Time Seizures, 半夜抽筋；nightmare, 恶梦；I need hit the sack and start everything tomorrow. 我得睡了，明天再开始新的一切。
1463. 名词+ free 没有，这个结构很有用，也很常用。例如 pain free，没有病痛的; This operation is pain-free. 这个手术不会痛的。worry free 无忧无虑的; carefree 自由潇洒的; touch free 不用碰; Hormone free 不添加荷尔蒙的; e mail free 无电子邮件的；Some professionals are fighting back overwhelming e mails by declaring e mail free Fridays. 一些专业人士通过宣告周五是无电子邮件日来向堆积如山的电子邮件宣战。baggage free没有包袱的: great guys who are baggage free and available! 非常优秀的男士，没有包袱，即可相亲。（This man may carry some baggage.这位男士或许还有些没有了断的包袱。意思是如他还没有与前女朋友了断，所以不要去与他相亲。）
1464. Jazz will endure as long as people hear it through their feet instead of their brains. 只要人们是用脚而不是用脑来欣赏爵士音乐时，爵士音乐就会历久弥新。
1465. He has a clean slate. 他历史清白，没有犯罪记录。
1466. The moral decay is presently eating away at this country. 道德的堕落正在不断地挖空这个国家的根基。eat away at 腐蚀、掏空。
1467. In layman’s terms, 用平常人的话来说，与professional terms（专业术语来讲）相对。
1468. In the futures market, in the future market, 这两个意思不一样，前者是“在期货市场”，后者是“在未来的市场”。
1469. It is a safe bet that no one can master two foreign languages within half a year. 我们可以很有把握地说，没有人能够半年内突破两门外语。It is a safe bet that…很有把握地说。。。。Is law school a safe bet? 读法学院稳有出路吗？
1470. I am a little bit toasty here. 在这里我感到很闷热。
1471. Iraqis consider the journalist an icon, who hurled his shoes at former President George W. Bush. 伊拉克人视那个向前总统布什扔鞋的记者为英雄。icon 原意为电脑上一标记，现转义为名人，英雄。Conservative Icon, 保守派头号干将。
1472. The guy and the woman tied the knot Tuesday in Beijing. 那个小伙子和这位女子于周二在北京完婚。tie the knot 打结，结秦晋之好，犹如泰山上的同心锁。Over 870 men, women tie the knot in a Guangzhou mass marriage ceremony. 在广州一次集体结婚仪式上，有870位男女结秦晋之好。
1473. They got married last week and we all pitched in with expensive gifts for them. 他们上周结婚了，我们都凑了钱，给他们买了贵重的礼物。pitch in 大家凑钱干件事 They all pitched in to help the earthquake victims. 他们把捐的钱合起来去帮助地震灾民。
1474. to empty the ocean with a spoon 精卫填海。The task before him is so enormous it feels like he is trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. If all goes well, to master two languages may be completed in 30 years. 他面前的十分艰巨，看起来就如同精卫填海一般（看起来有点像天方夜谭），如果一切顺利的话，他要掌握两门外语或许三十年后可以完成。
1475. You know he'd leave no stone unturned, no avenue of appeal unconsidered. 你知道他能考虑的方案已经都考虑过了，能想的办法都已经想过了。leave no stone unturned, （找宝藏时）每块石头都翻过了，意即什么办法都想过了。
1476. He had a close call with the accident. 他与事故擦肩而过。相当于a narrow escape. That skier just missed the tree--what a close call. 滑雪者与树擦肩而过，真是险啊。也可以说a close shave, That was a close shave, nearly leaving your passport behind. 好险，差点把护照给落下了。
1477. The under-funded fill-in teachers literally live hand to mouth and cannot afford basic living essentials. 代课老师薪水不足，吃了上顿没下顿，很多生活的必需品也买不起。
1478. He is scared to death / half to death. 他吓得要死 / 他吓得半死。What happens if you get scared half to death twice? 如果你两次吓得半死，那会怎样一种情形呢？
1479. I live off what I make. 我赚多少就花多少。
1480. Given the nature of the threat, we can't go back to business as usual. 考虑到所面临的威胁，我们不能再老调重弹。go back to business as usual 故伎重演，老调重弹。
1471. Iraqis consider the journalist an icon, who hurled his shoes at former President George W. Bush. 伊拉克人视那个向前总统布什扔鞋的记者为英雄。icon 原意为电脑上一标记，现转义为名人，英雄。Conservative Icon, 保守派头号干将。Tom Hanks is a Hollywood Icon. 汤姆是好莱坞巨星。
1472. The guy and the woman tied the knot Tuesday in Beijing. 那个小伙子和这位女子于周二在北京完婚。tie the knot 打结，结秦晋之好，犹如泰山上的同心锁。Over 870 men, women tie the knot in a Guangzhou mass marriage ceremony. 在广州一次集体结婚仪式上，有870位男女结秦晋之好。
1473. They got married last week and we all pitched in with expensive gifts for them. 他们上周结婚了，我们都凑了钱，给他们买了贵重的礼物。pitch in 大家凑钱干件事 They all pitched in to help the earthquake victims. 他们把捐的钱合起来去帮助地震灾民。
1474. to empty the ocean with a spoon 精卫填海。The task before him is so enormous it feels like he is trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. If all goes well, to master two foreign languages may be completed in 30 years. 他面前的十分艰巨，看起来就如同精卫填海一般（看起来有点像天方夜谭），如果一切顺利的话，他要掌握两门外语或许三十年后可以完成。
1475. You know he'd leave no stone unturned, no avenue of appeal unconsidered. 你知道他能考虑的方案已经都考虑过了，能想的办法都已经想过了。leave no stone unturned, （找宝藏时）每块石头都翻过了，意即什么办法都想过了。
1476. He had a close call with the accident. 他与事故擦肩而过。相当于a narrow escape. That skier just missed the tree--what a close call. 滑雪者与树擦肩而过，真是险啊。也可以说a close shave, That was a close shave, nearly leaving your passport behind. 好险，差点把护照给落下了。
1477. The under-funded fill-in teachers literally live hand to mouth and cannot afford basic living essentials. 代课老师薪水不足，吃了上顿没下顿，很多生活的必需品也买不起。
1478. He is scared to death / half to death. 他吓得要死 / 他吓得半死。What happens if you get scared half to death twice? 如果你两次吓得半死，那会怎样一种情形呢？
1479. I live off what I make. 我赚多少就花多少。They find it hard to live off the money they make. 他们发现靠他们赚的那点钱生活的确不易。
1480. Given the nature of the threat, we can't go back to business as usual. 考虑到所面临的威胁，我们不能再走老路（不能老调重弹）。go back to business as usual 故伎重演，老调重弹。
1481. Washington needs adult supervision. 美国政府需要有效的监督。Washington 华盛顿，这里指美国政府。adult supervision, 成人监护，指小孩太小，不能单独行动，一定要有大人在一旁看守。此句的意思是美国政府像小孩一样，需要大人的监督。Our government lacks adult supervision for a long time. 我们的政府长时间缺乏有效的监督。
1482. USA is a cultural mélange. 美国是个文化大熔炉。Globalization will bring a cultural mélange to China. So don’t be surprised that many people want to learn English. 全球化将给中国带来文化大熔炉，所以见到很多人想学英语时就不要大惊小怪了。熔炉，更通俗的说法是melting pot. American society has often been described as a melting pot. 人们通常用熔炉来描述美国社会。
1483. He thought he would have a world of infinite possibilities when he graduated from college, but what he got was only unemployment. 他以为大学毕业后会拥有一片天高任鸟飞的机会，但是他面对的却是失业。a world of infinite possibilities一个机会无限的世界。或者说a promising future。College education offers a promising future to young people. 大学教育给年轻人提供了一个美好的前途。
1484. thinking and thought 都是名词，意思一样，只是后者是可数名词。You need to organize your thoughts around his strengths, and you’ll concentrate on him as a whole instead of on his imperfections. The couples who do this stay together longer. 你应该时刻想到他的长处，这样你就会来检视他的整体为人，而不只看到他的不足。凡能这样做的夫妻都会有牢固的婚姻。
1485. We’re not suggesting you try to love his annoying behavior. But you can learn to flip your thinking so you look to the positive. 我们并不觉得你该爱他那些烦人的行为举止，但是你可以学着换个角度来思维，去看他的长处。
1486. Spring has sprung. 春天已春意盎然。第二个spring是动词。
1487. rebel with a cause 造反有理，rebel without a cause, 无理取闹。
1488. This woman is verbally abusive. 这个女人骂人骂得厉害。（这个女人很会骂人。）
1489. She is snooping through his things for some evidence that he is not faithful. 她暗中翻他的东西，看看有没有他不忠的证据。snoop through, 暗中去乱翻别人的东西。Don’t snoop through my phone messages, OK? 你不要去暗中翻看我手机的留言，好不好？
1490. With the exam only five weeks distant, he is working hard. 他现在开始用功了，因为离考试只有五个礼拜了。这里的distant就是away的意思。distant relatives, 远房亲戚，distant cousins 远房表兄，There is a pretty girl in some far and distant place. 在一个遥远的地方，有一位好姑娘。
1491. 不久前被抓去坐了好些天的牢，便想起坐牢的几种说法：He is in jail. He is in prison. He is behind bars. He is taken into custody. (口语）He is incarcerated.(书面语) He is having his incarceration.
1492. He is sentenced for five years for speaking out against corruption. 他因公开揭露腐败而获刑五年。Guo Feixiong is arrested on charges of attempt to overthrow the government. 郭被捕，罪名是阴谋颠覆政府。The judge sentenced the 15-year-old boy to a maximum of 10 years in juvenile jail. 法官给这个15岁的男孩判了10年的最高量刑，他将在少年犯监狱服刑。He is sentenced to life in jail. 他获得终生监禁。或者说：他被判了无期徒刑。He is going to spend the rest of his life in prison.他将在监狱中度过余生。
1493. Legal system normally involves three parts: police, prosecutors and judges.司法制度一般包括了三个部分，警察，检察官，法官。 If he doesn’t confess, he will be under pursuit or persecution. 如果他不坦白交代，就会被追究责任或被起诉。People convicted of possessing child pornography are likely to have sexually abused many children. 被定罪窝藏儿童黄色资料的人一般也会对儿童进行性侵犯。
1494. The ringleader has received the death penalty. 黑社会头头被判处死刑。黑老大的称谓颇多：mob boss, Tobacco barons, master, lord, marauding tycoon，control monster, mogul, drug cartel。罪犯的称呼：offender, criminal; suspect, 嫌疑犯。
1495. 警察与人接触的机会最多，所以称谓也颇多：police, the marshal, officer, law enforcement agent, the task force, investigator, detective, F.B.I. C.I.A. military police(M.P.宪兵) sheriff, deputy, John Law, bluecoat, prison warden 等等。The defense attorney said that Yang Jia is the victim of villainous police. 辩护律师说杨佳是警察暴力的牺牲品。Recently the police clamped down on the press and the internet. 最近警察对出版业和网站实行了门户清理。Chinese police often arrest people without a warrant. 中国警察逮捕人常常不出示拘捕证。This is his first brush with the law. 这是他第一次触犯法律。
1496. 逮捕有这样一些词：arrest, apprehend, round up，等。 The government has rounded up about 1000 people. 政府抓了上千人。Authorities are asking for the public’s help to bring the suspects in.警局正在发动群众，来缉拿嫌疑犯归案。
1497. He is the victim of the new round of crimes in the town. 他是城里新一轮犯罪的牺牲品。
1498. He will be eligible for parole after serving five years. 他服刑五年后可以申请假释。There is no leniency for political criminals. 对政治犯没有宽大一说。The family members said that the punishments did not fit the crime. 家属认为对罪行的量刑不当。
1499. She confessed to having doctored the figures. 她认罪，捏造了数据。A fact-finding team has uncovered the doctored purchase orders. 调查小组发现了这些采购报销单实在是子虚乌有。或者They found out the puffed-up purchase orders. 他们发现这些报销单数字都被虚报了。He got twisted up in the corruption probe.
1500. All is well that ends well. 结尾好才能说一切都好。As long as you don’t end up in a jail cell like Teacher X, you are doing well. 只要你不像信老师那样最终进了号子，你就算成功了。a jail cell, 牢房。Is this your grand ending, or are you going to continue your episode? 这是你的大团圆结局，或者你还要再继续写下去？
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发表于 7-8-2009 10:19:28
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