那个，终于醒悟了，开个帖子学英语哈。

jennyc2

加油啊,今天有没有卖出去一句啊?

yindingzhenger

原帖由 jennyc2 于 23-11-2011 22:24 发表

                               
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加油啊,今天有没有卖出去一句啊?

最近忙哈，卖出去的不多。
但是，
俺看到一贴，赶紧转过来分享下。
原文地址：
天涯社区『英语杂谈』 [经验交流]英语日常口语、习惯语1500句（高级）：
http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/english/1/123834.shtml

澳洲适用8适用的，有待咱这里的英语大侠们鉴定鉴定哈。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 14:46 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

英语日常口语、习惯语500句（高级）（之一）

1． Hold on 等一下 （口语中，人们不太用wait a minute）如果两人辩论，吵架，抬杠，你要别人“打住”，可以说，hold it right there.

　　2． I hate his guts. 我最讨厌他。也有说I hate him guts. Guts 是肠子，相当于“恨之入骨”的意思。He doesn’t have much guts. 他是个胆小鬼。 ut feeling 直觉

　　3． Nuts, 果仁，核，为复数时，意为“疯子”，He is nuts。他有神经病。He went nuts and killed a guy.他发疯了，结果杀了一个人。You are driving me nuts. 你真是要把我逼疯。a tough nut to crack, 一项艰巨的任务，一个难解之题

　　4． How is everything? (还好吗？) I am just stuck in a rut, doing the same things every day. I wish I could do something different. (烦死了，每天都是干同样的活，我真想换个活法。) rut 日常的，每天都如此，get in a rut，日复一日，天天如此

　　5． I have totally sold out to your idea. 我100％地赞同赞同你的意见。类似的话还有If you are not careful enough, you will buy into his bad idea. 如果你不小心的话，你就会采纳他的这馊主意。

　　6． I am just ecstatic about going to visit you soon. 马上要见你，我高兴死了。

　　7． A dap and dip 打个照面，露下脸就走。
　　Matt: Are we going to Jon’s party?我们去琼的聚会吗？
　　Darryl: Yeah, but I don’t want to stay long, so let’s make it a dap and dip.那就去吧，不过我可不想多呆，顶多就打个照面就走人。

　　8． I would like to get a job within couching distance. 我想找个不用走路就可以上班的工作。Couching distance,沙发距离，就是坐在沙发上不起身也能够得着。这是那种 couch potato喜欢做的美梦。

　　9． Yukky 难吃，说这个词时还要做一个难吃的表情。Where did you get this food? It was yukky. 你从哪里弄了这吃的？那么难吃。

　　10． 与yukky相反的词是yummy，好吃极了。说这个词时，要不然就把音拖一下，要不然说它两次，表示你真的喜欢主人做的这道菜。

之二
　　11 I cannot take it any more.　我再也无法忍受了。前面还可以加上一句：don’t push me. 不要再逼我呀。 同样意思的句子还有：I cannot stand him any longer.

　　12 Don’t take it out on me! 不要把气出在我身上。

　　13 You have my word. 我向你保证（是这样）。

　　14 Look, I have got going. 就这样了，我还得干活呢（还得赶路）。这是向人告辞的说法。

　　15 You talk crazy. 你满嘴胡言。相当于you talk nonsense之意。 从语法上看，将形容词放在动词后不是很正规，但人家都这么说，也就可以将就了。

　　16 I don’t mean to cross the line. 直译是“我不想越界”。这句话的意思是，我并不是想管闲事呀，只是随便问问。“I don’t mean to cross the line, is she your new girl friend ?”

　　17 Thank you for .....(the tea, and so on), and everything else. 谢谢你的（茶水款待），以及一切。当你向人道谢时，你一下只想起了一件具体的事，但又接受了不止一项的好处，就加上一句 and everything else，这样就不会漏谢什么了。

　　18 I won’t take that crap.我才不会信那套鬼话。也可以说：I won’t buy that beef.同样的意思。

　　19 Calm down. 不要激动好不好？

　　20 sick 恶心 you make me sick. 你叫我恶心。 People do sick things to young girls nowadays. 现在总有人对小女孩做那些恶心的事。 He is sick. 如果你把sick一词念得很重，意思就是“他令人恶心。”如果念得不重，意思就只是“他病了。” 所以要小心。

　　之三
　　21 You look concerned. What’s on your mind 你看上去有点心思沉沉，在担心什么呢？

　　22 I’ve got to quiet down and get focused. 我该冷静下来，集中注意力。

　　23 I know he has the blues（He is feeling very down!）, but it doesn’t mean he can vent his anger on me. 我知道他心情不好，但他也不能把气发在我身上呀。the blues 心情不好，If a girl is sad, an ice-cream cone can normally chase the blues away. 如果女孩心情不好的话，给她一个冰淇淋，她就会转哭为笑了。也可说，an ice-cream cone can normally help shake off the blues.

　　24 I’m up to my neck in work.这句话的意思就是I am quite busy. 我太忙了，这工作把我忙得晕头转向。I have got a pretty tight schedule today. 我今天的日程安排得很紧。

　　25 Easy! 悠着点；不要性急；轻一点；也可以说：Go easy. Go easy on it(省着点用). Easy-going, 很容易相处：She is caring and easy-going.

　　26 Crush 原意为“粉碎”，现常指“暗恋”，又常指青涩少年的那种爱，并不稳定，例如，小女生对老师的爱恋，过一阵就烟消云散。Peter has a crush on Jenny.

　　27 Ask somebody out 与人约会，谈恋爱：He doesn’t have the guts to ask her out because he is afraid she will turn him down. 他不敢告诉她他爱她，因为他生怕会遭到她的拒绝。类似的有go out with somebody: I heard you’re going out with Jane. 我听说了你在与Jane谈恋爱。

　　28 Mr. Right: 白马王子，He’s gentle, patient, successful, and MATURE. I think He’s my Mr. Right! 他温柔体贴，有耐心，成功又成熟。我知道他就是我的意中人(我未来的丈夫非他莫属；也可以说是真命天子）。（白马王子的另一个说法：prince charming）

　　29 Jack 对朋友John说，他刚刚与Esther拜拜了，（I just broke up with Esther.）John 安慰Jack说, I don’t know what to say to comfort you, but cheer up! There’s plenty of fish in the sea and you’ll find your soul mate, your perfect match!

　　30 My relationship with her is already a history.我与她的关系早已成历史了。

　　之四
　　
　　31 我们赞扬儿童时最常用的话有：Isn’t he cute He is so cute. He is adorable. Beautiful baby! 逗一两岁的小孩时，人们常说：Peek-a-boo, I see you.给小孩说再见：See you later, alligator!

　　32 Yes, 这是现在的小学生都会的单词。但是大学英语专业的人有时也搞错，例如，对于对方的否定句表示赞同时，很多时候，很多人仍旧会回答yes，而不会说no。英语中表示同意的词很多，如果实在无法立马反应过来，不妨用其他的词。Absolutely, OK, you are right, exactly, certainly, yep, aye, just so, sure, right, correct, you said it. I agree with you, 常用的还有sweat, you bet。或者你可以说：I hear you.你说的我明白。说no的词也有好几个：nope, I don’t think so,等等。

　　33 有个人说：A 82 year-old man married a 28 year-old woman. That is the most bizarre thing that has ever happened recently. （一个82岁的老头娶了28岁的姑娘，这是近来最为离奇的事。）另一个人蛮有同情心，他可能会说：Well, age shouldn’t be something that comes in the way of a person’s marriage. As long as they love each other, age is not an issue.（嗯，年龄在婚姻中应该不是障碍，重要的是他们爱着对方，年龄不是问题。）bizarre是一个美国人喜欢用的词，意思是“稀奇古怪，不正常的”；That is a bizarre story.(这个故事太荒唐。) The nine-head-bird is really bizarre.（九头鸟是不可能有的事。）这是一句中国俗话，上、下联是什么呢？ comes in the way of 的意思是“成为绊脚石”。

　　34 有个朋友要我每到一地就给她写几个字，这英语的表达法可以用“drop me a line”： Don’t forget to drop me a line when you visit a new place. 我则可以回答：“Trust me. I won’t. I’ll keep you posted.”（没问题，我不会忘记的，我会随时让你知道我的近况。）post当动词用，则是“邮寄，转递”，keep someone posted意思是keep in touch with someone, or touch base with someone often。只是很可惜，现在的中国邮局大部分都不办理邮政业务，而是成为银行了，所以信也没法寄。Drop by的意思是，顺便访问（没有计划的那种访问。）Please drop by sometime for a drink. - I dropped by my best friend’s house to see if he was home. 不要朋友写信，就叫朋友打电话好了：Give me a buzz. or Give me a ring. 都可以。

　　35 上一篇中提到了一个词soul mate，是那种心灵感应的朋友，也可以用heart,例如说，sweat heart，但这指恋人或关系特别密切的人。a heart to heart chat很诚恳的沟通。I tried to have a heart to heart chat with him on this issue, but it didn’t work. 我费了一番力气想与他坦诚沟通，但没有什么用。

　　36 他喝醉了。英文有好些说法，很口语化的是：He is loaded. 就是drunk的意思。"When I talked to the president, he was loaded." Kissinger said about Nixon. 基辛格谈到尼克松时说：“我跟总统谈话时，他已经喝得烂醉。”under the influence of alcohol也是喝醉了的意思，但这是个法律词汇，意思是犯法了，尤其是在开车时，如果查出了司机是under the influence of alcohol则可能要坐牢。而drunk, loaded虽是醉酒，但不违法。很书面语的词汇是“intoxicated, intoxication”。写到这里，我想起了昆明巫家坝机场的一副广告：令人陶醉的地方--云南（大意），旁边的英语是：Intoxication: Yunnan. 这是典型的中式英语，外国人看了不知所云，听上去好像是云南人都是酒鬼一样。正确的英文应该是：The most attractive place: Yunnan;也可以说：Breathtaking scenery:Yunnan.

　　37 He is a little bit punchy. 如果一个人晚上睡眠不足，早晨起来睡眼惺忪的样子，我们可以说他punchy.所以可以接着说：He needs a cup of coffee to wake up. 一个人看上去云里雾里的样子都是punchy，与喝醉酒貌差不多。

　　38 与load还有一个相关的口语词：freeloading, 揩油，滥用别人的慷慨。My roommate won’t pay anything for the grocery. I end up feeding him three meals. I am really fed up with his freeloading.(他这样揩我的油我实在是受不了。)揩油的人就叫“freeloader”，就是那种喜欢免费的午餐的人（those who enjoy free lunch）。

　　39 市场上有很多关于学英语诀窍的书，但实际上，学英语就是一个背单词、与遗忘作斗争的过程。记忆力好的人总是少数。I cannot think of these English words off hand. One of the effective ways is to brush up on grammar rules a little bit everyday. There is simply no short cut. Off hand，我无法一下子就能想起这些英文单词。 Brush up on 常常复习，short cut，捷径。学英语最好是每天学一点，坚持不懈，集腋成裘：“Precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, idea by idea,”（一次学个概念，这里学一点，那里学一点，一次接触一个思想）。或者我们可以说 A little at a time, we can eat up an elephant eventually.（一次吃一口，我们最终可以把头大象给吞了。） It is a big job, but we can get it done. 这个工作巨大，但我们可以把它做好。所以不要相信那些100天就可以把英语学好的广告。如果有学生或一位网友100天可以学好英语的话，那我不就要失业了？

　　40 堵塞。看到“堵塞”二字，人们一般会想起“jam”，如果是交通堵塞，用jam是没错的。但是如果是下水道给堵塞了，最好要用clog。It is too bad, my sink is clogged up again.“堵塞”还有一个英文词“clot”: The street was clotted with traffic. 街上交通阻塞。血栓堵塞：blood clot。“堵塞”正式的名词是Congestion, 如果吃东西给咽了，则是choking （food clogging in the throat.）

　　41 Hang 是个常用的单词，几本意思是“挂，吊”。口语中加上in 或者on后，其意思是坚持。Hang in there, OK? 再在那里坚持一会。Everybody hanging on. 每个人都再坚持一下。Stay on. 也是“再坚持一会”
　　All relationships go through rough times. You just have to hang in there. 每种关系都会经历难关，所以你坚持下去就好了。
　　Just hang on in there. The physical training is tough but it’s worth it. 你一定要坚持下去，体育训练难度较大，但这代价是值得付的。
　　Hang around 的意思是闲逛。你进商店，老板会问：What can I do for you? 你则可以回答：I am just hanging around.我只是随便看看。
　　Most husbands hate hanging around with their wives in the mall. It’s so boring! 大部分的先生都不喜欢跟老婆去逛商场，太无聊了。
　　I don’t like to hang around here after dark. 天黑后我不喜欢在这里逛了。
　　He had stupidly hung around — just to see what the cops were doing — and ended up being arrested!他在这里看热闹实在是笨，他就是想看看警察在干什么，结果把自己给弄抓起来了。
　　Hang up with 是约会的意思。He is hanging up now with Jane.

　　42. 如果有人无所事事，你就可以说：Get a job. 去做点正事吧。

　　43.No need to panic. Don’t panic不要慌张。

　　44.You made your point. 我明白你的观点（意见）了。或者：I heard you.

　　45.You are nasty. 你真是可恶。nasty weather; a nasty trick nasty是个常用词，表示厌恶。

　　46.Stay cool, man. 老兄，多多保重。相当于Take care.

　　47.That is a wishful thinking. 想得美。也可以说是day dream白日梦。You are day dreaming. "He lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality"

　　48.Let us keep it that way. 还是原样吧。就这么办吧。

　　49.Can you drop it? 能不能不谈这事了？

　　50.What is there for me (you)?两个人谈合作，你看了半天，都是对方得益，于是你就可以说这句话了：我的好处在哪里？也可以说：Where is my cut?

　　51.Back To Basics 从头来，回到起点，回到基础的东西。
　　This is really complicated for me now, please get back to basics, OK？这真的有点复杂了，我搞不懂，能不能从头说一遍？
　　又可以说：Back To Square One 这是一个美式足球的术语，球又从新开始。
　　Voters send tax relief back to square one. 投票人将缓税计划打回原宫。
　　表示“基本”的另一个词组是 the nuts and bolts
　　The nuts and bolts of college writing 大学写作初阶
　　nut 是螺帽， bolt 螺钉，螺帽螺钉是最基本的的东西，合在一起就是“基础”。

　　52.Licking good 味道好极了，licking是舔的意思，例如手抓羊肉，吃完后，再舔舔手，证明好吃。 It is licking good.

　　53.My toes feel very itchy. It’s really irritating. I think I have an athlete’s foot. 我脚趾痒得很，真烦人，我想我是得了香港脚气。夏天还一个常常弄得皮肤很痒的是痱子Heat rash或heat burns，中暑是heat stroke，那就不是痒的问题了，搞不好要命。

　　54．I really miss my good old days. Now age has set in.我真怀念以前那些美好的日子，现在是年岁不饶人呀。

　　55．I owe you. 我欠你一次情。

　　56．Do they buy it? 他们买帐吗？

　　57．Don’t just talk to his mind, talk to his heart. 不仅要诉之于理，更是要动之以情。

　　58．That psycho scared me. 美国曾有部恐怖片，片名就是是《psycho》，主角是一个连环杀手，患有精神病。所以那些行为古怪的人也叫psycho.

　　59．You need to get yourself together. 你得清醒清醒。

　　60．Guru 这个词最近几年最流行，原意是指印度教、佛教里的教师，现在也指新兴的宗教里的老师，进而泛指大师，也可译成大鳄。有时有戏称的味道。Diet guru 营养大师

　　这次的话题有点严肃，可能并不是每天日常生活中能用的，但你与别人交谈时，可能有天还是会用得着。
　　
　　61．It’s a pro-democracy movement. And it’s not only Chinese, it is global. 这是一场民主化运动，这不仅是中国人的追求，而是世界性的运动。在谈到民主化时，在democracy前要加pro这个前缀，表示拥护。

　　62．Genuine pro-democracy movements are always profoundly threatening to those with their polished boots on the necks of the poor. 真正的民主运动势必会从根本上动摇那些骑在穷人身上作威作福人的利益。Polished boots擦得锃亮的靴子，the neck of the poor穷人的脖子，这个词组很形象，就是富人阶层把穿了靴子的脚架在穷人的脖子上。

　　63．China will not move forward towards the ultimate goal of universal suffrage without the active participation of the citizens.没有公民的积极参与，中国就不能进步，达到普选的最终目标。Universal suffrage人人都投票。
　　
　　65．Without human rights and political freedoms, we are simply a bunch of pigs. Without checks and balance, man will surely abuse power and concentrate power, and eventually dictatorship is born. abuse power 滥用权力，concentrate power 抓权，
　　
　　67．We’re learning to reach out across borders and many other barriers, finding out how to affirm our common humanity while struggling against the dictatorship.我们在渐渐地学习如何跨越各团体之间的界限、打破各团体之间的障碍，学习寻找如何来追求我们普遍的人类价值，同时一起与专制作斗争。
　　南京大屠杀的链接：
　　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoW2WYdOsvg　　
　　本篇作于6.4.


女性常用的一些句子
　　
　　71．She’s really pretty, isn’t she? Her skin looks so baby smooth! 她太靓了。你看她的皮肤，看上去就像婴孩一样光滑。

　　72．It is no good to put lots of make-up and notion on your face. It is better to look natural. 把那么多化妆品往脸上堆实在不好，自然美看起来更好。

　　73．It is good to put cucumbers on your face every night. These are natural skin soothers, natural healers of the skin. They soften the skin, wipe out the roughness, remove lines and age signs.每晚在脸上贴些黄瓜效果不错。这是一种天然润肤、天然理疗皮肤的方法。黄瓜能使皮肤细嫩，使皮肤光滑，消除皱纹，让人显得更年轻。

　　74．My darling, if my breasts were saggy, would you still love me? 这是女人最担心的一个问题。

　　75．My forehead is wrinkled, the eyes are puffy, the sacks under the eyes are dark, and the skin is no longer as resilient as it was. I need a plastic surgery, and a breast enlargement. （我额头满是皱纹，眼睛浮肿，眼袋发黑，皮肤也不再像以前那么光亮，我要去做美容手术和隆胸。）

　　76. Darling, Beijing Mall is having a big sale this weekend. You wanna go? But we are broke this month. Well, we still can do window shopping. Women, women. 亲爱的，这个周末北京商厦大甩卖，你要去吗？可是这个月我们已经破产了呀。那也不要紧，我们去饱饱眼福就行了。女人呀，女人。Window shopping 就是去商场逛逛，什么也不买。

　　77. I am a woman in love. And I do anything to get you into my world. 这是一首歌里的歌词。

　　78. I really love him to death. I am head over heels in love with him. Head over heels 翻了一个跟头，晕头转向，爱得死去活来，神魂颠倒。He was running so fast that when he jumped and got hit he went head over heels. 也可以说：I have been head over heels about my girlfriend since the day I met her.

　　79. Shop until you drop. Drop 这里的意思是，你买东西多得都拿不下了，东西直掉，所以可以译为：“手不塞满，采购不停”。“只要还能提得动，采购一路就不停”。She is type of woman of shop until you drop. 她是那种采购狂女人。（她进了商店就什么都想买。）

　　80. Isn’t my baby the most beautiful baby in the world? 每个母亲都有权力吹这个牛。

　　81. I am fed up! 受够了。I am fed up with 脑白金’s commercial. It is on TV all the time. 我真是有点厌恶脑白金的广告了，电视节目里老是它的广告。“受够了某人”也可以说：I have had enough of Shi, he made a fortune by selling snake oil. 这个史真是让我烦，他靠卖狗皮膏药发了大财, or I have had enough of his bad behavior.

　　82. I have been there. Or I have been around.这事我经历过。I have been there, so I know how you feel. 这些事我都经历过，所以我能明白你的感受。I have been around long enough to know this kind of guys. I can rip him to pieces in a second. 这种场合我经历多了，对这类人我太了解，我可以瞬间就把他给打得落花流水。（直译：把他撕得粉碎）My brother has always been there for me. 我(有困难时)哥哥是我随时的帮助。

　　83. We are at bingo. 成功了，干完了。如果你赢了，就大喊一声：Bingo。

　　84. If you make a mistake, just fess up to it. Take your licks and we’ll press on. 如果你犯了错，承认就好了，忍住伤痛，然后我们继续进行下去。Lick通常的意义是“舔”，这里作“打击”。

　　85. I am swamped. 我太忙了。

　　86. I am tired. My legs are giving out, my brain is going to neutral, I need to take a shower and go to bed. 我累了，脚也走不动，头脑也昏沉，我要洗个澡然后睡觉。

　　87. 口语中说没有考好可以用 flunk, “fail” 相对来说比较正规了点。He flunked all of his courses. 如果门门课都不及格的话，就会被学校开除，因此可以说“flunk out”：It is kind of sad, after Jason flunked out of high school, it is hard for him to find a job.

　　88. 说一个学生全面发展：“He is fully dimensional.”dimension的基本意思是“面”，例如“三维”：three dimensions。说一个人优秀，比平常人多了点才华，可以说：He is excellent, and has the extra dimension.

　　89. Cookie 本意是“饼干”，口语中指你特别喜欢的人。That is my girl, that is my cookie。她就是我的，正是合我口味的姑娘。A clever cookie, 一个聪明的伙计，a lawyer who was a tough cookie 一个难对付的律师

　　90. 说一个人很紧张我们一般会说“nervous”，口语里可说“edgy”，you are so edgy. Relax, man. 你太紧张了，放松一点，老兄。The performers were edgy as they waited for the show to begin. 演出开始前，演员们紧张得要命。

　　之十
　　91. He is a stud.他很帅，他是个帅哥。注意stud只能用于男性，而且是那种具阳刚气、棱角分明、健壮的人（well-cut）。女性相对应的词是bombshell，美得像炸弹，她一出现，就要炸翻一片男士。She is a sure-fire bombshell。以前江南一带形容女孩漂亮的俚语也有“她很炸”。不知道现在说女孩漂亮的俚语是什么了。还有一个类似的说法：She is a knock-out.knock-out是拳击词汇，一拳把对手打出圈外。

　　92. Lighten up!不用那么紧张。Lighten up on yourself.

　　93. Knuckle-head，笨蛋，傻。He is really a knuckle-head.

　　94. He has a strong ego. He believes he is a big shot, and beats his chest. A strong ego, 很强烈的自我优越感，Big shot, 大腕，重要的人物。Beat one’s chest，那些篮球运动员灌篮后都要捶打自己的胸脯，表示得意自豪。Do you wanna try another shot. Shot在这句的意思是“试试”，“想再试一次吗？”It is your shot.这是你的工作了。

　　95. Goofy是个很有用的词，意思有点像silly。Goofy是个卡通狗，长长的耳朵，表情古怪，引人发笑。If you do something goofy, you will gain children’s attention. You are acting goofy. They were worrying about their goofy kids. 傻，不懂事。

　　96. Spooky 可疑，可怕。He is trying to sell something to me, but it looks spooky to me. 他想向我推销东西，不过看起来可疑。 It is dark down the ally, quite spooky.小巷子很暗，有点可怕。

　　97. Fishy,不诚实，可疑。It sounds fishy. 听起来不可信。

　　98. Buff原意是牛皮，口语中指“对某事务有强烈爱好，知识丰富的人”a Civil War buff 内战史迷。He happens to be a genealogy buff. Those who are not beef buffs can order something else. Buff又指那种肌肉发达的人： Some buff athletes lifting weights at the gym.

　　99. It may be a cock-and-bull story. Cock-and-bull 没有书对的事。He is good at telling cock-and-bull stories. 他最会胡编乱讲。

　　100. That will crank you up. 意思是“That will cheer you up.”
　　

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 14:56 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

　　101. I have a fire in my belly to do something for this village. 我有一股强烈的愿望，能为这个村庄做点什么。特别注意，这个成语与“一肚子火”没有关系，是表示有一种正面的强烈愿望。
　　I love this desire which comes from a fire in my belly.
　　一首歌的歌词：Fire in my heart, fire in my belly too Got a heart and a mind and a fire inside And I’m crazy about you You, you on your high flying cloud You, you when you’re laughing out loud.
　　Have a yen for也是口语，同样表示“I have a desire for”： I have a yen for a thick juicy steak. He has a yen for this girl.

　　102．Digital cameras are cheap now, you can get one for peanuts. 最便宜的东西莫过于花生，用买花生的钱就能买的东西，那当然是很便宜了。以前美国南部产棉花，但棉花对土地有结板块的作用。后来农民发现棉花收割后种花生对土地有帮助，于是开始种花生。那时花生不过像杂草一样，农民任其烂在田里。直到发明了花生酱后，花生才渐渐地成为人们喜欢的食物。

　　103．Blow out 与 blow away
　　With this dress, you are going to blow away everybody at your party.
　　I am blown out to find out that she would not come.

　　104．You are so jumpy. 你真是有点神经质。一个人兴奋得乱蹦乱跳,所以显得有点神经质.

　　105．Are you getting the picture You are going to get the whole picture.

　　106．Tough, 这个词是口语中使用频率比较高的，a tough guy,
　　It is pretty tough to get a reservation. 这里的tough就是difficult得意思。You just have to tough it out.

　　107．Rough, 注意，rough与touch意思不同，容易混淆。
　　I have some rough patches with my wife. 我有好些地方得与老婆去磨合磨合了。

　　108．I am here now, I need to get in a swing of it. 我已经到了，该投入行动了。

　　109．More brawn than brain 四肢发达，头脑简单 Nowadays, pop-culture icons are more brawn than brain. 现在流行文化中的偶像都是些四肢发达，头脑简单的家伙。

　　110．Once you get to the meat of the subject, you will start to enjoy it. Meat肉，这里做“精髓”解。Nub也有这个意思：the nub of the story

　　111．Watch out for bait-and-switch tactics. 街头骗子常用的手法就是快速地掉包，先用一个诱饵，乘你不注意掉包。

　　112．Ball这个词人人都识，就是球的意思。但在口语里，还有三个其他的含义。The little girl had a ball at school today. 这个小女孩今天在学校参加了一个舞会。
　　另外on the ball 的含义是，有知识，有才华，懂行，办事利索。
　　He is a teacher who is really on the ball. 他是个了不起的老师。a manager who has a lot on the ball很懂行的经理; a student who has nothing on the ball 学得一塌糊涂的学生
　　另一个说法表示一个人“能干”，可以说hot-shot：The boss would like to hire a hot-shot employee 能干的职员 a hot-shot teacher, 能干的老师，
　　Ball的第三个用法是having sex：They met, they clicked, they are having a ball.
　　I am glad you have started the ball rolling. 很高兴你把这事推动起来了。

　　补充112句：
　　The ball is in your court now.现在球已到你那边了。（意即得由你作次决定了，作出回应了）
　　Fireball：火球，例如像原子弹爆炸一般，引申为“成功、热情、精力旺盛”之意。I hope John will join us, he is a fireball.(or he is a ball of fire.)我希望约翰能加入我们，他是个热情旺盛的人。

　　113．Blur 模糊，Taiwan talk is just a blur. 台湾问题的讨论不过是在搅混水。The next hour is a blur to me.接下来的一个小时我就稀里糊涂了。

　　114．I have worked my butt out.我干活干得筋疲力尽了。中国人“我干这活都掉了两斤肉。”英语里是累得屁股都掉了。

　　115．Snake oil 江湖郎中开的药 a snake oil salesman, 一个骗子推销商，传销卖的东西基本上都是snake oil。中国的保健品基本上也都是snake oil，中国最有名的snake oil恐怕是脑白金了。

　　116．I saw several old geezers walking in the street. old geezer 老人，老头子（有幽默味道，并不含贬义），表示老头子还有另两种说法：old chap, old stick，这只能熟人之间用，

　　117． She is angry with me, but I stick to my guns.她对我很愤怒，但我决不让步。stick to one’s guns 表示坚持原则。坚守原则的另一说法是：You need to hold your ground even if some people oppose you. 就算有人攻击你，你也一定要坚守立场。

　　118．A night owl 熬夜的人 He is a night owl. 相当于He likes to burn night oil.

　　119．Mr. Li never throws anything away, he is a pack rat. 李先生从不扔掉任何东西,他简直是垃圾收藏家。

　　120． He has been my sidekick for several years.他是我多年的好友。Sidekick 可以是老朋友，也指在关系中处于小弟的位置：I have been his sidekick for many years, now it is time that I break into my own business. 我作他的跟班已经好些年了，现在我该自己创业了。

　　121. Close but no cigar. 差不多就答对了，但尚不能获奖。（大概是答对了就会奖励一支雪茄吧）同样的结构有Thanks but no thanks.如果你谢绝别人要给你提供的帮助或东西时，你可以这么说，“谢谢，但不需要。”

　　122. three strikes, you are out. 这是一句棒球语，但也开始用在日常生活中，往往意思为：“如果你犯三次，就把你开除。”好些年前，美国曾讨论一个叫“three strikes law”，又叫“habitual offender laws”，该法律主要是针对那些刑事犯罪惯犯，如果一连犯了三次重罪，刑期就得自动延长，甚至是终生监禁，有点中国“严-打”的味道，但也有人指出这法律不合宪法，因为宪法中规定，一罪不二罚。

　　123. The returns are good but the stakes are high. 回报诱人，但风险极高。

　　124. Every year, four hundred Americans die from heat stroke. Heat stroke就是中暑，今年中暑的人特别多。

　　125. I need some back-up from you. 我需要你的支持。Support是书面语，backup是口语。Police: I need backup, I need backup.请求支援，请求支援。Back off, 让开。

　　126. get out of here. 直接的意思是，滚到一边去吧。也可以意为：得了吧。如果你不同别人的话，也可这么说。

　　127. I am pulling an all-nighter. 熬夜

　　128. Let me get my head around this. 让我把这件事想清楚。

　　129. you need to get your head straight. 你得头脑清醒清醒。

　　130. the sticks，这里的sticks 是“树林，深林”的意思。He is a guy in the sticks, how could you expect him to know that? 他住深山老林，他怎么可能知道这事？stick-thin, 或者 as thin as a stick 骨瘦如柴 I remember her as a stick-thin teenager. 我的记忆里，她是个骨瘦如柴的青少年。比较：out of the woods脱离深林，意即“脱离危险”。

　　131. Streamliner 高速列车，我国最近开通的D字头车就可称为streamliner，另一个词是子弹头车bullet train，赛车也可以说是streamlined cars；

　　132. I try to fix Michael up with my sister’s classmate Mary. 我想要撮合Michael与我妹妹的同学Mary成一对。

　　133. One for the books 值得记一笔的事件，难以置信的事件。

　　134. You should bypass the mind and go straight to the bloodstream of your listeners. 你不要跟听众讲大道理，而应该直接去打动他们的心。 Or say: go straight to their gut feeling

　　135. Many Chinese people like to play devil’s advocate in politics. 许多中国人最喜欢在讨论政治时唱反调。play devil’s advocate就是“抬杠”的意思。

　　136. I don’t like his devil-may-care attitude. 我不喜欢他那毫不在乎的态度

　　137. “恶搞”如何说？spoof, spoofing attack, “When a good product gets spoofed, that is too bad.”

　　138. "I wouldn’t vote for him for dogcatcher" or "He couldn’t run for dogcatcher in this country". Dogcatcher 捕狗员，如有流浪狗在街上，捕狗员的工作就是抓这些狗，这是最低贱的活了。“连捕狗员我都不会选他去当。”（实际意思是：他又如何可以竞选当县长？）

　　139. 出血大甩卖deep discount, blowout sale, 清仓大甩卖closing sale, clearance sale, 减价 on sale, slashed by half,

　　140. Turnoff, 本意是“关灯”，如果一个人一来就关灯，这个人就是“turnoff”（扫兴）: One of the girls’ biggest turn-offs is guys who are indecisive. 女孩最不喜欢的人就是那些老犹豫不决的男子。A woman who is aggressive is a turnoff to men. 什么事都抢先争赢的女人不受男人的欢迎。Zhang Yimou’s movies are always turnoffs. 张艺谋的电影都叫人看不下去。

　　141. Gotcha. 是got you的口语形式，意思就是“明白”。

　　142. She can really turn a phrase. 她的语言文字能力极强。又可以说：a turn of phrase, She has a nice turn of phrase which should serve her well in journalism. 她善于文字表达，因此适合从事新闻业。又作“表达法”解释：Significant other’, meaning ’partner’, now that’s an interesting turn of phrase.

　　143. there is a lot of ground work to do. 还有好多预备工作要做。这大概是源于航空业，在飞机起飞前，要做很多的地面工作。

　　144. That is the real deal. 这才是真正的目的，真正的实惠所在。

　　145. I don’t mean to cry over your shoulder, but here is my reality, I have lots of bills to pay. 我并不是想赚取你的同情，但我的实际情况是，我真的有好多账单还没有付。

　　146. Net Gestapos track down and punish offenders for even some minor perceived rule-breaking offense. Track down 追踪， 哪怕是那些微不足道的犯规，网盖都会要穷追不舍把犯规者法办。

　　147. 他是代课老师。可以说a temporary teacher, 不过口语的说法是He is a fill-in teacher. Fill-in 临时替代。

　　148. He is quite spunky today. Spunky, 兴高采烈，情绪好。From the spunky look on his face you could tell he must have done well in the test. 从他有精神的表情上可以得出他一定考得不错。

　　149. They beat us fair and square. 我们输得心服口服。Everyone wants to get rich ovenight, they don’t care if they will earn something fair and square.

　　150. I want you to get your room in shipshape. 请把房间收拾好。Everything is shipshape.一切都好，一切准备就绪。Shipshape指的是军舰上一切都是有条不紊。

　　151. that really gets under one’s skin 意思是It really upsets me. 钻到了某个人的皮肤下，就是很令人厌烦的意思。She really gets under my skin now. 她真的有点令我生厌了。还有一个类似的说法：To be honest it is starting to get on my nerves. 讲老实话，我对这事很不感冒了。

　　152. 一个人要大小便了如何说？最通常的说法是：Excuse me, I need to use bathroom. 如果一定要表明是小便还是大便，可以说 I want to pee, or I want to poo. pee and poo 都是儿童用语，poo大人一般会避免不用，因为听起来太粗俗。小便大便的正式说法是：urine and bowel movements。肚子不舒服拉稀为：I have some loose stools，这是比较口语的说法，正规说法是diarrhea. 便秘是constipation。 I have urge to go to bathroom. 尿胀了。 irregular bowel movements：大便不正常

　　153. He is a rather layback person. 他是一个平和的人。也就是不会容易激动的人，反面词是jumpy。I’m enjoying the lay back culture of Lijiang. 我很喜欢丽江的安逸的环境。

　　154. He looked at his laptop and said: “I am afraid I don’t have much juice now.” 这里的juice的意思是电池电量很低了。

　　155. She is a chatter box. 她的话匣子从来关不住。

　　156. She is nosy. 她喜欢多管闲事。

　　157. We have to start from scratch again. 我们又得从头开始了。现在流行说ground zero。例如美国世贸大厦被炸后就成了Ground Zero.

　　158. The doctor told me that I had to slow down- or else. “or else” 表示比较严重的事会发生。医生叫我放慢节奏，否则的话……。这个结构可以比较英语口语第二题中的第七句的结构：Thank you for .....(the tea, and so on), and everything else.

　　159. Study hard, pass the exams or bust. Bust是“失败，出局”的意思。“要好好学习、考试及格，要不然就玩完了。”or else, 和or bust都属于同样的结果，表示更严重的后果。

　　160. 与“座位”有关的几个口语词组：I am very fortunate to get the ringside seat to the event. 靠近比赛台的座位，比喻为近距离观察。 The consumer is in the driving seat due to the huge range of goods on the market. driving seat 表示“掌控大局”， You must rent this video. It keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end. 你得去租这部电影看看，从头到尾都会让你聚精会神。还有一个常用的词组：back seat driver坐在后面喜欢告诉开车的人如何开车，意思就是幕后操纵，垂帘听政。邓小平就是一个back-seat driver.

　　161 口语中一些描绘人物的词汇：上次提到了layback, 意为“与世无争的”，He is a rather layback person. Spunky: 很活泼、很有生气的样子，She is quite spunky。这词也有生气的意思：Nobody knows why my father has been spunky lately. Jumpy 有神经质的样子，一惊一炸的，He is jumpy.（high-strung）。She has bubbly personality. Bubble有气泡的，形容人热情。Sassy, 没有教养，说话粗鲁，例如小孩子顶嘴。也有活泼的含义。与sassy有关的东西一般都是青少年类的。

　　162. every nook and cranny 每个角落，The story surely has reached every nook and cranny in the city. 这件事传遍的大街小巷。 Every nook and cranny has brought back memories. This house is where I grew up. I know every nook and cranny of it. Law books were stuffed into every nook and cranny of his office.

　　163.tidy 很可观，巨大，She sold it for a tidy profit.说“钱多”还可以说handsome, handsome profit 也是利润可观的意思。Tidy 另一个意思是整洁：the room is clean and tidy. 还有一个口语词表达巨大的：colossal, Tis really a colossal success. a colossal waste of time,

　　164.be off one’s rocker, rocker是摇椅，一个人坐在摇椅上得意忘形就摇到地上去了，意思就是crazy。Spending that much on a car! He must be off his rocker! Have you gone totally off your rocker? Rocker 又叫lazy chair。Off the wall也是不可思议的意思。

　　165.台湾人说“呛阿扁”如何说？可以用hoot, They hooted at the speaker. 他们对做报告的人发出呛声。The audience hooted the actor. 观众都向这个演员喝倒采。Before too long, they hooted the singer off the stage.很快他们就把这个歌手轰下了台。

　　166. 垃圾文章，trashy articles, or junk articles, 垃圾小说也可以这么说：trashy novels, junk novels,

　　167. It is toasty outside. 外面很热。

　　168. a curve ball, curve 意为“曲线”，棒球投球手（pitcher）投出难接的曲线球，意为“意外的难题”， The weather threw a curve at their outdoor picnic and they had to eat indoors. 天气忽然变得很糟糕，他们不得不中断室外的野餐，而到室内吃。函数表格中常常出现曲线，表示两个点之间的关系，现在也喻事务中间的关系：the learning curve，progress curve, cost improvement curve，gradual learning curve（学习要循序渐进） 等等，都有这个意思。

　　169. She got him in her back pocket. Back pocket, 裤后面的口袋，意思是“囊中物，跑不了”，这句话的意思因此是“她已经把他驯得对她死心塌地。”

　　170. whack 狠狠揍了。。。一顿，或干掉了谁。He got whacked.他被狠揍了一顿。但注意They have all had a whack. 这里的whack意思为cut, 一份：他们大家都得到了一份。

　　171. I am not a sugar daddy. 我可不是要什么给什么的人。甜爸爸，非常慷慨的意思。

　　172. It is obvious that he doesn’t have all of his marbles. Marble的意思是大理石，但口语中为“理智”。这句话的意思是：很显然，他头脑（或思维）有点问题。He completely lost his marbles after the stock market crashed. 股市崩盘后，他差点跳楼。

　　173. huffy 形容词，生气的，骄傲的，脸皮薄的。If they get all huffy, you know they are not humble people. 如果他们老是动辄生气，你就知道他们根本没有什么涵养。She stayed huffy a good while. 她气了好一阵。

　　174. Got the picture? 明白了吗？I just can’t get the picture. Picture指事物的真相。

　　175. It was a great venture. It was going great guns. 这是非常值得的投资，很成功。I’m not worried about our company’s future — we’re going great guns, and I expect it to continue.我根本就不为我们公司的将来去担忧，我们发展得很好，我觉得还会一直很好地发展。
　　 Stick to his guns 不放弃，坚持 David’s family were against him becoming an actor but he stuck to his guns. 大卫的家人都反对他去当演员，但他却不放弃。Stand by your guns and don’t let them talk you into working full time if you don’t want to. 坚持你自己的方式，如果你不想全时间工作，就不要听他们这样的建议。
　　Shotgun marriage奉子成亲（来源：女子未婚怀孕，女子父亲拿枪逼男子与女子成婚），胁迫婚姻（forced marriage），
　　Their cohabitation led to a shotgun wedding and a bitter divorce before too long.他们同居后，女方怀孕，不得不结婚，然后很快就离了婚。
　　A shotgun political marriage （民进党与国民党）两个政敌迫不得已的联手

　　176. throwback 生物学上返祖現象。这是进化论的观点。比如有人肝门部位突出了一点，进化论者就说那是返祖现象，说明人是猴子变的。当然这情况不常有，常有的倒是不少人有六个指头，但从来没有听到进化论者说那是返祖现象。不过这个词在日常生活中的意思是“旧派、守旧”，例如我一位朋友，在大学教书，那里人人都为当教授争得头破血流，而她却厌恶为了教授的席位去争风吃醋。这样的人在现今的年代已几乎绝迹了，可以说她是个返祖现象。
　　She is a throwback to an era when people would not sell out. 她还是属于不出卖灵魂时代的人。
　　His sentiments were a throwback to the old communist days. 他的观点属于从前过时的共产党时代。
　　Being a sort of throwback to the Victorian age, she won’t go against her old dad’s wishes. 她具有维多利亚时代的气质，不会跟老爸的意愿过不去。

　　177. put on the back burner, 意为“将一项事延后”（可能是不重视）I don’t think we will have time to complete it this year. Let’s put it on the back burner. 我觉得今年是没有时间完成这项工作了，我们就把它延后一点吧。
　　Plans for a new sports complex have been put on the back burner. 修建一座体育馆的计划不得不延后。

　　178. lay a finger at 碰…..一下，但这个词组一般只用在否定句中。Don’t lay a finger at him. 不要打他。Dare you lay a finger at him, I will kill him. 只要你敢碰他，我就宰了你。You’d better not lay a finger on those documents! 这些文件你最好碰都不要碰。If you lay a finger on me, I’ll sue. 如果你敢碰我，我就把你告上法庭。

　　179. 如果一个人收到一份请帖，如婚礼请帖，后面会有几个字母：R.S.V.P. 这几个字母是法文“répondez, s’il vous plaît,”的缩写，意为“请回答”。按照礼节（Etiquette rules），收信人应该在当天就回信。有时有人会把缩写转为动词用：Have you R.S.V.P.ed to that invitation？

　　180. They are fighting for crumbs. Crumb是面包渣。他们在为生存苦苦挣扎。

　　181. It is a family business. 这是家传生意。Family business 就是爷爷干了，传给爸爸，爸爸再传给下一代，因此又可称是祖传生意。Family restaurant 家庭餐厅，这个餐厅里干活的都是一家人，因此不大，但温馨、有特色。主要是与连锁店相比较的一个概念。

　　182. pep talk, 比赛前，教练给队员们的鼓舞士气的讲话。现在可以泛指了，例如老师每天给学生鼓舞斗志的讲话也是pep talk。安慰人也可以说是pep talk。pep rally，啦啦队的人带领全场的人为自己的队伍呼喊鼓气。例如：老师鼓励学生：“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” - George Carlin
　　Pep 一词从pepper发展而来，人困了时，咬口辣椒可以提神。

　　183. tough, 坚硬的，（肉）很老的，也表示一件事不容易。That will be a tough sale.要让人接受你这个方案不会那么容易。I toughed it out 我硬挺过来了。

　　184. I have been totally sold out to your idea. 我100％地赞同赞同你的意见。我完全为你的主意所折服。类似的话还有If you are not careful enough, you will buy into his bad idea. 如果你不小心的话，你就会采纳他的这馊主意。

　　185. killer, 杀手，a serial killer连环杀手。口语中killer有好几个意思，1.“迷人的”，a lady killer, 叫女性痴迷的人，如007类的人。2. Killer career, 成功的事业：As women started to build killer careers of their own, males started to feel the pressure. 当女性开始建立起她们自己成功的事业时，男性也就开始感到了压力。He has really lots of good Ideas and tactics for a killer career. 3. 不错，好看That laser light show was killer! 现在好些网虫给自己起网名为killa, killah, killor, 等。

　　186. Bigwig 有钱人，老板 This is a retreat only for bigwig. 那是给有钱人玩的度假村。

　　187. edge 是个常用词，“边缘，刀刃”，口语中有另外几个意思：take the edge off, 减轻， Have an apple. Itll take the edge off your hunger for a while. 先吃个苹果，垫垫底。His apology took the edge off her anger. 他道了欠后，她的怒气也就消了不少。 This music collection will take the edge off summer heat. 这个歌集会给你的酷暑带来凉意。
　　The memorial service didnt bring my husband back to life, but it took the edge off my sorrow. 追悼会没有让我丈夫死而复活，但给了我很大的安慰。
　　on the cutting edge： 处于最前端，The young people are on the cutting edge of this tecknology.
　　on edge, 直译是站在悬崖处，意思是“很紧张”，The players were all a little on edge before the big game. 在大赛前，选手个个都显得很紧张。
　　have the edge on (over someone/something ) Democrats now have the edge in the Senate. 民主党在参议院里现在略有优势。
　　On a knife edge: 处境艰难，危险Shes been living on a knife-edge since her ex-husband was released from prison last month. 从他前夫上个月从监狱释放后，她的生活就一直受到极大的威胁。The theatre is on a financial knife-edge and must sell 75% of its seats every night to survive.这个剧院处于财务危机，每晚必须卖掉75%的座位方能坚持下去。
　　复习：这句话在前面一节里提到过：You must rent this video. It keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end.

　　188. ruffle someone’s feathers 引起不快，引起争论
　　He wasnt asked to speak at the conference, and I know that ruffled his feathers a bit.
　　Her book ruffled a lot of feathers and put the idea of "beauty as bondage" on the fast track of social issues.
　　这个成语不能直接翻译成中文里的“一地鸡毛”。

　　189. "a blessing in disguise" 伪装的祝福，或因祸得福，有塞翁失马之意。
　　My computer broke down again, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise; Ive been wasting too much time online chatting anyway. 我的电脑又坏了，不过可能会因祸得福，因为我太沉溺于网上聊天，虚度光阴。
　　Persecution by the government on Christians is a blessing in disguise; it actually strengthed the body of Christ. 政府给基督徒的逼迫实际上是一种伪装的祝福，逼迫使基督的教会更加坚强。

　　190. a piece of cake, 很容易就能完成的事，易如反掌。Do you think you can win the game? A piece of cake. 你觉得能赢吗？小菜一碟。

　　191. cookie-cutter 同样的模式的，千篇一律的
　　The architects were determined that it wouldnt be just another cookie-cutter mall.
　　Management too often uses a cookie-cutter approach to solving problems.

　　192. You can be loose in our house. I am loose. 在我家你可以很随便，我是一个随便的人。还有一个成语：loose as a goose, 进而发展出loosey-goosey：“Despite the pressure, he was loosey-goosey throughout the game.”尽管压力很大，他整个球赛打得都轻松自如。They are having a loosey-goosey time.

　　193. I would like to touch base with you. 我想跟你保持联络。

　　194. the end of one’s rope, = out of options: Having tried everything he could think of to get admitted to law school, Robert finally found himself at the end of his rope. 也可以说：at my wits’ end,

　　195. plug sb/sth in 把。。排进来(时间表、或其它) ；参加 You tell me when you are available, I will plug you in.告诉我你什么时间有空，我就给你排上。The best way to study English is to plug in a program. Pull plug on 对付 The net police is pulling plug on those pro-democracy articles on net.

　　196. sure thing 可以，肯定可以。表示赞同，有人也会说：sweet.

　　197. “他退步了，后来有了很大的转变”英文如何说？He got backslidden,but he has had a great turn. Backslide 退步，下降，堕落。

　　198. suck: suck up 这个栏目里已经提到了好几个拍马屁的词汇，suck up 是另一个：Shes always sucking up to the boss, telling him how wonderful he is.
　　The public school sucks. 公立学校最烂。 This bike sucks. 这辆自行车不好骑。I don’t want to get sucked in that scheme. 我才不想给弄到那个鬼计划里去呢。
　　In winter, this area will be sucked in heavy snow.

　　199. This costs only five bucks, you cannot beat that. 这才五块钱，你无论如何也不可能找到比这更低的价了。

　　200．Blip 在雷达显示屏显出的一个小点
　　It appears to be a one-time blip in the historic trend.

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 15:35 编辑 ]

wolf

几天不见 楼主的英文是突飞猛进哦 上面的140句全都掌握了

yindingzhenger

　　201. Are you two ganging up on me? 你们两人是不是在串通来整我呀？gang 作动词就是串通一气，例如打牌，几个人串通一气来对付一个人。You should not gang up on the weak ones. gang的本来意思是帮派，街上的那些混混在一起就是gang.。中国几十年前流行的一个词组，“gang of four”（四人帮），这个译法总有点让人感到不严肃。应该译为“The Extreminists Four”, “Four Extreme Leftists”or “Mao’s Four” 。

　　202. He beat his brains out studying but could not keep up with the rest of his class. Beat one’s brains意思是用工努力，“他已经绞尽脑汁，但是赶不上同班同学。”“绞尽脑汁”还一个说法：rack up one’s brain，例句：I am racking my brain, but I can’t imagine why you’ll make this up. 我绞尽脑汁也弄不明白你为什么要编这瞎话。No-brainer 名词：根本就不必用脑去想都能明白的事，Learning Chinese can be a no-brainer if you know the right method. 如果方法得当，学中文不过是小菜一碟。The exam is a no-brainer. 这次考试闭了眼也能答出。No-brainer也可以做形容词：a no-brainer action movie 情节简单的动作片，This book contains 20 no-brainer ways to improve your English vocabulary. 这本书介绍了20种简易的方法来提高英语。

　　203. off-shore bank account, 境外的银行帐户，意思是为躲避纳税，或说明钱的来路不正。Many communist party officials have off-shore bank accounts, this is an open secret.

　　204. flip-flop 变来变去，例如某党的政策变来变去就是flip flop。

　　205. trendy, 时髦，是fashionable的意思。

　　206. It is time to strike up the band, air up the baloons and invite all of your friends to join in the celebration. strike up the band乐队奏乐； Air up the baloon 放气球。

　　207. They treat me like a doormat. I felt so let down.大家把我简直就不当人对待，我感到太沮丧了。Doormat是进门前的门垫，任由人踩。

　　208. bleeding edge 直译的意思是让人出血的刀刃，实际意思是“还没有完善、成熟的尖端技术（所以会让人受伤）”No longer bleeding edge, mobile and wireless are becoming essential part of the modern office. 移动无线已已经今非昔比了，现在成为办公室不可缺少的工具。

　　209. blue-sky蓝天，转意为“大胆”，例句： The government has been doing some blue-sky thinking on how to improve public transport.

　　210. chillout music 由电子乐器演奏的安静的音乐。I love chillout music. It is a great way to lie back, relax, and drift into another world.

　　211. raise the red flag 报警，引起注意 If you write too much on democracy, it will raise the red flag and the National Security guys will watch you.如果你写太多关于民主的文章，就会引起当局的注意，国-安局的人就会盯上你。

　　212. He is spending like a drunken sailer. Sailer(水手)一到一个海港便急着找地方花钱，所以形容一个大手大脚就说他花钱像一个喝醉了水手。

　　213. After nap, I feel foggy for a while. 午睡后，我会云里雾里一阵子。

　　214. Democracy is the defining issue of our time. 民主我们这个时代最强的诉求。define 定义，区别事物最重要的证据。

　　215. or what 美国人喜欢在句末用这个词组。Are we good friends or what 我们可不是好朋友？Are you going or what 你到底去不去？

　　216. Wedge本意为“楔子”，口语意为“不和”。
　　As long as there is a wedge between them, they cannot work together on this project. 只要他们之间有嫌隙，他们就不能在这个项目上进行合作。
　　drive a wedge between 挑起谁与谁之间的不和
　　Frank had to travel a lot and this finally drove a wedge between him and his wife.弗兰克必须经常旅行，这终于导致了他和妻子间的矛盾。
　　Her mother-in-law drove a wedge between her and her husband.他的岳母在他和妻子间挑拨离间。

　　217. I feel so unloved and alone. Last year, when my dad died, I hit bottom. 我感觉不到有人爱我，很是孤独。去年我父亲去世后，我就感到万念俱灰。hit bottom 感到绝望，痛苦得不能再痛苦了，差到极限了。When a students grades hit bottom it is time to hit the books. 当一个学生门门课都考得一塌糊涂时，他就该看看书了吧。hit bottom的延伸说法：hit rock bottom,绝望透顶。
　　类似的说法还有，hit the wall： Weve just about hit the wall in terms of what we can do to balance the budget.“在平衡预算方案一事上，我们现在已经是束手无策。”

　　218. A husband should not twist his wife’s arm to do his will. 警察抓人就喜欢把人的手拧到背后，这就是twist one’s arm, 也就是“强行”的意思。“做丈夫的不应该把自己的意志强加给妻子。”

　　219. What bugged me, though, was that she blamed me! bug 本意为虫子，口语里有另外两个意思，一是 令人讨厌，就像一个虫子一样，这句话里的bug就是这个意思。She keeps bugging me.她老是烦我。还一个意思是“窃听”。National Security guys bug me all the time. 国家安-全局的那几个家伙老是窃听我的电话。这句话也可以这么说：Those guys like to eavesdrop on ordinary Chinese citizens. 这些家伙窃听普通中国公民上了瘾。Those guys developed a program to rapidly monitor the phone calls and other communications of people.那些家伙开发了一种程序能迅速监控人们的电话和其它通讯往来。

　　220. Kickoff, 开始 He kicked off his White House campaign yesterday.他昨天正式开始了竞选美国总统。

　　221. Whenever Im down in the dumps, rather than wallow in my troubles, I try to do things that will get my mind off them. dump 垃圾场, wallow, 猪在泥中打滚，get my mind off 不去想这些事。每当我遇到烦心的事事，我总会找些事做，不让自己想不开，不老想着这些事。

　　222. When they play, it is history. 只要他们参赛，就会书写历史。注意例句30：My relationship with her is already a history.a history 与history 意思很不相同。

　　223. roll 的基本意思是“滚动”，在口语里常用。
　　Can the Chinese team keep rolling 中国队还能保持势头吗？
　　Let’s roll. 让我们开始吧！让我们继续前进吧。
　　They should roll back their support of a dictatorship government. 他们应该终止对独裁政权的支持。
　　Rock n Roll, 摇滚 Do you like Rock n Roll music
　　I am glad that you have got the ball rolling.我很高兴你已经把事情推动运作起来了。

　　224. Life is like a roller coaster. There are ups and downs. “生活就像过山车，有高潮、有低潮（有时得意，有时失意）。”这是安慰人的话，一般是在对方失意的时候说的。

　　225. Gratify, 我们一般知道“满足”的英文是satisfy，口语里现在常用“gratify”：That is very gratifying to me.

　　226. Get to the point, don’t beat the bush. 有话直说好了，不要弯弯绕好不好。I got your point, OK 我明白你的意思了，好不好？（言下之意就是不要再罗嗦了。）What is your point 你究竟想说什么？

　　227. get to you: You are silly for letting this get to you. 让这事来烦你，你是有点傻。

　　228. put your foot in your mouth 得罪 If you speak the truth, you will often put your foot in your mouth. Put foot in 冒犯 I really put my foot in it with Julie. I didnt realise she was a vegetarian.

　　229. I try to get myself out of the way as quickly as possible. Out of the way，退出，不碍事。参见in the way

　　230. Thank goodness. 谢天谢地。一般人们会说，Thank God.但也有人不是信徒，他们或许会说，Thank goodness. 也有人用My Goodness来代替My God，或者说：My gosh.我的天呀！

　　231. They are going to throw a party, are you interested in going Throw a party, 举行聚会 to throw someone into prison,把某关进监狱
　　The FBI threw every available agent into the case. 联邦调查局把所有的警力全都投入到了这个案子.
　　
　　232. She just had a car accident. She is treated now with intravenous fluids and she is not out of the woods yet. 她刚遭遇车祸，她现在在接受打点滴(打吊针)治疗，还没有脱离危险。Out of the woods, 脱离危险。一个人在深林里迷了路那是很可怕的事，出了深林就是脱离了危险。
　　
　　233. Be cheerful, man. The cloud cover is beginning to lift. 振作一点，老兄，乌云已经开始消散了。
　　
　　234. He is really puffed up. 他很是得意。
　　
　　235. Dont Beat Yourself up Over Every little Mishap, Cut Yourself Some Slack! 不要为了一点小时就捶胸顿足的，没什么大了不起的事。
　　
　　“Dont beat yourself up over something that you have no control over,,,,Others have fallen....that doesnt mean that you will.” 不要一有什么事你办不了就垂头丧气好不好？别人因此失败了，并不意味着你也会失败。
　　
　　236. Down the road 过程，以后，将来， The question is how far down that road you go to allow citizens exposure of pleasure in gambling in Macau that they may not be able to control themselves. 也可以说，down the line。
　　He will change down the road. 他日后会改变的.
　　
　　237. in addition to, He works as a security guard and attends college in addition to raising two sons. 相当于besides，“他除了要抚养两个儿子，还要兼职做保安以及读大学。”
　　
　　238. ins and outs, 里里外外，彻底。He knows the ins and outs of how the government function, so it is easy for him to escape the checkout by the officials. 他对政府运作了如指掌,所以他很容易就能逃避政府的检查.
　　
　　239. He sounds upbeat. 看样子他很开朗。
　　
　　240. I am so happy you are well situated now. 你都安顿好了，真叫我高兴。I am calling to see how you are situated.

　　241. 你到别人家做客，主人问你，Do you need anything else?还需要什么吗？你可回答：That can settle me well. （对我来说）这就够好了。

　　242. Everyone should go off the grid. Grid 的意思是“格子”，也作“高压电线，电网”解，这话直译是，“每个人都应该脱离电网的生活。”没有了电网，生活就回到了原始状态。因此Off the grid的含义是，“不使用电器、反潮流、反传统，返璞归真”。 Everyone in this community lives "off the grid", they now draw all their power from solar, wind, propane and other sources.

　　243. To be honest with you, to be a millionaire doesn’t hold much interest for me. That kind of life style is quite controlling. I would rather be free to make choices, and take chances that keep me learning. 坦率地说吧，我没有兴趣当百万富翁，那种生活方式太钳制人。我宁可自由自在地生活，时刻学习。My family holds much interest for me. 家庭对我来说极为重要。

　　244. There are freaky things going on here. 这里好些事都觉得不对劲。Freaky恐怖的，可怕的。It is so freaky. 很吓人的呢。It really freaks me out. 我吓得半死。

　　245. way，可作副词，表示程度，way too much, I just have way too much going on in my life right now, I cannot visit you as I would like to. 我现在忙得一塌糊涂，我想多看你但没有办法。 It is way too far/ way too much. Two thumbs way up. 实在是太棒了。

　　246. scoop 本意为一勺，例如a scoop of ice-cream. 口语里作“抢新闻报道”“收集”解释：He got all the big scoops for the paper. 他为这家报纸抢到了所有的头号新闻。He always has some ways for the inside scoop on getting some freebies.他总是有些办法通过内部渠道搞到免费的票。I will get the scoop tomorrow.

　　247. Im having a hard time with somebody or something. 对谁或事有很大的意见。

　　248. run for the hills, 往安全地带跑，避免伤害。You need to take his advice and run for the hills before you get hurt. 你应该听听他的意见，采取保护自己的措施，免得受伤害。Run for the hills这成语出自圣经马太福音24:16 “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. ”

　　249. brush-off 拒绝，伤害 She just walked away without greeting me. This brush-off really hurt my feelings. 如果一个男生邀请女朋友吃饭，女朋友一连几次都拒绝，男生可能就会问了：Is this a brush-off？你想甩掉我了，是吗？The new policy is a brush-off to business. 新政策对生意大泼了冷水。

　　250. I consider my relationship with him a closed chapter. A closed chapter, 最后一章，结尾。

　　251. You have really got me.这你还真的难倒我了。
　　
　　252. It cannot get you very far. 这帮不了你太大的忙。例如可以说：One hundred Yuan nowadays cannot get you very far. 现在一百元钱花不了几天了。
　　
　　253.I just want to be sure I am on the same page with you. 我就想确信一下，我与你是同步的。这话也可以说成，I want to see if I am in the same boat with you.
　　
　　254.I feel like this is a whole new ballgame. 我觉得只是一次全新的经历（全新的工作/挑战）。
　　
　　255. That is a hush-hush secret between them. 这是只有他们之间才知道的秘密。
　　
　　256. Everything he does is below the belt. Below the belt拳击时不能攻击对手皮带以下的位置，但有时有人会这么做，所以转义为“阴谋、不道德的”
　　
　　257. Don’t you have to wash your dirty laundry in public 你一定要把你的这些家丑外传吗？
　　
　　258. 有个男生对女生说：Everyone says I have a bright future on the horizon. 女生回答：The horizon always recedes once you approach it. 人人都说地平线上有大好前途正在等待我。但是当你接近地平线时，地平线却总是消失了。（讽刺男生，说他永远也不会有什么好日子。）
　　
　　259.在117句里提到过gun, 这句话里也涉及到gun ：gun shy, I am a little bit gun shy. Gun shy就是关键时刻不敢扣扳机。敌人站在你面前，你却不敢扣手中枪的扳机，这个人也实在是太害羞了。
　　
　　260.brainchild想法，（带有那种专利的）主意：Democracy is not a brainchild of just white people, it is universal.

　　261 I was so hopeful that my relationship with him would work out. 我一直以为我与他的关系能得到改善。(I was so hopeful that...= i was once convinced that)I did some workout this morning. 今早晨我做了点健身运动。Workout是较流行的词，人们很少再说：I did some exercise this morning. Workout指一般指那种在健身房的锻炼。Can you work out the issues between you two 你们两人之间的问题你们自己能解决吗？work out the difference.解决分歧 Guys in mainland China and guys in Taiwan should work out their differences rather than bicker over these differences. Can you work out some details before you submit the proposal
　　
　　262. Such an unpopular decision is bound to draw a lot of flak. Flak 高射炮，炮弹。“这样不得人心的决定肯定会招致大家的反对。” 防弹衣：flak jacket, 更加通俗的词是bulletproof vest，保险公司的人向医生推销保险时说会：Nowadays patients tend to take their doctors to court for nothing, so it is better to put on some kind of bulletproof vest before you practice. 现在的病人动不动就告把医生告到法庭，所以还是在开业前买点保险比较好。
　　
　　263. He promised to make good on your contract. 他保证会兑现与你签的合同。make good on 还钱，兑现合同。在当今社会，这是一个很有用的词组。I want to make good on that loan I got from Joan. 我一定要把向琼借的钱给还了。He often fails to make good on his promises. 他说话常常不算数。People expect that the Communist Party will make good on democracy someday. 人们期待共产党有天会兑现对实现民主的承诺。
　　
　　264. check out 这是一个用途很广的词，在旅店退房叫checkout（结帐），（住房登记叫checkin），机场登机前办理checkin；Go out and check this guy out.去查一查这个人的背景。You can do some Google checkout before you start writing. 在动笔前你可以先做一些谷歌查询。Do you have some down time? Check out these things to do. 如果你还有点空闲时间，你可以找这些事情来消遣。
　　
　　265. wear out That job is a wearout, it is cold, dirty. He really wears me out. 他把我整得精疲力竭。
　　
　　266.That is a dumb move. 你这样做很笨。这步棋走得很臭。
　　
　　267. you know what You can…这是一个很实用的句子，用在给人提建议前缓和气氛。
　　
　　268. Good for you. 赞赏人说的话。例如有人说，他得了100分。I got 100 for my test today.你就回答：good for you. 他说他中奖了，你就说：good for you.
　　
　　269. I am convinced that…. Convince 比believe的语气更加肯定一些。I am convinced I can do it. 我相信我能做好。
　　
　　270. driving force 推动力，主要力量He is the driving force for this project.他是这个项目的主要推动人。It is naïve to believe that the Party could be a driving force for democracy. 相信这个党能成为民主的推动力量，那是有点天真了。

　　271. My husband is a sports fanatic. Every night he flops on the sofa, flips on the TV. Hes so crazy about Yaoming. He googles Yaoming for every bit of his story. He loves Yaoming more than me. My husband is a selfish, insensitive oaf who puts basketball before his wifes happiness. fanatic.狂热分子，比粉丝-fan要更投入，可以说是superfan。oaf白痴，相当于idiot。我丈夫是个体育狂，每天晚上他倒在沙发上，一个个台看，他网上搜寻只要是姚明的消息，他爱姚明而不爱我。我丈夫是个自私鬼，木头人，可以置篮球于妻子的幸福之上。

　　272. He and I seem to be extremely compatible. But there is a problem. He doesnt open up to me and has his walls up. 他和我看起来是蛮匹配的，但还是有个问题，他对我并不是完全敞开，他总是竖起一道墙。You need to take these possibilities that open up for you. 你应该抓住这些为你敞开的机会。

　　273. How is everything going between you and John? John is seeing another woman, so I kicked him to the curb. 你与约翰的关系怎样了？他跟另一个女人好上了，所以我把他给踢了。Kick to the curb, 男女关系中一方把另一方给甩了，也可以意为“解雇”A woman was kicked to the curb by the company for finding drug use in her hair sample. 公司解雇了一位女职工，因为在化验头发时，发现了她在使用毒品。

　　274. He is so important in my heart of hearts. In my heart of hearts, 比in my heart更强调，在我内心深处，

　　275. Wait for Mr. Right. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled. Peel的意思本来是“剥皮”，例如to peel potatoes，但在这里的意思是“睁大眼睛，竖起耳朵，留意”。Keep one’s eyes peeled与keep a close eye on 几乎是同一个意思。
　　Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the next challenge.

　　276. When you meet someone you like, tell her/him. Don’t be afraid. it is normal to get knocked out. Expect to get rebuffed or rejected. Knock out, 是拳击里的术语，把谁给放倒了，get knocked out, 就是你去约别人时，被拒绝了。整个句子的意思是：如果你喜欢上了一个人，就去告诉他/她好了。如果被拒绝那是再正常不过的事。在看这句：Dont Get Knocked Out in the Second Round of Layoffs.

　　277. Tell your boyfriend that you want the whole enchilada and will end the relationship if he does not step up. enchilada 是类似我们的春卷的一种食品，要整个的enchilada就是“要全部”的意思。“告诉你男朋友，他不能这么三心二意的，如果他不再完全投入的话，你就跟他断绝往来了。”We had the flowers, the speeches, the presents - the whole enchilada. 我们得到了鲜花、贺辞、礼物，总之应有尽有。Enchilada也可以作“老板”解释：Ask the big enchilada what he really means. 问问大老板的主意。

　　278. For some reason, whenever I see her I feel like there is something there. But she says she doesn’t feel anything is there. 我每次见到她，冥冥中我总感到有那么点意思，但她说她从来就感觉不到什么意思。

　　279. You need to get past the old relationship, lick your wounds, and learn your lessons, don’t get involved with a married man, and start a new page. 你就放弃这段情吧，舔舔伤口，学段功课，以后不要再去与已婚男人发生恋情，重新开始吧。

　　280. It is obvious you dig me. 很显然，你喜欢我。I bet she really digs him. 她肯定是爱上他了。口语里dig作“喜欢”解。另外还有：Can you dig it? 你明白吗？Ya dig? 明白吗？

　　281. Where are you from? I am local. I was born and bred here.(你是哪里人？我是本地人，我是生于斯长于斯) breed 喂养。一般说法是grow up, I grew up here dirt-poor. 我生长在一个贫穷的家庭。我是外地人：I am from out of town.

　　282. Be my guest.请便，随你的便，你想干嘛就干嘛。

　　283. Suit yourself. 随你的便。

　　284. The first step is a doosey. Watch that first step, it is a doosey. 万事开头难。第一步总是有风险的。

　　285. Don’t worry about that situation. It will eventually work itself out. 不要为那种状况担心，肯定会车到山前必有路的。

　　286. I am sorry. I’m just zoned out for some reason. Can you say that again? 对不起，不知道为什么，我有点迷糊了。你能再说一遍吗？zone out 走神，不能集中注意力。I dont know what happened after that. I just sorta zoned out.

　　287. tight是口语中常用的一个词汇，应该多多了解。
　　Airtight case 无可争辩的事实 It’s an airtight case: New green building is very energy efficient.无可争辩，新的环保建筑的确节省能源。
　　Tightknit 关系密切 We are a tightknit tribe here. 我们这帮哥们关系可铁呢。或者就说tight，也是这个意思：Do you know Tim? Sure, he and I are tight. 你认识Tim吗？那当然，他和我可铁了。
　　tightlipped smiles.皮笑肉不笑，强挤出来的笑
　　He is tightlipped about the information. 他对这些情况守口如瓶。
　　He doesnt go out with the lads so much these days. Michelle keeps him on a tight leash. On a leash的意思是牵着狗，on a tight leash就是溜狗时紧紧抓住绳索。“这些日子他不再跟见其他女孩子了，米薛看他可看得紧了。”
　　Just sit tight while I go and phone for help. 我去打电话求救，你坐好不要动。
　　Sit tight and dont move that leg. 你安静地坐好，不要老动那条腿。
　　Tight spot 困境： If there is a shortage of fuel, everyone who drives to work will be in a tight spot. 如果汽油供应再跟不上，开车上班族就麻烦了。
　　Bobs in a tight spot right now because he has fallen behind in his work. 巴伯完不成任务，麻烦大了。
　　You need to get your story down tight. The time for interview is limited. 你得把经历讲得短而精，因为你面试的时间十分有限。
　　I want to argue with him but his logic is way too tight. 我想跟他辩，但他的逻辑是滴水不漏。

　　288. He ran for five miles, and he even didn’t break a sweat. 他跑了五英里，连汗都不出，小菜一碟。

　　289. What is that all about? 到底发生了什么事？这究竟是怎么回事？

　　290. I am racking my brain, but I can’t imagine why you’ll make this up. 我绞尽脑汁，也想不出你为什么要编这样一个故事来哄我？

　　291. Pay 与payoff 意思不一样。Pay是工资，是进帐；payoff是付款，是支出。
　　This is my pay day. 今天我发薪水。Is that your payoff to the debt? 这笔钱是用来还款的吗？
　　Efforts and perseverance will finally pay off for democracy. 只有坚持、努力，民主必将成正果。
　　Patience has a future payoff, but impulse pays off now. 耐心的收成在日后，性急的收成在眼前。
　　Being a government stooge doesnt always pay off 做政府的哈巴狗并不是次次都会得意。
　　Payoff 也作“贿赂”解释，Payoff to the government officials is a common practice in this country. 在这个国家贿赂政府官员是种例行公事。

　　292. I have a little situation here. 这里的Situation意思是problem。285例句中的situation实际上也是这个意思。

　　293. Hats off to Andy, who teaches English for free here. 美国人唱国歌时，要脱帽。所以脱帽就是“致敬”的意思。向Andy致敬，他在这里免费教英语。如果你没有帽子，觉得说这话不妥，也可以直接说salute，Salute to Andy.

　　294. fired up: I am really fired up for the race. Fired up 情绪高昂，斗志高昂

　　295. Soup up 原指把普通车改装成赛车，现在也指改进设备。He souped up his old car. 他自己把就车改装成了赛车。The company spend billions on souped-up broadband services. 公司投资数十亿用来提高宽带网的服务质量。Souped-Up Student Housing 豪华学生公寓（指里面设施齐全）

　　296. coffeed up 有人早晨非得喝杯咖啡来提神才能开始一天的生活，这就叫coffee up, He needs to be coffeed up before starting his work.

　　297. Beef up 吃牛肉就会有力，You need to be beefed up a little more.

　　298. A tomboy attitude 女孩子学男孩样，假小子， As soon as she entered middle school, Xiaoli developed a tomboy attitude and got in fights. 小莉一进中学，就野得像男孩一样，常常打架。

　　299. I will go full out for it. 我会全力以赴的。

　　300. Nice job. 干的不错。 Nice efforts. 用了不少功，努力可嘉。相当于中文的“精神可嘉”，注意，这是多半在一个人失败时，或取得的成绩不理想时说的话，属于安慰语。Interesting.说这个词时，多半是委婉语，表示不太相信别人说的话，或不太赞同一件事。初学者不要随便用这个词，最好不要对别人说：Your story is very interesting. 你的故事很有趣呀。这句话听起来是说，我并不相信你的故事。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 16:07 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

　　301.I wish there could be a course on surviving the office jungle. 我真希望有个课程教我们在办公室丛林中如何生存。Office jungle, 指办公室里复杂的人事关系，流言蜚语。
　　
　　302.I have to attend an off-site meeting. 我要外出开会。I will be off-site and unreachable for the rest of the afternoon. 我要出去一下，下午就不要找我了。
　　
　　303.Let me give you some broadstroke ideas and you can fill in the rest.如果你是老板，你就可以这么对下属说：我给你一些基本的想法，其余细节的由你去补充。“补充细节”还一个说法：I will let you iron out the details. 请你把细节弄妥。Can you iron that out? 你能把那件事摆平吗？
　　
　　304.Ill be out of the office for a couple hours with senior management,but you can reach me on my mobile. 我要出去一两个小时，陪高层管理人员，要找我的话，你可以打我的手机。
　　
　　305. Great job on the report. Its good to see you take such boldinitiative! 报告写的不错，你能这样积极主动实在不错。
　　
　　306. Ill think about it. 让我考虑考虑。这话实际上是拒绝的委婉语。
　　
　　307. Lets push the boundaries on this project. We need something reallyinnovative! Throw out the conventions, I want something edgy! 这个项目需要一些更加大胆的想法，我们得找些真正的创新意念。不要管那些老黄历，我要的是创新。
　　
　　308. Think up ways of solving these problems. 动动脑，想些法子解决这些问题。
　　
　　309. I hate my dead-end, crappy job. 我恨死了这个没有任何前途、烦人的工作。I am a greeter at this five star hotel, it is a dead-end job. 我是这个五星级酒店的迎宾员，毫无晋升的机会。But you canlook at this issue this way: A dead-end job is there to provide a steppingstone for upward-bound employees. 但你可以这样来看这个问题：这种死工作是为那种有上进心员工预备的一块跳板。
　　
　　310. Were often pulling some long hours but without extra pay. 我们常常超常加班，可是没有加班工资。

　　311. To make people like you in the office: Start a friendly chitchat with your colleagues. Chitchat 很随意的聊天，交谈；

　　312. Make your cubicle neat, tidy and make it a homey charm. 把你的办公桌弄得干净整洁，像家一样温馨。

　　313. Pay for gas if you carpool with your colleagues. 如果你搭顺风车，记得给车主加油。

　　314. Are you a consumer-friendly person? 你对顾客体贴入微吗？

　　315. It is a foul play not to tell the customers upfront what the cost is. 你在一开始就告诉客人费用是多少，否则的话是很不公平的。

　　316. In the best of all worlds, you will get 80% of what you have been offered for your salary. Oftentimes you won’t even get that. 在世界上最好的公司，你的工资能达到公司所承诺的80％就很不错了，常常你连这个数都得不到。

　　317. Don’t apply for credit cards willy-nilly, don’t use the credit cards willy-nilly. 不要随意地去申请信用卡，也不要随意地去使用信用卡。

　　318. You need be always ready for a ballpark idea of the cost to your clients. Give me a ballpark figure.告诉我大致数额是多少。ballpark大致，一定范围内的，

　　319. You will get crunched if you have a poor credit history. 如果你信用记录差的话，你做事就不会那么容易了。在口语里，crunch又作俯卧撑解：I need to do 200 crunches everyday to get rid of my spare tire. 我每天得做两百次俯卧撑来消除我的肚腩。

　　320. You must greet new clients with polite professionalism. 凡有新顾客，你都得做到敬业周到。

　　321. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. 得由我来宣布坏消息真烦。

　　322. run on the coat-tails of 沾别人的光，
　　Al Gore did no original science. To reach his conclusions, he has merely run on the coat-tails of others. 戈尔根本就没有什么原创科学，他的结论不过是贪他人之功为己有。
　　Those members of Crown Prince Party have risen to fame on the coat-tails of their fathers. 太子党成员之所以得势不过是靠父亲而已。

　　323. I said that to say this. 我说了上面一段话是为了说这句话。这句口语很适用，你最后要做结论时可以用得上这句话。

　　324. There is a puny amount of it. Puny 很少。

　　325. We need money badly, but theres the rub: no one will lend us any. 我们急需要钱,但偏偏谁也不会借钱给我们。Rub 的一般意思是“擦、磨”，这里做“困难”解释。
　　Given that Jackie Chan is one of the Chinese governments biggest supporters, I find it a little more than ironic that one of his films would get rubbed out by government censors. 你想想看，成龙最铁心支持中国政府，所以连他拍的电影都被政府所禁，我觉得有点讽刺意味了。

　　326. It is your call. It is your shot. 这两句话的意思基本一样：这是你的任务，这是你的使命，由你做决定。

　　327. high-strung, over-strung, strung是string的分词，这两个复合词意思都是“神经绷得紧紧地、脆弱”，也就是“神经质”的意思。He is clumsy, irritable and high-strung. 他笨手笨脚、不惹人爱，总是神经兮兮的。High-strung也可以是highly strung。Edgy也是这个意思。

　　328. vibe 感觉，气氛There was a really good vibe at that party last night. 昨晚的聚会气氛不错。 He is dumb, he cannot pick up on my very subtle vibes. 他是个木头人，他不懂我表情下面的感情。

　　329. The boy said to her that he liked her. That has swept her off her feet. 那个男孩告诉她他很中意她，这让她有点神魂颠倒了。

　　330. loaded 直译是“装满了的”，也转义为“附带含义很深的”，例如：a loaded question（a loaded word）意思是一个表面问题后还有很多其他意味的问题：Patriotism is a loaded question in China. It actually means that you have to love the Communist Party. 爱国在中国是个带有圈套的问题，实际上的意思是，你必须爱共产党。(注意第36例中loaded的不同含义). There’s no such thing as simple talk about democracy; it’s always a loaded subject, it is about power sharing. 谈论民主决不是一个轻松的话题，这是一个深沉的题目，它涉及到权力的分配。

　　今天谈谈一些关于健身的口语：
　　331. You need to do something about your abs now. abs是abdomen的简写，意为腹部，肚子。“你得为你那个肚腩想想办法了吧。” Everyday I do hundreds of crunches to flatten my abs. 我每天做仰卧起坐数百次，就是想打平我的肚腩。

　　332. Six-pack abs: 腹部六块肌肉。健美的腹肌有六块肌肉（甚至八块，但一般为六块），而一般人都是圆圆的肚子。Everyone dreams of six-pack abs, but it is not easy to get it. 人人都想要有健美的腹肌，但谈何容易。Do you have any suggestion how to reduce the belly flab?

　　333. 大肚腩的几种说法：belly flab, belly fat, spare tire, a big tummy, a paunch; a potbelly, abdominal muscle 腹肌，a taut midsection 健壮的腹肌

　　334. flabby muscle 松垮垮的肌肉，taut muscle 绷紧的肌肉

　　335. I wish I could get rid of this layer of fat here. 我真希望去掉这一层脂肪。The first step to losing body fat is changing your diet. 要去掉身体脂肪的第一步是改变你的饮食。

　　336. To reduce your weight, make sure you eat less than you are burning. Burn 的本意是燃烧，这里做“烧掉你的脂肪”解，“如果要想减肥，你一定要做到吃的要比消耗的少。”

　　337. Eating several small meals throughout the day will boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories. 每天少吃多餐能帮助提高新陈代谢，从而达到减肥的目的。Calorie卡[热量的单位]

　　338. Sometimes hunger pangs are actually your bodys plea for water. So drink lot of water when you feel hungry. 有时候难熬的饥饿感不过是你身体需要水分，所以你感到饥饿时，多喝点水。

　　339. Almost everyone reaches a weight loss plateau at some point in their fitness lives. Weight loss plateau 有人翻译为“减肥高原”，不知所云。这个词组的意思是“减肥停滞”，就是减到一定程度后，就减不下去了。这是一个常用的词组。

　　340. Don’t waste your money on expensive "fat burner" pills or other bogus supplements. To reduce calorie intake and to workout are both essential to a good health.

　　341.Play hooky 逃学 Student: My grandpa is sick. I cannot go to school. Teacher: I have met him not long ago. You are just playing hooky.

　　342. 男老师上课时最尴尬的事莫过于裤拉链没有拉好。英语的说法是：Your barn door is open. 或者 Your fly is open.

　　343. What is the difference between man and woman? Man thinks but woman feels. 男人与女人的区别是什么？男人用脑，女人用情。
　　
　　344. He is hitched. 他结婚了。

　　345. the white picket fence 白色围栏，一栋房子由白色围栏围着，代表一种很普通但很满足的生活。中文里有俗话说：老婆孩子热炕头，用英文讲就是：the wife, kids and the white picket fence. You know, i am an ordinary guy. My dream is a wife, two kids, and the white picket fence. 又可称为：the white picket fence dream

　　346. I am in my late 20. I feel like there is so much pressure from my parents that I should get married, but it personally gives me a sour and depressing feeling that I give up my freedom into a boring life.

　　347. 现在很多时髦女性喜欢涂指甲，这叫manicure（手指甲）, 或pedicure（脚指甲）, 两者合在一起，叫mani-pedi：My friend gets mani-pedis all the time.

　　348. He will come around. 他会想通的，他会明白的

　　349. My boss went nuclear on me today.今天我的老板对我大吼大叫。

　　350. oops, 表示惊讶，也有写成ooops，Oops, I did it again.糟糕，我又犯了。This is an oops child.这个孩子是意外怀上的。
　　
　　351. I am not getting into this with you right now. 我现在不想和你仔细谈这件事。

　　352. He is just a small-time actor. 他不过是个跑龙套的演员。He is a small-time ganster. 他是个小混混。Small-time, 微不足道的，不重要的。另一个说法是 “a nickle and dime”， a nickel-and-dime business run out of a single rented room, 在一间出租房内经营的业务，像皮包公司之类的。a small-time crime 轻罪，小偷小摸，He used just to be a small-time mayor, but now he is a polibureau guy. 他以前不过是位名不经传的市长而已，但现在他成了政治局成员。

　　353. Why don’t you download that into your brain? 为什么不长记性好好记住这件事？

　　354. Keep your feet on the ground while you dream a promising future. 你可一边脚踏实地，一边展望未来。

　　355. 如果小孩在那里吵闹，你可以说：Cut it out.不要吵了。

　　356. 现在超市流行“营养快线”，英文是eggnog，也可以说是“energy drink”

　　357. dork, nerd, geek, 这几个词的意思很相近，都是“呆头呆脑，书呆子，老气”。I cannot take my mom with me to the party, or I would look like a big dork. 我不能带妈妈参加这项活动，否则我会看起来像个十足的老土。

　　358. I am going to have a long afternoon today.今天下午我会忙得不可开交。这里的long做“busy”解。

　　359. Have a blast. 祝你玩得痛快。相当于“Enjoy yourself as much as possible.”I had a blast on New Year’s Eve.除夕我玩的尽兴极了。blast意为“爆炸，冲击波”，Eggnog can add a blast of energy into your life.营养快线可以让你活力四射。（申明：我从来没有喝过营养快线，编这句话纯是为了学习英文。）

　　360. You only paid 20 Yuan for this T-shirt? It is a real steal. 这件T衫只花了20元？那真是白捡来的。

　　361. Listen up, guys, for some advice. 伙计们，认真听听一下这些好的主意。Listen up 意思是“仔细听听”，与listen to 不同，后者是听“谁、或事。”

　　362. first off, 相当于first of all, First off, you need to clean the room. 你先把房间打扫一下。

　　363. If things seem like a go, you can make the second move. 如果一切顺利，你再做下一步的行动。Look like a go, or seem like a go, 行得通，还行。

　　364. I’m just zoned out for some reason. 不知道为什么我有点走神。Zone out 走神，漫不经心，When Im singing I zone out and feel like Im the only one in the room. 我放声高唱时，就觉得旁若无人，觉得房间就我一个人。 I just arrived by train this morning, so dont get upset if I just zone out in the middle of the meeting. 我是今早坐火车刚到，所以如果会议中我走神的话，请不要不高兴。Zone 区域，现在很多城市有“英语角”，一般翻译为“English Corner”，但更好的翻译应为：English Zone，或者译为：English Bay。 In the zone:进入状态，a goalie who was in the zone throughout the playoffs 比赛至始至终都精力旺盛的守门员。Comfort zone 原意为不冷不热，最适合人的体温的区域；每个人都有自己感到舒适的范围：You need to get out of your comfort zone and work for one year as volunteer in a village. 你应该走出自己狭小的舒适环境，到一个村庄去一年做义工。

　　365. I have learned this lesson the hard way. 这个教训是付了高昂学费才学来的。the hard way 付出一定代价得来的。

　　365. 如果the white picket fence （白色围栏）象征一种普通市民或曰小康生活的话（见345条），那么the yellow brick road 则是小资的生活了。He is able to provide me the yellow-brick road, so I will marry him. 他能够给我提供富裕的生活，所以我愿意嫁给他。

　　366. Many things can sink an interview， such as making a bad first impression; a tendency to ramble, and so on. Sink 这里作“搞砸”解释。“很多事都可能把面试搞砸，例如，第一印象不佳，说话吞吞吐吐等等。”

　　367. Candidates should always error on the side of a suit and tie, even if theyve been told that the hiring company has a casual dress policy. 这里的error on the side of 是什么意思呢? (在几方面可能犯错时)宁可在这方面犯错。“见工候选人哪怕得知要雇用的公司在衣着上有穿便装的规矩，但还是要穿西装打领带为妙，哪怕这可能不合规矩。”dress up, 穿正装，穿礼服。dress down 衣着十分随便。

　　368. There should be no limp or cold fish handshakes. Look the interviewer in the eye and give a firm handshake, thats part of first impressions. 握手时不能有气无力，目无表情，一定要看着面试官的眼睛，有力地握下手，这是第一印象。Cold fish 就是死鱼，表示冷漠，生疏。Limp为“跛行”，也是说“一个人要死不死的样子。”

　　369. Before the interview, you need to learn what the company’s hot bottons are. Hot bottons 重要的事项，禁忌。Gender issues have become something of a hot button of late. 性别问题最近成为热门话题。

　　370. I am sorry I cannot remember his name, my mind has gone blank. 对不起，我一时想不起他的名字，我头脑是一片空白。

　　371. drum out 逼某人失业 G ao Zh isheng was drummed out of the law business a couple of years ago because he was suspected of being a human rights activist. 因为当局怀疑高是人权活动家，逼着他把律师事务所给关门了。

　　372. red meat 带血的肉，意思是“投机所好的、能煽动情绪的发言”，原意是面对一条饿狗，仍一条带血的肉，狗就不会叫了。Her father asked her if she was ever to get married, and she threw him some red meat. 他父亲问她到底要不要结婚，她回答说，他已经有了个不错的男朋友。（她父亲就不再问了。）The Party is good at red-meat rhetoric on nationalism. 它最拿手的好戏就是使用煽动民族主义的宣传。Chen won presidential victories by exploiting divisions, by the red-meat politics of playing to his base.

　　373. a no-no( a nono) 绝对不行，绝对不可以 In a corporate environment, wearing flip-flops is a no-no. 在公司上班，穿拖鞋是绝对不可以的。也可以说 a don’t：Plastic is definitely a dont in the office. 在办公室不能穿凉鞋。In North Korea, human rights are a nono. 在北朝鲜根本就没有人权。（你也可以把北朝鲜换上另一个国家。）These are six top no-no’s. 这是六件绝对不能做的事。相应的一个词是win-win.

　　374. For women, it is OK to show some of toe, as long as its in a high-heeled strappy sandal. But for men, it is best not to show your toes at all. 对女性而言，大脚趾露出一点不要紧，只要是穿带鞋带的高跟拖鞋，但是男士就最好不要露出大脚趾了。

　　375. bipolar 喜怒无常，两极症：一时情绪低落，一时情绪高昂。Bipolar disorder is a serious and disabling mental illness.

　　376. A lot of policies in our society cannot hold up so well to scrutiny, even though they are widely accepted. Hold up to scrutiny 经得起检验。

　　377. These corrupted officials are bad to the bone. 这些贪官烂透了。

　　378. You need to tell the customers upfront what the price is, and there should be no hidden price, otherwise it is foul play. 你应该开诚布公告诉顾客价格，不应该有任何隐藏的价格，否则的话那就是在玩鬼了。

　　379. playing Russian roulette 玩俄国左轮。这是一种赌命的游戏。在左轮手枪（a revolver）里装上一颗子弹，再将轮子旋转，然后对着自己的头扣动扳机。显然，死亡机率是六分之一。If you drink and drive, you’re playing Russian roulette with your life and the lives of others. 如果你酒后开车，你就是在拿自己的和别人的命在做赌具了。No one should have to play Russian roulette when debating on democracy and human rights in this country. 这个国家不应该让人感到他们一讨论民主人权时就是在玩命。

　　380. the straight dope 真相，事实The cop said, "Give me the straight dope, Shorty. I havent got time for your stories today."

　　381. Chinese zodiac 中国生肖Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog Pig To bear children in the year of the pig is considered to be very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest.

　　382. shrink 意为“收缩”，口语里的意思是“心理学家”。He got a shrink degree. 他得了一个心理学学位。

　　383. 当有人向你致谢“Thank you”时，很随意的口语回答是：Anytime. 或者You bet.

　　384. 第23句例句是：拿某人出气：I know he has the blues, but it doesn’t mean he can vent his anger on me. 这句的意思也是如此：She dumped all her problems with her husband onto me.

　　385. I am knee deep in debt. 我欠了一身的债。knee deep in 深深陷入，投入：I’m knee-deep in work at the moment, so I’m not stopping for lunch. 我现在忙得不可开交，没时间去吃饭。

　　386. 这两个水域在此意思很相近：I am in financial hot water. 我现在的财务相当吃紧。I feel like I am in uncharted waters. 我感到一头雾水，不知道前面的方向。

　　387. The professor trashes conservative proposals as well as liberal nostrums. 作名词是“垃圾”意，也可作动词，把什么当垃圾，把什么贬得一钱不值。“这位教授把保守派的提案以及自由派的所谓良方都贬得一钱不值。”nostrum是“任何病都能治的药”，相当于前面提过的snake oil。

　　388. I am not your guinea pig, give me the right medicine. 我又不是你的几内亚猪，给我点对路的药。制造商常常拿guinea用来试验新药。但是guinea pig并不是真正的猪，而是天竺鼠（a rodent），产于南美。南美人喂养天竺鼠就像我们喂养猪，用来做食品的。

　　389. Loop 的基本含义是“圈、环”，in the loop：圈内人，局中人，You can tell she’s in the loop. She always knows about policy decisions before the rest of us.
　　Out of the loop局外人：I’ve been out of the loop since I changed jobs. I didn’t realize Wendy and Bob had gotten engaged. A few people at the top knew what was going on, but everybody else was out of the loop.

　　390. Unbelievable I am half way through this term already and somehow or other everything seems to be going OK. 真是难以置信，这个学期已经过了一半了，不管怎样，一切看上去都不错。Half way through 过了一半，somehow or other 不管怎样 I walked out halfway through the movie. 电影看了一半，我就走了。

　　391. After failing the midterm, he was on thin ice with his math teacher. 其中考试没有及格，他与数学老师就不易相处了。on thin ice with 与。。。的关系微妙。

　　392. In a way与 stand in the way的区别：In a way, 从某种程度上来讲，In a way, he is indeed. 在某种程度上讲，他的确如此。in the way, 拦路，碍事I don’t want to be in the way.（or in your way）我不想拦你的路。复习：out of the way, 229. I try to get myself out of the way as quickly as possible. Spring Festival is getting under way.
　　There are some damages, but we are working our way back.
　　She had this problem for many years, going way back to before…
　　That is just the way it is.
　　She has repeatedly gone out of her way to help him.

　　393. That is that. 事情就这样。

　　394. A: I have a question. 我有个问题。B. Shoot.问吧。 复习：127. shoot me at aaa@aaa.com 给我这个地址发电邮。

　　395. Give me a shout when you are inthe area. 你如果来这一带，记得给我打个招呼。

　　396. You are inches away from being fired. 你差一点就被解雇了。A peace deal is inches away. 和平协议指日可待。

　　397. bite one’s head off 小题大做，反应激烈 He will bite your head off. 他会把你给吃了的。A. Excuse me, where is the bathroom? 对不起，请问厕所在哪里？
　　B. What are you, lazy? Why don’t you just look for it yourself, instead of asking some random person where it is? People like you are the reason America is known as the laziest country in the world! 你这个懒鬼，你为什么不自己去找，而问一个素不相识的人？就是因为像你这样的人多，美国才被全世界都认为是个最懒惰的国家。
　　A. Geez, what’s your problem, you didn’t have to bite my head off! 哎呀，你有病呀，这么小题大作。

　　398. creeps 原意为“爬”，口语里意思是“恐惧感，”That house gives me the creeps. It gives me creeps to think that he would do such a thing.

　　399. strange是人人都知道的词，但在口语里，有四个词表达“怪怪的”，wacky stories or weird stories, 都是“稀奇古怪的故事”；weird stuff 乱七八糟的东西；That guy looks weird. 那个家伙看上去怪怪的。That guy is a wacky person. eerie, I have an eerie feeling. eccentric （自我为中心的）神经质：You are eccentric.

　　400. He is a control freak. 他控制欲极强。他是个控制狂。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 16:17 编辑 ]

周星星1832

我感觉，楼主的英语比我强

yindingzhenger

　　401. Is he your former flame? 他是你以前的男朋友吗？to fan the flame of democracy，挑旺民主的火焰

　　402. Don’t do it, it is sure a deal breaker. 不要做这样的事，肯定会坏事的。He is a deal breaker.他是个扫把星。要特别注意breaker 与 broker的意思不一样。

　　403. He tipped the bottle while on the job. 他上班时喝酒。 这句话也是同样意思：He downs alcohol at work..

　　404. This is the most clicked story of 2007. 这是2007年点击率最高的故事。

　　405. When you see a bear what do you do? Tuck in your arms and play dead! 你遇见熊时如何办？挽起手臂装死。My son tucked in a whole pizza.我儿子把整个一个匹萨饼给吞了。

　　406. to buck the trend 在熊市仍赚钱 He bucked the trend by investing in real estate.

　　407. Please do not stretch yourself too thin and miss the time needed to recharge yourself and to be connected with your family. Stretch too thin 把面铺得太广；忙得晕头转向，“不要太忙了，给自己留点时间，充充电，和家人多在一起。”

　　408. piggy bank, 快乐小猪存钱罐 or a change jar, 存钱罐，The children took a great deal of joy filling up piggy banks.

　　409. You are missing the point. 你没有明白这里真正的意思。You got the point. 你明白了。

　　410. 早晨遇见人时说：Good morning! 分手时可以说 Have a good day. or Have a good one！这比说Good-bye要随意得多。

　　411. They are pretty hammered. 他们个个喝得酩酊大醉。（喝得不省人事，醉得一塌糊涂）这种醉指酒醒后对当时的事一无所知。比前面的loaded还要厉害。

　　412. Where is the chow? Chow的意思是“食物”，a chowtour across Guangzhou 广州寻找美食之旅。Chow又特别指宠物的食品，例如dog chow 狗食，chow chow dog, 小松狮狗，毛厚的小狗。

　　413. The girl(the boy) is out of your league. 对你来说，这个女孩就是只天鹅(是望尘莫及)。League是棒球队，棒球队有高级队（major league）与初级队(minor league)，高级队对初级队的人来说是望尘莫及的事。一般此词只用于男女孩之间。

　　414. He is a sqrare peg in a round hole here. 他根本就不适合这里。

　　415. bonehead：stupid, silly, That is a bonehead thing to do. 简直是胡来。Don’t be such a bonehead. 不要胡来好不好！

　　416. Finish your homework before you skedaddle away. 溜走前把作业做完。Skedaddle 一般是对小孩说的。

　　417. riffraff 白丁，Don’t hand around with those riffraff. 不要和这些没教养的人混在一起。

　　418. Thanks, you are a real trooper. 你真是位勇士。a real trooper是一位不屈不挠的勇士，为自己的理想愿意付出代价。My mom is a real trooper.

　　419. If you want to study English well, you need to spend two solid hours under your belt. 如果你想学好英语，那你就得扎扎实实花上两年的时间。Under your belt 扎扎实实。Once a medical student has anatomy under her belt, she’ll have much less to memorize. 医学生如果把解剖学扎实学好了，那么其他要记的东西就不多了。注意与268句中的below the belt的区别。

　　420. Don’t diss me, OK? 不要挖苦我，好不好？They are dissing each other. 他们彼此瞧不起。

　　421. There is a dark cloud over her. 她的前景不妙。
　　
　　422. He is a late-blooming challenger. 他是个后起之秀。
　　
　　423. Love doesn’t necessarily translate into a marriage. 爱情并不意味着总会演变成结婚。
　　
　　424.He is going to take the No.2 spot. 他会当第二把手。
　　
　　425. If you want to study English well, you need to spend two solidhours under your belt. 如果你想学好英语，那你就得扎扎实实花上两年的时间。Under your belt 扎扎实实。Once a medical student has anatomyunder her belt, she’ll have much less to memorize. 医学生如果把解剖学扎实学好了，那么其他要记的东西就不多了。注意与268句中的below the belt的区别。
　　
　　426. He is addicted to the computer games, and he is playing it 24/7. 24/7指24小时与七天，所以这句话的意思“他玩电脑游戏上了瘾，一天到晚沉迷其中。”
　　
　　427. His proposal doesn’t sit well with him, manager of thedepartment. 他的议案不太合他这个部门经理的意。
　　
　　428. Ihear you. 我明白你的意思。我明白你所指。也可以说：I got you.
　　
　　429. Everyone likes his rags-to-riches story. 大家都喜欢他脱贫致富的故事。
　　
　　430. It is the rugged origina. 这绝对是原创。the rugged original 前人没有做过的事

　　431 She snooped through his things for his affairs. 她把他的东西都翻了一遍，想要找他外遇的证据。
　　
　　432. Why don’t you cut the crap? 你不要胡说一通了。Just cut the crap, will you, and tell me what really happened last night. 不要胡诌了，告诉我昨晚真正发生的事情。要注意这个用法比较粗鲁。
　　
　　433. He doesn’t know how to manage his money, and he has already landed himself almost 10,000 Yuan in debt. Land这里做“陷入”解释。He landed a good job immediately after his graduation. 他一毕业就找到了一份不错的工作。
　　
　　434. A glass of red wine a day could keep tumors at bay, according to a study of men with lung cancer. 一项对男子肺癌研究的报告表明：每天红酒一杯可以防癌。keep something at bay 不让。。近身；防止恶化 But white wine seemed to have the opposite effect. 但是白酒却有相反的效应。
　　
　　435. out of the blue, 突然，Out of the blue, he started yelling at everyone. 他突然对大家大声嚷了起来。
　　
　　436. USA is a cultural melange. 美国是个文化大熔炉。Melange的另一个更为流行的说法是：melting-pot
　　
　　437. He dipped his food twice at the sauce. Double dipping is just gross. 他两次把食物去沾佐料。重复沾佐料太恶心。That’s like putting your whole mouth right in the dip! 这就好像是把整个嘴都舔进佐料了。
　　
　　438. Her creative idea won her a lot of oohs and aahs from her co-workers. oohs and aahs 赞叹声。她的创意为她赢得了同事们的一片赞叹声。
　　
　　439. Now I’m going through a living hell without you. My life is falling apart. 没有你，我此刻简直就是掉进了活生生的地狱。我的生活正变得破碎不堪。
　　
　　440. Giving should never be a contract; it should be a gift without strings.付出（奉献）决不是合同，而应该是不附带任何条件的礼物。 without strings 不附加任何条件

　　441．Can you just give me a snapshot of yourself? 你能不能给我做一个简单的自我介绍？snapshot：一分钟快照。

　　442．He has interviewed a few people but nothing has panned out, so he isstill looking for someone. pan 淘金，成功。The project didn’t pan out. 这个项目没有做成。If I don’t pan out as a musician,I can always go back to school. 如果我无法成为音乐家的话，我随时都还可以再退回到学校重来。I don’tknow how things will pan out now the company’s been taken over. 现在公司被收购了，我不知道下一步的进展如何。

　　443．Don’t be such a stubborn fool for holding out hope that he’ll changehis mind. 不要犯傻了，寄希望他会回心转意的。Hold out hope 坚持希望 There is no sign the storm will stop, we can only hold out hope thatsomeone will come to our rescue.

　　444. I really enjoy my escapades bywandering around in mountains. Escapade 相当于adventure.

　　445. Linda is strictly by-the-book. 林达是位严格照章办事的人。Judge Neil runs his courtroom efficiently and by the book. by thebook, 照章办事。有部电影叫“Going by the book”，中文翻译是“率性而活”，这个翻译恰好翻反了。

　　446．His coldnesshas put me off. put off 一般意思是“推迟”，例如：He always puts off paying his bills.但这里的意思是“他的冷淡让我不敢接近他。”His bad manners put her off.他恶劣的态度让她倒胃口。

　　447．His joke really cracked me up.他的笑话真把我给逗晕了。crack up 大笑不已Everyone in the room is cracking up. 房间里的每个人都开怀大笑起来。

　　448．Herrecent divorce has sent her into an emotional tailspin. 她最近离婚后，情绪极度低落。tailspin: 飞机向下俯冲

　　449．blah, blah, blah.等等一些(废)话。He said thank-you, think-of-you,blah, blah, blah. 他道过谢，又说了想念你等好些话。

　　450．Go to talk with Jack. Heknows him so it shouldn’t be hard for you to get his lowdown. lowdown 内部消息，个人信息。“去跟杰克谈谈，他认识他，所以你应该很容易得到他的一些个人资料。”

　　451．三个结构相似的词组：Wall to wall；Bumper to bumper；Paycheck to paycheck 第一个词组的意思是“挤满了，所有的”，There are wall to wall students in every classroom. （现在的高中）每间教室都挤满了学生。Independent channels are promising wall-to-wall coverage of the Olympics. 第二个词组的意思是“车挤得一辆接一辆”（bumper是汽车的前后保险杠）。The cars are bumper to bumper everyday in Beijing.Only crazy people love to make a living there. 每天北京的交通是挤得水泄不通，只有神经病人才愿意在那里去讨生活。第三个词组的意思是“工薪族”：We are ordinary people, making ends meet by paycheck to paycheck. 我们不过是普通百姓，靠每月的工资才能度日。（不会有存款之意）
　　
　　452．redux 这个词很多辞典没有收录，但有时也会有人使用，意思是“旧事重提”，Their redux reopens old wounds. 他们旧事重提，揭开了旧的伤痕。另一个类似的口语是rub it in：I know I was stupid at that time, but you don’t have to rub it in. 我知道我当时极不明智，但你也不必老是提此事好不好。
　　
　　453．tradeoff: 利益交换，权衡，折中I am still debating the tradeoffs between going or not going. 我仍在想来想去，是去还是不去。A classic trade-off in business is the trio of time, money and quality. It is generally considered that only two of the three can be anchored at any given moment. 商业中一个经典的利益交换例子就是时间、金钱与质量三者之间的关系。一般认为，在一个时刻，三者中只能同时获得两者。经济学的核心问题就是一个tradeoff的问题。
　　
　　454．Can you just give me a snapshot of yourself? 你能不能给我做一个简单的自我介绍？snapshot：一分钟快照。
　　
　　455． Ifeel wilted now after a full day of work. 干了整整一天的活后，我感到筋疲力尽了。Wilt本来的意思是指植物“枯萎”，如wilted flowers, 借指“疲劳，麻木”，a wilted soul。
　　
　　456．shoddy:a crappy job/furniture crappy weather What a crappy thing to say about anyone! Why do you like these crappy movies? Shoddy质量很差的东西 China is well-known for its shoddy and unsafe products.
　　
　　457．I am no spring chicken. 我已经不是（精力旺盛的）年轻人了。spring chicken不到一年的嫩鸡，喻年轻人。不一定只用于女性。
　　
　　458．Can you crank up the volume a little bit? 你能把音量调高一点吗？
　　
　　459．He is raised in a tight-knit family. 他在一个关系亲密的家庭长大。a tight-knit 关系密切或严密，a tight-knit organization 一个严密的组织，例如共产党。
　　
　　460．My daughter blows me a kiss. 我的女儿给了我一个飞吻。

　　461．You need to keep your instincts under wraps. 你要克制住冲动。The financial details of the case have been kept firmly under wraps. 这单生意的财务细节绝不向外人透露（仍旧处在保密中）。The identity of the buyer is still under wraps. 买家身份仍旧是个迷。
　　
　　462. A surprise witness proved to be the wild card at the trial. wildcard:出其不意的一招。One wild card is to propose to her in front of the whole class. 当着全班的面向她求婚，这会是最厉害的一招。
　　
　　463．egg on促使，唆使，加剧egg on：Jack is always egging me on to drive faster.杰克老是怂恿我开快车。Seemingly quiet,Margo actually eggs on Donald to quarrel with his staff. Margo看起来一言不发，但他实际上在唆使Donald与职工们干仗。People are upset with the bad roads, egged on by soaring food prices.大家对路况本来就厌恶了，现在食品价格飞涨更是让人不安。要注意的是，这里的egg与鸡蛋无关，此词的来源是从“eggja”衍生来的，意思是“edge”,所以“edge on”与“egg on”是同义词，但是egg on更流行一点。
　　
　　464．toss oneself into 不知不觉投入 He tossed himself into this pro-democracy movement that is gaining slowly thousands of adherents.他不知不觉中投入到了民主运动的行列，现在民运正在慢慢成长，获得了成千上万的积极投入者。
　　
　　465．Carve out 获取 He carved out a successful career.他事业有成。She carved out a reputation for herself asa high-powered lawyer.
　　
　　466．run into a wall, run into a stone wall or run into a brick wall意思都一样，都是“碰壁，遇阻”。 We tried to get faster approvalfrom the town and ran into a stone wall, For Allan, learning a foreign language amounted to running into a brick wall. 对Allen而言，学习一门外语意味着要克服巨大的困难。
　　
　　467．Laoyang, you are at work now. You should be working hard, not cruising thedating sites. 老杨，你现在在工作，就得好好工作，拜托不要老在那些婚介网站上跑来跑去好不好？cruise 巡航，游览。He cruised to the victory. 他一路顺利，直到最后胜利。Cruise是个很有用的词，现在很多汽车里都有cruise的装置，“自动巡航”。Youcan set on the cruise, and relax. cruise missile 巡航导弹。That dude hasbuilt a cruise missile in his own garage, on a budget of just US$5,000.那个老兄在自己家的车库了花了不过5000美元就造出了一枚巡航导弹。
　　
　　468．You should put your money where your mouth is. 你提倡这事，就得在这事上花钱。
　　
　　469．She is a bust, a loser. 她是个破罐子。They are bust. 他们破产了。
　　
　　470．Let's go,pedal to the metal! 走了，我们现在全速前进。pedal to the metal是“一脚油门踩到底”的意思，也就是把车开到最高速度。Chinese car industry puts pedal to the metal for Auto-Expo.中国汽车工业卯足全力来参加汽车展览。

　　471. We have some big projects in the pipeline. Pipeline是油管的意思。此句的意思是：我们有好几个大的项目即将进行。

　　472. He is a brainy guy. 他非常有头脑。

　　473. I caved in and gave him my phone number. 我妥协了，给了他我的电话号码。

　　474. Finally, my luck is taking a turn. 终于，我时来运转了。
　　I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot. 我感到我撞大运了。Jackpot是赌博用的工具，hit the jackpot就是赢了大钱。

　　475.Friends on net can email each other till cows come home, but a real live phone call can mean much more. till cows come home 很长时间，无止境 You don’t have to wait till cows come home. I will do it for you right away.
　　
　　476. I can’t imagine my role as house frau after marriage. a house frau 家庭主妇（有点不快乐的那种）She is not a suburban house frau any more. frau是个德文单词，意思是“女士，夫人”，例如：Frau Smith, Frau Holle。

　　477. In the small hours of that day, he killed 10 people.那天他在短短的几个小时内就杀了十个人。small hours 就几个小时

　　478. I like to come home from work, have dinner, chill out for a little bit, and then go to bed. 下班后，我只想回家，吃顿晚饭，放松一会，然后睡觉。 I was worried about the kids, and he told me I should just chill out. We are chilling out great. Don't let it bother you--just chill out. chill out 放松，高兴高兴。

　　479. I feel like I am having an out-of-body experience. 我感到我有点魂不附体了。（我觉得我是语无伦次了。）
　　
　　480.
　　A. Where are your children? B. I assume they’re lurking somewhere. A 你的小孩呢？B. 我想他们就在附近玩耍吧。

　　481． I am consumed with thoughts of you since theday you left and can’t possibly live another moment without you. 从你离开了的那一天起，我就无时不刻地思念着你，没有你我简直是一天也活不下去。consume一般作“消耗”解，也作“带有一种强烈的感情：Heis consumed with guilt/anxiety. Americais consumed with gloom. 美国笼罩在一片悲观气氛之中。
　　
　　482． But she has got her eye on someone already. 但是她已经看上别人了。
　　
　　483． I hear that Steve is gunning for you. 我听说斯蒂夫在准备要整你。gunfor 攻击
　　
　　484． He is widely acknowledged as masterpuppeteer, pulling everyone’s strings. 他善于操纵每一个人，大家都知道他是个木偶大师。（他是个擅长权术的人）masterpuppeteer 木偶大师
　　
　　485． He is a blabbermouth. 他说起话来滔滔不绝。上次我们提到过“chatterbox”，也是这个意思。或者说：Heis a talkaholic.
　　
　　486． I firmly believe that white lies are OK whenemployed to spare someone’s feelings. White lies, a white lie 善意的谎言，无伤大雅的谎言。He was lying through his teeth. 他谎言连篇且毫不羞愧。
　　
　　487． I took her advice to heart. 我牢记了她的忠告。记住，“牢记”是to heart，不是to memory
　　
　　488． She is not serious with love,she is just a gold-digger. 她不是想真的爱，她不过是在想傍个大款。gold digger 原本指西部淘金人，现指那些想傍大款的女孩。That golddigging tramp was never in love with him; she was in lovewith his money. She would use him up and suck him dry and move on to the nextunsuspecting victim.吃软饭的人是“a gigolo or boytoy”
　　
　　489． “A little birdie told me you have anadmirer,” she says. 她说：听说你还有崇拜者呢。a little birdie told me, 相当于Iam told that….也可以说：A little bird tells me that….
　　
　　490． on theoff chance, 但愿，万一I bought a first edition of the book on the off chance that it mightbe valuable someday. On the off chance Barack Obama wins. 万一奥巴马赢了呢？

　　491． 大家知道a piece of cake的意思是“很容易”，与cake有关类似意思表达还有一个：cakewalk.Cakewalk是一种很轻松的舞步。Itis no easy cakewalk for him, but uphill climbs. 对他而言，这决不会是一件容易的挑战，而是得很费力气的事。It would be foolish to believe that to land in Taiwan would be a cakewalk. 如果以为登陆台湾是件很容易的事那就很愚蠢了。
　　
　　492． jive with, jive 原意为爵士音乐，口语的意思是“聊天，胡说八道，跳爵士舞”Don’t try to jive me, I know where you were last night. Don’t give me that jive, Iknow where you were last night.
　　
　　Promoting democracy doesn’t jive with our social values any more. 推动民主不再与我们的社会价值观合拍了。
　　
　　493． CPR 人工呼吸 He is giving her CPR.
　　
　　494． "I shall give no quarter." Said the first dueller.
　　"None given or asked." Replied his opponent. “我不会对你客气啦”，第一个决斗者说。“不希罕，也不想”，他的对手回答。give no quarter 不显仁慈，不让步
　　
　　It's the kind of grunt work where Obama's forces have excelled, but Clinton's are giving no quarter.
　　
　　495． My hunch is that what you’rereally asking is money. 我本能的猜测是你所要的实际上是钱。
　　
　　496． She had a heart-to-heart talk with her beau. 他与男朋友做了一次推心置腹的交谈。beau男朋友
　　
　　497． Where the heck are you? theheck 相当于on earth，你到底在哪里？
　　
　　498． I heard that Steve is gunning for you. 我听说斯蒂夫想要整你。gun for 给谁穿小鞋。
　　
　　499． hardwire 电脑固定不变的硬件部分，转义“本性”。 I believe that man has somepretty rotten things buried deep in his hardwiring. 我相信人有一些与生俱来的邪恶本能 We're born hard-wired with the desire for freedom. 我们生而有种追求自由的本能。
　　
　　500． Fly high 振奋，成功。When the Olympics comes to China, the whole country is flying high. 当奥林匹克落户中国时，全国为之沸腾。After reading Englishteacher’s blog, everyone can fly high now as an English student. 读了英语老师的博客后，每个学生都可以象英语专业学生一样成功了。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 16:31 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

　　作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-6-28　11:17:59　
想不到三个月前停笔的文章还有人在顶，很受感动与鼓励，现在再接再厉，以示感谢。
　　
　　1. States scramble to find funds to fix roads and bridges. 各州都在竭力寻找资金来修路补桥。 His campaign scrambled to defuse possible damage. 他的竞选班子在竭尽全力来挽回可能的损失。Scramble 通常意思是“搅拌”，例如：scrambled egg，这里的意思是“竭力干一件事”。

　　2. This caused some tie-ups.事情会有些耽搁。 Get ready for some traffic tie-ups. 做好塞车的准备吧。 Tie-up不顺利，拥挤，堵塞，塞车。

　　3. It costs a dollar a mile now to drive a big rig. 开货柜车的成本是一美元一英里。Rig这里的意思是“大型货柜车、卡车”，还可以做“海上油井”解释。

　　4. Finally he got his wish. 终于他如愿以偿。

　　5. Give it a good push/pull.用力拉（推）一下。（例如关门时）good有时候的意思是表示程度，有“很”的意思。I rode my bike from Gongzhufen to Bawangfen. That is a good ride.我从公主坟骑车骑到了八王坟。那骑了不少路呀。

　　6. Don’t push me, OK?不要强迫我做这事，好不好？She is pushing me around, I really doesn’t like that. 她老是对我指手划脚地，我很不爽。

　　7. You know what. 你知道吗。这是口语里常用的句子，主要是一种“过渡语气”。

　　8. We are well-positioned for the challenge in the near future. 我们为即将到来的挑战已经作好了充分准备。He is the best positioned for this job. 他是这个职位的最好人选。

　　9. Fuel prices fatten up airfares again. Fatten 使 肥胖，这里是“加价”的意思。My friends all call me a walking stick, I want to be fattened up.我的朋友们都称我瘦如竹竿，我得增加点体重了。

　　10. He naively put his hopes in an imperfect vessel. 他把所有的希望都投入到这个残缺的计划之中，真是十分幼稚

　　11. The rewards have come in spades.回报无疑十分丰厚。 in spades 毫无疑问地，大量的，They are having money problems, in spades. 毫无疑问，他们遭遇到了巨大的财务困难。

　　12. They had words. 他们吵架了。注意word在这里要用复数，就像name在call someone names时要用复数一样。

　　13. in name 名义上a democracy in name, a police state in fact 名义上是民主国家，实际上是个警察国家。There are 70 million Communist Party members in this country, but majority of them are communist believers in name only. 这个国家号称有七千万党员，但绝大多数多不过是名义上的共产主义分子。

　　14. make hay：利用，大做文章，The candidate’s opponents made hay of the scandal. 反对该候选人的势力在这个丑闻上大做文章。Farmers are making hay out of trash, a contribution to pollution prevention.农民将垃圾废物利用，对控制污染是个很大的贡献。

　　15. Some people believe that education is cure-all for social problems. 有人以为教育是包治一切社会问题的灵丹妙药。Cure-all 包治一切

　　16. confess与admit：中国学生常常搞不清楚这两个词的区别，其实区别很简单，confess是“承认罪或错误”，而admit只是“承认一个事实”，而这个事实通常并不是“罪或错”。He sheepishly admits that he doesn’t know the name of Shanghai mayor. 他不好意思地承认，他不知道谁是上海市市长。（讲老实话，我也不知道。）He confessed his sins before God.他在神面前认罪悔改。

　　17. We can dig it out some place. 我们总会找到这东西的。（有人在找东西总也找不到，这时你可以说这句话。）

　　18. He got hooked on the stamps. 他以前集邮很上瘾。

　　19. After his retirement, he devoted his time to relic hunting. Relic hunting 收藏古董。古董收藏家：relic hunter，或relic collector

　　20. The school is tightening its belt. I’ve had to tighten my belt since I stopped working full time. to tighten one’s belt, 勒紧裤带，表示要减少开支。也有人用形容词结构：A tight belt is no fun. I paid my credit card bill and boy I have about nothing left. It is very scary for me as I almost always have a cushion of some sort. 口袋里没有钱真不是滋味。我付了信用卡账单后，老天，我是所剩无几了。真是吓人，因为我以前口袋里总是有些备用钱的。a cushion of some sort, 软垫，可起缓冲用途。

作者：aikibujin　回复日期：2008-7-25　10:19:45　 回复  

　　5． "I have totally sold out to your idea." 没有这种用法。应该是 I am totally sold on your idea. Sold out 是买完了的意思。 The tickets to the Olympics are sold out. Sold out (sell out 的过去式) 也有出卖、被判的意思。Jimmy took the money and sold us out to the cops!
　　
　　14. "Look, I have got going." 不通，应该是 Look, I’ve got to get going. (I)’ve got to, (我)必须，一定。You’ve got to believe me! 你一定要相信我！ Get going 离开，上路。 Let’s get going. 我们走吧。
　　
　　36. He’s loaded. 除了醉了，神智不清，也有很有钱的意思。Cindy’s new boyfriend gave her a diamond ring, he’s totally loaded!
　　
　　41. "Hang up with 是约会的意思。He is hanging up now with Jane." 应该是 hang out，在一起的意思，不一定就是约会。He is hanging out now with Jane. I like to hang out with my friends. Hang up 是挂的意思。Hang up the phone. Hang up the laundry.
　　
　　52. "Licking good." 应该是 finger licking good. 这个 finger 不能省，不然谁知道你在舔什么？呵呵。
　　
　　56．Do they buy it? 他们相信了吗？
　　
　　就看到60，后来的就没有看了。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-8-5　17:05:54　 回复  

　　谢谢作者：aikibujin的意见。
　　第五句：我在后面已经改了成I have been totally sold to your idea.
　　第14句，无所谓通不通，这是口语。
　　第36句，谢谢你补充，但是要这样补充会没完没了，因为每个词都还有许多其他用法。
　　hang out 我也写了。

　　21. My hope is that common people such as myself will reject the red herring excuses of the government and stop shooting themselves in the foot. 我希望像我这样的普通人会拒绝政府的这些障眼法，不再做这些于己无益的事。red herring 转移目标，声东击西，障眼法。shoot oneself in the foot 干伤害自己利益的事

　　22. I am busy today, and I have a bunch of odds and ends that I have to do before noon. 我有好些零碎活要赶，得在中午前做完，因此忙得很。

　　23. When you bring up these hot-bottom issues, tempers are already frayed. Hot-bottom 引起争议性的，热点。

　　24. She just doesn't have enough straws left to clutch. 她剩下的救命稻草不多了。They are grasping at straws. 他们在捞救命稻草。Straw还有一个常用的词组是：The last straw breaks the camel’s back. 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。This is the absolute last straw for me. I'm done with this ridiculous, pandering, untruthful dope.我绝对是无法再忍受他了，我完全放弃了这个荒唐透顶、拉政治皮条、谎话连篇的小丑。有人不用straw, 而用feather, 是一个意思。

　　25. A lot of people plunked 300 Yuan down to reserve the Olympic tickets. 很多人毫不犹豫地掏出300元定奥林匹克的票。He plunked onto the couch with a sigh of relief. 他倒在沙发上，舒适地出了口气。

　　26. They showed guts, intelligence, and sheer elbow grease on issues that mean a lot to ordinary people.对于这些民众所关心的事物，他们展现出来了勇气、智慧以及实干精神。Sheer elbow grease，直译是“满手臂都是油垢”，意思是不是那种“光说不练”的人。

　　27. My small business operates on a razor-thin profit margin. 我的生意属小本经营，利润微薄。

　　28. But more important than head-of-a-pin arguments over patriotism, we need to focus on the real issues such as human rights. Head-of-a-pin arguments 钻牛角尖的辩论。不要去就爱国主义进行钻牛角尖一样的辩了，我们更应该关注像人权一样的实质性问题。

　　29. anybody’s guess 结果无法预料 How it will turn out is anybody’s guess.结果最后如何实在难以预料。

　　30. Recovery from inflation is nowhere in sight. 根本就看不到近期有可能从通货膨胀中恢复过来。The end is nowhere in sight.根本就看不到头。
　　
　　31. plop down 把….放在一个地方，坐下。A lot of parents will plop down their children in front of the TV so that they can finish their task. 很多父母要赶着做些事，就把小孩往电视机前一扔了事。He plopped down on the bed and went straight to sleep.他往床上一倒便睡了。

　　32. We are just laboratory rats in the national reform in education system. 在这场全国教育体制改革中，我们了实验品。laboratory rats 或简称lab rats

　　33. be deep knee in 直译是“深到膝盖”，转意为“太深了，太多了”，I'm knee-deep in work at the moment, so I'm not stopping for lunch. 我现在忙得不可开交，就不去吃中饭了。

　　34. Joining the family business is a tall order. 投入到家族的生意是件很难得决定。a tall order 很难的，艰巨的挑战。To finish the task in time was a tall order but we did it. 要按时完成这项工作是个艰巨的挑战，但是我们完成了。To stop corruption is a tall order for the communist Party.

　　35. Freud is unwelcome in most intellectual parlors these days. 当今弗洛伊德在知识界并不受追捧。parlor 客厅，会客室，转义为阶层。It is just the subject of an intellectual parlor game. 这不过是知识界所喜爱的一个话题。

　　36. initiative 这是一个最近很流行的词，意思大概与“movement”差不多，与movement不同的是，可以指较小规模的运动，或一个领域内的努力。They have embarked on a green initiative that includes replacing old bulbs with new ones. 他们投入到了环保运动的行列，他们做的是将旧灯泡都换成了新的。Initiatives For China 中国公民运动

　　37. Watch out, he has something up his sleeve. 小心，他在玩障眼法。见21句。

　　38. His family is poor, so he has to settle for a third tier college instead of Beijing University. 他家境贫寒，所以他只能选择了一所三流的大学，而放弃了北大。 a third tier 第三流的

　　39. frills 中看不中用的东西，附加物。no frills 不要那些不实惠的东西（这样价格就会要便宜许多，例如飞机上的用餐，汽车内的音箱等等。）We prefer low price over frills.只要价格便宜，没有那些设施也很好。什么都没有的毛胚车叫“car with no frills”或者叫“stripped car”.

　　40. I am on the last lap for this project. 这个项目我很快就要攻克下来了。the last lap 赛跑比赛时最后一圈，意思是快要接近尾声了，快要完了。
　　
　　41. bite the dust 直译是“啃泥土”，转义是“死了”。He made his enemies bite the dust.他让敌人甘拜下风。 I think that my computer has finally bitten the dust.我想我的电脑已经寿终正寝了。 His car bit the dust after 200,000 miles!他的车跑了20万英里后报废了。这个俚语的另一个说法是“kick the bucket”。

　　42. He feels he gets the short end of the stick. 他觉得他吃亏了。get the short end of the stick, 吃亏。The people who get the short end of the stick are those whose income is just too high to qualify for help from the government. （在这个制度里）吃亏的人往往是那些收入刚刚高过能接受政府补助门槛的人群。

　　43. Tell me about it. 注意，这句话的意思不是真的要别人告诉他什么，而是“你说对了。我完全同意你”看这句话：“You must have gotten into a lot of trouble.” He said. “Tell me about it.”

　　44. Jealousy is a negative trait. trait 性格

　　45. I didn’t sleep much last night, so I was tired and groggy. groggy 站都站不稳的样子。

　　46. They are forced to go hat in hand to special interests that typically expect a return on their investment. 见上级或有权势的人时，人们往往会把戴的帽子取下，拿在手中，以示对上级的毕恭毕敬。“他们必须卑躬屈膝地面对那些索要回报的利益集团。” He came back the next day, hat in hand, to correct the problem he left behind. 他第二天回了来，老老实实地把头天扔下的问题给解决了。

　　47. He has free rein to destroy fragile ecosystems, flout our laws and trample on the rights of ordinary citizens. free rein可以随心所欲地，“他可以随意来破坏脆弱的生态，蔑视我们的法律以及践踏普通公民的权利。” Some foreigners believe Chinese bloggers get free rein as earthquake slows censors. 有些外国人以为因为地震网络管制放松了，所以中国人写博客可以有了较大的空间。

　　48. These scientists are in fact nut heads, they are going through a bi-polar personality disorder.这些科学家实际上都十分迂腐，他们表现出两级人格分裂症。

　　49. The TV is the mainstay of his free time. mainstay 主要依靠，主要来源。“他主要靠电视来打发他空余的时间。”

　　50. I'm such a goodie goodie. I don’t even smoke.我可是老好人，连烟都不抽。 goodie goodie 原来指小礼品，如铅笔，糖果之类，现也指老好人，什么错都不犯的人。
　　
　　51. It is obvious that someone made a big boo-boo. a big boo-boo = a big mistake. I made a big boo-boo on my taxes. 我报税时犯了一个大错。

　　52. rag: 报纸，可读性不是很高的地方报纸，You know People’s Daily is just a rag.你知道人民日报不过是一份烂报。 I started my career in journalism by working at a small newspaper. It was a rag, but the editors gave me some good advice. 我最开始做记者时是在一份地方小报工作，但是那里的编辑给了我很好的指导。如果是女性说：I am on the rag.意思是“我来例假了。”I cannot swim, I am on the rag.

　　53. weigh in 就一件事表达强烈的意见。Pro-democracy leaders weigh in on meaning of nationalist pride.就这种民族主义傲慢，民运领袖表述了他们的看法。They have weighed in and the job is back.他们强烈抗议后，工作又回来了。They weigh in on key issues.他们就关键性的问题发表了看法。I fully expect you to weigh in with your own opinions. 我完全可以料到你会就此发表高论的。

　　54. zero 的意思很简单，为“零”但zero可以做动词用。zero in 靠近(相当于现在流行的一个词汇：零距离)；集中火力瞄准目标 If you just condemn a few corrupt officials, that is OK, but when you zero in on the corrupt system, you will be in jail. 如果你只是谴责一下几个贪官，那没有什么，但是如果你想动一下腐败的制度的话，那你就得坐牢了。The children zeroed in on the display of the toys. 孩子们挤着靠前看玩具展览。Hackers zero in on online bank accounts. 骇客在瞄准网上银行账户。

　　55. She is not expecting an easy ride. She is not easily intimidated. 她做好了准备，知道事情不会是一帆风顺的，因此她不会轻易妥协的。An easy ride 一帆风顺。或者说：But I knew it would be a tough road. 但是我知道这件事会很不容易。

　　56. Let us put our heads together. I am sure we can come up with a better design. 我们大家都来想想，我相信我们一定能拿出一个更好的方案。

　　57. He will lose his shot for this job if he is ill prepared for the interview. 如果他不好好准备，他会得不到这个工作的。 lose the shot for 失去机会

　　58. It goes against the grain for William to admit that he's wrong. 威廉通常是不会认错的。I don't think she likes to praise men. It goes against the grain. go against the grain 通常情况是。

　　59. for the purposes of window-dressing 粉饰太平，装模作样，搞宣传。He did that just for the purpose of window-dressing. The communist party is very good at window-dressing.粉饰太平中共最拿手。

　　60. This is the thumbnail overview of the case. thumbnail大拇指指甲，现在电脑词汇的意思是“缩略图”，因为“缩略图”大概就是大拇指指甲那么大，所以这句话的意思是：这是这个案例的大致内容。类似的有snapshot, this is the most comprehensive snapshot.
　　
　　61. mindset 心态，口语里代替mentality。He has a good mind-set. 他的心态比较好。

　　62. backdrop 背景，口语里代替background，It is with this backdrop that he once again asks for his right. 因着这种环境，他再次提出了要实现自己的权利。

　　63. I am with you. Are you with me? 我明白你说的，我说的你明白吗？

　　64. Hope this will get you thinking.但愿这能让你好好想想。Hope you will think it through. 但愿你把这件事想通。

　　65. I am just thinking aloud. 我在动脑筋；我在费心想办法。

　　66. To begin with, I don’t like that guy much. 首先，我根本就不喜欢那个家伙。

　　67. You look wiped out. 你看上去精疲力尽了。I am totally wiped out. 我累死了。wipe out 一般作“消灭”解释。

　　68. We have come a long way but we have a long way to go. 我们已经取得了不小的成绩，但要作的努力仍然巨大。(我们已经走过了很长的路，但要走的路仍旧很长。成绩不小，但革命尚未成功。)

　　69. This is a good place to relax and unwind. Wind上紧发条，unwind松发条，就是“放松”的意思。

　　70. Nonsense! 胡说！这是最常用的词汇。表示“荒谬”还有好几种说法：That is a cockeyed idea. cockeyed, absurd, ridiculous, 都是同义词。ludicrous 荒唐得令人发笑。If you ask a nonsensical question, you will get a nonsensical answer. 如果你问无聊的问题，就只会得到无聊的答案。preposterous 也是“荒谬”之意，是书面语：It is a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history. 想开历史的倒车门都没有。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-8-15　22:12:40　 回复  
　　上面说了，如果有五人顶，就发新的，结果一天之内就有5人在顶，顿时觉得不小的压力了。
　　为了避免让人觉得是在重复，现在把新发的与第一次的次序接到一起。所以现在是500多句了：
　　
　　571. 现在流行的一个词是“拐点”，英文为the tipping point。We have passed that tipping point. Have we reached a tipping point? We now see housing bears everywhere. 已到拐点了吗？现在到处都是房价下跌。又可以说breaking point.

　　572. I think the pendulum has shifted. This policy is under review now. 我认为现在形势发生了变化，这项政策也在检讨之中了。 pendulum 钟摆。

　　573. wind vane 风向标 This is the wind vane for mobile market. 这是汽车市场的风向标。He is just a political wind vane and can never be a political compass. 政治上他不过是个见风使舵的人，不可能提供政治上的出路。compass 指南针 He has a well-oiled wind vane.他最擅长见风使舵。

　　574. The only thing politicians like to do is to puff up their chests and talk. They won’t stick their neck out for the other guys. stick one’s neck out for 为朋友两肋插刀puff up chest, 表现勇敢之意。政治家热衷做的事就是拍胸脯，夸夸其谈，但要他们为别人承担风险，那是不可能的事。

　　575. You are on the radar of the National Security now, be careful. 国家安全局已经在注意你了，你得小心。“上了雷达”，意味着引起了某人的注意。也可以说on the radar screen。You are right below the radar. 不会有人注意你的。

　　576. The first time I met him, my antenna was up because I knew his political background. 我第一次见到他时，我就本能地警惕，因为我已经听说了他的政治背景。Antenna天线，一个人的天线竖起了，就是“提高警惕”的意思。类似的说法还有raise the red flag

　　577. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is not universally accepted as the right yardstick for recession. We need to take an additional yardstick to our leaders and measure their total value.我们得另找标准来衡量我们的领导，权衡他们的整体价值。

　　578. barometer, 气压计The Olympics is a global power barometer now. 奥运成了全球权力较量的晴雨表。

　　579. a wake-up call 强烈提醒，唤醒。If this can happen to me, it can happen to everyone. For all of us, this should be a wake-up call. 如果我会遭遇到这样的事，每个人就都会有同样的遭遇，所以这对我们大家而言真是敲了一次警钟。

　　580. “我很高兴”，最简单的说法就是I am so glad to…一个稍微更正式的说法是：I am heartened that you have spoken out on my behalf. 你为我仗义执言，我大感欣慰。His effort met with hearty applause from everyone. 他的努力得到了大家由衷的赞赏。

　　581. road map 地图，指南。It has been a road map for the investment in China. The "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 和平路线图是旨在解决以色列与巴勒斯坦冲突的一揽子计划。

　　582. That will help you identify landmines. 这会帮助你发现麻烦。（直译，找到地雷。办公室内地雷最多。）There are many landmines in my company.

　　583. lens: The communist party tends to see everything through a political lens. 共产党习惯于用政治标准来衡量一切。He is talking about modern democracy through a historical lens. 注意，虽然Lens用的是复数，前面要用a。

　　584. The new secretary started today so I spent most of the morning showing her the ropes. show someone the ropes 给某人做出详细的解释。与ropes有关的口语有：Good managers know the ropes. They have skills and experience. 优秀的经理都很在行，他们具备技能与经验。He wants to learn the ropes, to learn how to speak English.他想学些最基本的东西，学会英语口语。

　　585. 有人喜欢说：“人渣！”英文是：riffraff. 一般来说gangs; drunks; prostitutes; drug dealers; miss-fits; winos都是riffraff。

　　586. signature: 大家都知道，此词的意思是“签名”，因为每人的笔迹不一样，所以，这个词又转义为“独特的，此家独有”，“You will be served with our signature sandwich.”我们会给你上独家三明治。

　　587. I am a bit of a food person. 我是一个对食品有点挑剔的人，或可以译为“我是个好吃鬼。”还一个说法：I am a dedicated foodie. 注意第50句中的goodie一词。

　　588. Push the envelope努力、勉强。If you are going to lead this industry, you must push the envelope. 如果你想在这个行业执牛耳的话，你就得努力创新。Don’t push the envelope. 不要太过分了。We are pushing the envelope of free speech. 我们在尽全力来争取言论自由。

　　589. You know that the People’s Daily is the most important outlet for communist propaganda. outlet 出口 Factory outlet厂价直销。

　　590. big 放在名词前表示“特别”：Kunming is a big bike city. 昆明这个城市，自行车特别流行。He has a job that requires big-time traveling. 他的工作要求他常常出差。

　　591. Those actors and actresses vie for attention in a crowded media landscape. 太多的人想在媒体抛头露面，这些男女演员也为此使出浑身解数。media landscape 媒体领域

　　592. We have achieved our goals, but there are clouds on the horizon. The government is going to cancel our funding. 我们已经完成了既定目标，不过前面好像困难不小，政府即将取消对我们的财政支持。on the horizon 前面。More demonstrations are on the horizon.即将发生更多的游行示威。Travel, read, discuss - expand your horizons! 旅游，阅读，讨论-扩展你的视野！

　　593. It is only one month from their hookup to their breakup. 他们从相好到分手仅仅过了一个月。

　　594. This is a terrible letdown. 这太令人失望了。口语里letdown代替disappointment。I promise I won’t let you down. 我保证我不会让你失望的。

　　595. That is where I went off course. 这是我出错的地方。注意off course与of course意思是不同的。

　　596. The trade deficit has gone off the chart. 贸易赤字大得都已经是无法想象了。off the chart 超于寻常，This basket player’s income is off the chart. 这个篮球运动员的收入令人惊讶。

　　597. off the wall 奇怪，荒唐 He did something totally off the wall. 他做的事简直是荒唐透顶。The idea of a free election in China is totally off the wall. 想在中国举行自由选举真是荒唐。

　　598. off the record, 不公开，私下What he was about to say, he told the reporters, was strictly off the record. 他给记者打招呼说，他下面要说的绝对不要见报。

　　599. off the beaten path, 又作off the beaten track, 人烟稀少的地方 I like to travel to regions off the beaten path. 我喜欢去常人少去的那些地方。

　　600. far-flung, 相当于remote, in a far-flung village, 在一个偏远的村庄。In the far-flung future, human beings are going to immigrate to Mars. 在遥远的将来，人类会要移民到火星。（比较：in the near future, 在不久的将来）far-flung adventure 到偏远的地方冒险。

yindingzhenger

　　601. His home is in the middle of nowhere. 搞不清他的家在哪里（或者说，他的家在很偏远的一个地方。）。相反的说法是，in the middle of everything, 靠一切都很近，很方便。We are right in the middle of everything. 我们的位置非常便利。

　　602. On the business battlefield, the power of marketing can be blown to bits by happenstance. 在生意战场上，市场营销的力量在细节上体现出来。

　　603. My life is at a crossroads. 我的人生正处在一个十字路口。注意，如同a lens一样，复数前用a。

　　604. You don't have to give me your decision now. Sleep on it, and let me know tomorrow. sleep on it, 不要急于回答或做决定，可以等一天或几天。

　　605. Kick基本含义是“踢”，与kick有关的几个口语：I got a big kick out of it. 这事让我乐了好一阵。 She is trying to help him and she feels she is kicked in the teeth. 她在尽力地要帮助他，但她觉得他根本就不领情，还给她白眼。（不能直译，翻译成把谁的牙齿给踢掉了。）kickback 回扣。It is against law to get kickbacks in USA. 在美国拿回扣是违法行为。Tianjin is just a sidekick to Beijing. 天津不过是北京的一个陪衬城市。He is just a sidekick of the boss, he cannot make any decision. 他不过是老板的陪衬，作不了决定。His letter kicked off the investigation. 他的信促使了有关人开始了调查。kick off 开始。When they kicked in gear to save the old buildings, most of them had been demolished. 就在他们要努力拯救那些老式建筑时，很多已经被扒掉了。kick in gear，开始作努力。

　　606. They are throwing me kind of a going-away party. throw a party 开舞会、聚会；throw a going-away party 开欢送会 = farewell party

　　607. She cried her eyes out. 她眼都哭肿了。

　　608. Forget about it. You are making too much out of it. 得了吧，你不要为这事大惊小怪好不好。这样的事不值得这样小题大作。

　　609. He is an under-miner. 他是个拖后腿的人。

　　610. play dumb, 装傻。Playing dumb is being smart. 大智若愚。

　　611. play dirty 玩鬼。Even if his opponents cheat and lie, Pat won't play dirty. 尽管对手故意犯规，Pat也不玩鬼。

　　612. He's been playing games with us. We can't believe what he says. play games with: 耍心眼，搞鬼计。他不过是在跟我们闹着玩，我们信不了他说的话。

　　613. She doesn’t want to come across as a party pooper. come across as 以什么样的形象出现。“她不想让大家觉得她是个扫大家兴的人” He came across as a dull-witted manager incapable of running the department. 他这个人呆头呆脑，无法管理这个部门。

　　614. comfort zone: 舒适带，（自己习惯了的窝）You have to get out of your comfort zone if you really want to challenge yourself. 如果你要向自己挑战的话，你就得从自己的安乐窝里走出来。（激励自己或他人一句很有用的话。）

　　615. You have to go beyond your own borders to better understand how others perceive you. 你得走出自己的小圈子，这样才能更好地理解别人对你看法。 go beyond your own borders, 走出自己的圈子

　　616. That is what we know all along. 这些事我们一直以来都知道。（虽然从来没有证实。）all along一直以来。

　　617. 美国人喜欢用这个句型开玩笑。There is a theory that there are two kinds of people in this world: people…; people…. 有种说法，这个世界上只有两类人，一类是…，另一类是…。例如：I believe there are only two kinds of people in the business world, fast people and dead people. 我相信在生意场上，只有两类人，一类是行动快的人，一类是死人。（言下之意就是如果你动作慢了，就会被淘汰。）有个移民说：There are only two kinds of people in the world: people who are living in America, people who want to live in America. 如果你是自我优越感强的北京人，你就可以套这个句型了。There are two kinds of women in this world: women who love to put on makeup, and women who don’t want to put it off. 这个世界上只有两类女人，一是喜欢化妆的女人，一是不愿卸妆的女人。There are two kinds of people in this world: those who ride Harley-Davidsons and those who wish they did. 世界上只有两类人，一是骑哈雷族，一是但愿自己属哈雷族。（这是哈雷的广告词。）我上次套这个句型说了这样一句话，把周围人逗乐了：There are only two kinds of communist bureaucrats: the corrupted ones and the ones yet to be corrupted. 只有两类共产党官员，一类是已经腐败了，一类是就要腐败了。记住，这个句型的诀窍是，表面上看是在说有两类人，实际上只有一类人。有哪位朋友想试一下这个句型？

　　618. If the Olympics are not your bag, don’t sweat it. 如果你并不热衷奥运，就不要去凑热闹了。

　　619. Most athletes in China don’t have a well-rounded life. 中国的运动员大部分发展都不均衡。You need to develop a well-round life. 你的人生应该全面发展才好。

　　620. The overall workload is too much for young students in China. 中国青少年学生每天学习任务都太重。The job is tough, but overall, I enjoy it. 这工作不容做，但总的来说，我还是蛮喜欢的。To suffer is part of your overall experience. overall是个常用的口语词汇。

　　621. “（学生）进步了”，我们大概都会说，The students made progress. 也可以说：All students made gains/improvements/good scores on this year’s exams. 今年考试，所有的学生都有较大的进步。注意：progress为不可数名词。

　　622. I know you are bursting your buttons as a proud papa. 我知道作为一个骄傲的爸爸，你喜得在手舞足蹈了。一个人得意洋洋时，会把胸挺起，结果把衬衣的纽扣都挣断了。

　　623. Although I am not a stellar student in his class by any stretch of the imagination, Professor Zhou really takes good care of me. 虽然我从来算不上一个优秀的学生，不过周教授真的挺照顾我。by any stretch of the imagination, 无论如何想象（用于否定句。）

　　624. He is making a name for himself in this field. 他正在这个领域崭露头角。另一个类似的说法：He is casting his own shadow. 他正在成为一个有影响力的人。He has cast a long shadow as president of the college. 他是学院院长，影响力深厚。She is trying to escape his father’s shadow and be independent.

　　625. When your fate is in our hands, it won’t go out of hand. 把你的命运交在我们的手中，你的命运就不会失手了。

　　626. 在中国，锤子上了中共的党旗，所以说是锤子应该是个正面的东东。但是在英文里就不见得如此了。You can’t teach a hammer to love nails. 你不可能让锤子爱上钉子。(我为鱼肉，人为刀俎之意) To a hammer, everything is a nail. 对锤子而言，其余的都是钉子。（对我而言，中共就是锤子，我们普通人都是钉子。）由此句话发展出了很多相关的话，例如：If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail. 如果你唯一的工具就是锤子的话，你就会视每个问题都是钉子。(此句意思是，你得多掌握解决问题的办法，不要只一根筋。)Your boss is a hammer, don’t be a nail. 你的老板是锤子，你不要成为钉子。(不要被他任意宰割之意。)Do you need a hammer?

　　627. Dragon在国人看来是祖宗，但在英文里可不是什么可爱的东东。 “AIDS is a very big dragon,” Clinton said. “This dragon must be slain by millions of foot soldiers.” 艾滋病是个庞然怪兽，只有靠成千上万的平凡勇士才能制服这头怪兽。foot soldier 步兵，在前线作战的平凡战士。

　　628. Never bite the hands that feed your mouth/ you. 这句话的意思是：不要做得不偿失的事，不要做忘恩负义的事。

　　629. How can we trust him when we know he talks out of both sides of his mouth?这个人见人说人话，见鬼说鬼话，叫我们如何相信他？talk out of both sides of his mouth, 说话没有立场；想怎样说就怎样说。有人把这句话发展为talk out of three sides of his mouth, 左、前、右。

　　630. (今年的金牌)这超过了我的所求所想：This exceeds my expectations. 口语说法是：This simply blows my mind away.

　　631. Yaoming has achieved the great acclaim in the hoops. His hoops career is legendary. 他有着传奇般的篮球生涯。 hoops: 篮球。原意为球框。

　　632. Yaoming is the guy who pulls the crowds. 姚明很能吸引人。Attract是比较正式的用法。He pulls in one million dollars a month. pull in 挣(大)钱。

　　633. She cracked the top 10. 她进入了前十名。口语里，crack是个很常用的单词，兹举以下例子：I have set up 30 characters in length for my password so that no one can crack it easily. to crack a password, 解密码。我把密码设到30位那么长，这可以减少被盗的危险。Crack另一个常用含义为“毒品”：As a rule of thumb, it is profoundly unwise to get addicted to crack.记住最要紧的事，吸毒是最愚蠢的事。She was a normal gal until she started smoking crack, now she is a prostitute for $5 to buy another rock. 吸毒前她是个很正常的女孩，现在她成了妓女，5美元就卖身，好去再买一剂毒品。Ford said he had always wanted to take a crack at writing a novel. 福特说，他总怀有一个念头就是要尝试写本小说。Winter is a great time to prep for a last crack at the Entrance Exam. 寒假是很好的时间，预备高考的最后机会。

　　634. He is a bargain hunter。他最会讨价还价。

　　635. I have just lost my job, and I have to stretch my dollars. 我失业了，得精打细算过日子。Stretch dollars 一块钱做两块钱用。She has a passion for penny-pinching. 只要谈到省钱，她就来劲。

　　636. Economy is not good. They struggle to stay afloat. 经济萧条，他们竭力设法能生存下去。

　　637. a standout 与outstanding意思一样。 a standout player or an outstanding player优秀的球员。

　　638. Can you cover it for me? 你能不能顶替我一下？

　　639. It was no picnic. 这事可不是看上去那么简单。相反的说法是：That is a piece of cake.这事易如反掌。

　　640. There is no stopping a man on a mission to accomplish this. 他决心要完成这使命，没有什么力量能使他放弃。

　　641。We are low on food now, can you go and do some shopping? 吃的东西不多了，你能不能去买点菜？We are running low on food. 现在食品供应紧张。

　　642. He credits his success to his deep-seeded Christian faith. 他把自己的成功归结为根植于基督教的信仰。I work hard, but my boss won’t give me any credit. 我努力工作，但老板并不买账。

　　643. Kudos to Jim, who has worked really hard to make this possible. 向Jim致敬，因为他的努力，这一切才有可能。或者说：A tip of the hat to Junko for his contribution. Thank you, Junko! a tip of the hat to 向某人致敬 to tip the hat to someone, 见前面的例句。

　　644. That is when the light bulb went off. 那时，我忽然顿开茅塞。很多人都说go off, 但也有人说go on.

　　645. There is the impression that I have been calling all the shots in this company, but that couldn’t be more wrong. 有人以为我在公司包揽做一切都决定，但这根本就不是事实。call shots 做决定

　　646. It took him three shots to pass the bar. 他考了三次才通过律师资格。

　　647. a close call, 差不多，几乎 My car almost hit the guy, what a close call.我的车几乎撞到那个人了，真是好险呀。The White House race is a close call. 竞选白宫现在是难分胜负。类似的说法还有close shave. narrow escape, near miss.

　　648. Stop dreaming. Back to reality for a moment, OK? Tell me what you are going to do now. 不要做梦了，谈谈眼前吧，好吗？告诉我你现在想干嘛。back to reality，回到现实世界。 有部电影，叫Back to the Future，我想片名大概就是根据这个词组来的吧。

　　649. branch out: 成立分支机构，向什么副业发展。I would like to branch out into drama. 我想慢慢向演艺发展。This restaurant is branching out into several major cities now. 这家餐厅现在已经在好几个大城市开设了分店。（或者译为开设了连锁店）

　　650. I hope you know what you get yourself into. 但愿你会好自为之吧。（直译：但愿你清楚你现在在干嘛！）

　　651. 白领人喜欢说：我很忙。这句话有好几个说法：I have my hands full. I have too many irons in the fire; I am sorry I cannot help you right now. My life right now is in the fast track. “我的生活节奏太快。我的生活驶入了快车道”等等。

　　652. A normal life in Beijing means time is scarce, stress is high and an ordinary day- filled with chatter and other noise-permits barely a moment for the mind to rest in silence.这是描述北京生活的一个很好的句子。“在北京一般人的生活是，没时间，压力大，每天被喋喋不休、杂音所包围，根本就不会有片刻安静的时间，让大脑休息不想事。”

　　653. The Politburo is made up of faceless bureaucrats hardly known in their own country let alone abroad. 注意，这里的faceless不是“没有脸面、不要脸”，而是作“神秘”解释，就是“你看不到这些人”。“在国内谁也不熟悉中央政治局的这些官僚，更不要说对海外的人了。”

　　654. He is just a flunky of the Party secretary. 他不过是党支部书记的跟屁虫。flunky 奴仆，跟屁虫，走狗。或者说stooge, He is a stooge for the Party secretary. 类似的词还有yes-man, pushover, lackey, toady, hanger-on, puppet, camp-follower

　　655. Everywhere you look in this small American town, there are red, white and blue banners. Denver has rolled out the red, white and blue carpet for the delegates. 这里的“红、白、蓝”三色是美国国旗的图案，所以这句话可以译为“在这个美国小镇，到处都可以看见小巧的美国国旗”。“丹佛为迎接代表们铺上了印有国旗图案的地毯。”如果直译为“红白蓝旗子”或“红白蓝地毯”，中国的读者可能一般体会不到这是什么样的旗子。

　　656. He is a genuinely self-made man. 他完全靠个人奋斗才成功。如果是靠在哈佛读书才成功的人，就是Harvard-made man。

　　657. He is photogenic. 他这个人很上镜头。很多人在网上的相片楚楚动人，在实际生活中却很普通，这就是photogenic。如果你不善上镜头，可以说：I always come out hideous in photos.

　　658. You need always ask: Is this all there is? 你要常常问：已经达到目标了吗？潜力都挖掘出来了吗？

　　659. cash cow 来钱来得快的生意、项目。The sale of land is the holy cash cow to the government. 政府靠出卖土地获得了巨额资金。

　　660. 这个黑心律师贪污了顾客数百万。This ruthless attorney embezzled millions from clients. embezzle, 贪污，这是书面语。口语说法有两个词：一是This lawyer fleeced his clients by millions. fleece 原意为拔羊毛，转义为贪污、剥削。 二是He skimmed millions of dollars for his lavish lifestyle. skim: 烧牛奶时，表面会起一层膜，也就是奶酪，你把这层奶酪捞起来的过程就是skim，转义为非法侵占、掠夺、贪污、逃税。The casino skimmed two million a year. 这家赌场每年逃税两百万。

　　661。Show me the place to put the level and I shall move the world.- Archimedes 阿基米德说，给我一个杠杆的支点，我就可以撬动世界。

　　662. You are tossing the baby out with the bathwater. 你在把婴孩连同洗澡水都一起倒掉。

　　663. Life can be such a juggling act. We need to learn the difference between the urgent and the important things. 生活犹如玩杂耍，我们要搞清楚急事与要事之间的区别。

　　664. 我很喜欢George Orwell（ “动物庄园Animal Farm”; “1984”）对自由的定义：If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. “自由的最基本含义是，人们有权拒绝他们不爱听的东西。”但这中国太难了，每天媒体上充斥的都是propaganda，你不想听也得听，所以中国每天生产的都是不想事的人，包括那些愤青。

　　665. You have won. You have bragging rights, OK? “你赢了，你想怎么吹就怎么吹吧。”谈到rights时，我们想起的是人权（human rights），劳工权（labor rights），bragging rights“吹牛权”是什么权？我们中国人说，吹牛又不上税，你想怎么吹就怎么吹吧，这就是吹牛权。

　　666. Boast and brag之间的区别：boast很多时候作“自豪”解释：We boasts the services of a fine hotel with staff ready to satisfy any need.我们很自豪地说，我们酒店服务精良，全体员工都做好了准备，随时满足顾客的一切需要。

　　667. When you give your word, honor your obligation. 如果你作了保证，你就得兑现！

　　668. Don’t talk in circles, instead, get to the point. 不要绕来绕去的，直截了当地说吧！另一个说法是：don’t beat the bush!

　　669. He violated the trust of everyone. 他违背了大家都信任。也可以说betray。

　　670. He is a Hunanese through and through. 他是个地地道道的湖南人。through and through 彻底的，彻头彻尾的，从这头穿过到那头，例如一个子弹，从你胸口这头进，从背部出来，就是两次through。I love you through and through. 我是真心地爱你。

　　671. a pilot project, 为以后推广的实验项目。They funded a pilot project in six states. 他们在六个州资助了一项新的实验计划。This is a virgin territory. 这是一片未从未开耕的土地。这是一片崭新的领域。 a virgin trip,

　　672. Coca-cola is Atlanta’s flagship company. 可口可乐是亚特兰大的旗舰公司（最重要的公司）。flagship旗舰，引申为“最重要的”。

　　673. They are just getting into this business and taking their baby steps. 他们刚刚进入这个行业，还嫩得很。

　　674. Shanghai is the “Fashion Mecca” in China. 上海是中国的“服装麦加”，或者可以译为“上海是中国的服装之都。”

　　675. The park, though small, is my oasis in the concrete jungles. 这个公园虽然很小，但在这片钢筋水泥丛林里却是我的绿洲。

　　676. Xijiang is an ethnic tinder-box. 新疆是个少数民族问题的火药箱。

　　677. He started with nothing, and ended up with everything. 他创业时一无所有，后来就什么都有了。

　　678. He lives on the outskirts of Changsha. 他住长沙郊区。以前“郊区”一般使用“suburb”，目前多使用outskirt。

　　679. 现在是和平时代，但我们常常看见“battle”这个词，显而易见，现在的 “battle”都是寓意的：An all-out battle for citizen's votes begins. 争取公民投票权的战斗已经全方位打响。This will be an uphill battle. 这将是一场激烈的斗争。Newly graduated students battle outsourcing in job market. 新毕业生在就业市场苦苦挣扎，因为工作都流失了海外。This is the final battle! 这将是决战。A hard drill makes an easy battle.熟能生巧。The workers win bloody battle against the wicked boss. 劳工经过血战，终于赢得了对贪婪老板的诉讼。

　　680. He plans on being arrested for civil disobedience. 他做好了计划，准备为公民抗命坐牢。

　　681. Never let go of your dream. It will be a reality someday.绝不要放弃梦想，终有一天会实现的。

　　682. Never say never. 这是一句很实用的话。

　　683. round up 这是个很常用的词组，意为“把什么给圈起来，往什么靠”。 Human-rights activists are rounded up by BJ police. 这些维-权人士都被北京警-察给抓起来了。There is a religious round-up in this city. 这个城最近逮了几个宗教人士。Just round up to the nearest dollar. 舍弃小数到一元的单位吧。（例如，你该付人家5.4美元，就付6美元好了。）这是一种大方的付款方式。Time to round everybody up! Dinner is ready! 把大家都叫过来，要开饭了。Two dogs helped round up the sheep. 两只牧羊犬把羊群赶到一起。

　　684. 北美印第安人的文化特征之一就是图腾，所以现在totem这个词也非常流行。图腾上雕刻着许多人和动物，有些人在上，有些人在下。You know I am at the bottom of the totem pole in this organization. I am afraid I can’t help you much. 你知道我在这个机构里是人微言轻，恐怕帮不上你什么忙。They are at the bottom of the economic totem pole. 也有人说：I am the low man on the totem pole. 意思是每个人都是我的上级。At the bottom of the totem pole相反的说法则是at the top of the totem pole. When I was young, I was too worried about my position on the social totem pole. 我年轻时总是为自己的社会地位担忧。Your hard working will take you to the next level of the totem pole. Interest in your apartment is quiet. You have to lower the numbers if you want to sell it. Lower the numbers: 降价。没有什么人对你的房子感兴趣，你要想卖掉就得降价。

　　685. end to end: 从头到尾We hiked the Great Wall from end to end. 我们步行走长城，从头走到了尾。My belief is that we can truly establish end to end trust with each other. 我相信我们能建立一种完全互相信任的关系。

　　686. I am afraid they will put screws on you 我想他们会你施加压力。That is a big screw-up那简直就是一堆乱麻。糟透了！

　　687. drop dead：滚蛋吧，去死吧。When he started to bother me, I told him to drop dead. 他开始骚扰我时，我叫他滚蛋。I should do all that work for you? Drop dead! 你想让我为你把这些事都干完？你想得美吧，你。但是注意，这个词还有一些意义截然不同的用法：He is drop-dead handsome. 他英俊迷人。They supply drop-dead headwear for women. 他们为女人提供漂亮的头饰品。Professor said the drop-dead date is December 31 — after that, no work will be accepted. 教授说了，最后期限是12月31日，超过了此日期就不再接受作业。“Drop Dead Beautiful”是一本小说的书名。

　　688. Nearly half of Americans say President Bush is in over his head according to a survey. in over one’s head, 被。。。弄得焦头烂额。He got in over his head with gambling problems and mounting debt. 他的赌瘾搞得他债台高筑，里外不是人。

　　689. I am suggesting this just off the top of my head. 我只是随便建议一下而已。off the top of one’s head 没有经过深思熟虑，随便想想。

　　690. a worse kind of: 更糟糕的是：Starting a start-up is hard, but having a 9 to 5 job is hard too, and in some ways a worse kind of hard. 创业固然不易，但过早九晚五的日子也不容易，常常是更不容易。He has cancer. It is a worse kind of cancer: blood cancer. He just has a 60/40 odds of living 5 years. Should he get married? 他患有癌症，是一种极为严重的癌症：血癌。他能活五年的机率只有六成。他应该结婚吗？

　　691. Wall, 墙；the Great Wall, 长城。In China, when you are in a meeting with the Chinese bureaucrats, you are talking to the brick wall a lot of times. talk with the brick wall 对牛弹琴 hit the wall无计可施： We've just about hit the wall in terms of what we can do to balance the budget. My neighbor always plays loud music late at night, driving everyone in the neighborhood up the wall. 我的隔壁总是半夜三更搞乐器，吵得附近是鸡犬不宁。见第466句。

　　692. roof, 屋顶；Interest in this product was "through the roof" and that the management was going through them now. 人们对这个产品的兴趣极高，负责人正在研究如何把握机会。Oil price just went through the roof as a result of the war. 因为战争，现在油价已经高得都无法承受了。through the roof 的典故出于“圣经马可2：3-5”。从这个词，人们又发展出了一个相反的说法：House prices have gone through the floor this year, so it is a good time to buy a house. 今年房地产跌得厉害，是购房的好机会。

　　693. glass ceiling:玻璃顶；因着歧视，一个人无法升职（有一种拦阻，但你却无法看见）。Non Party members face the glass ceiling in their promotion in government positions. 在政府部门中，非党员到了一定程度就无法再往上提拔了。

　　694. The sky is the limit. “天高任鸟飞”之意，或者说“上不封顶”。这是一句鼓励人的话：Work hard, young man, only the sky is the limit. 年轻人，努力吧，你的前途无可限量。

　　695. John is a funny comedian. His jokes always bring down the house. 约翰是会很逗的喜剧演员，他常常把一屋子的人要笑翻。

　　696. Kim and Karen get on like a house on fire. They are good friends and do everything together. Kim和Karen如胶似漆，干什么都要两个人一起干。

　　697. It’s on the house today. 今天由餐厅作东，一切免费。

　　698. Jim hit the roof when he found out his new car had been stolen. Jim发现车被偷了，怒气冲天。

　　699. She was very happy at the beginning of her marriage. Then her husband died and the roof caved in. 结婚开始时她过得挺滋润的，后来她老公死了，她觉得天都塌了下来。

　　700. out of the closet 走向公开（原来是躲在衣柜中）Those bureaucrats should come out of the closet. Do you have any skeletons in the closet? 你有什么见不得人的勾当吗？

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 16:56 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

　　701. You have to place your emotional keepsakes in storage to pursue your career. 你既然在追求职业，就当把那些引发情感的东西都锁到储藏室。emotional keepsake 引起感情回忆的（伤感的）纪念物品 。

　　702. You need to put your heart into English if you really want to learn it well. 如果你真想把英语学好，你就得全心地投入。I am young at heart. at heart 从根本上来说。We are all Democrats at heart. 我们打心底都是民主党人。

　　703. I jumped in the fray when my friend Christie told me she had the perfect guy for me. 我的朋友告诉我她给我物色到了一个最为般配的男友，我高兴得都发晕了。

　　704. The service is quick. It's helpful. It's good karma for the day. 因着美国女影星Stone的一句话，karma(报应)也立即为大众所知。但是这个词其实并不仅仅用来表达贬义，同时也有褒义，如此句: “这项服务快捷、方便，给一天带来好运气。”How people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours. 别人如何待你是别人的人生，你如何待人却是你的人生。Stone的话完全被中国记者恶意曲解，结果中国人的气不打一处来，真是Much ado for nothing.中国人经历了六十年的政治运动，还是没有学会一个简单的道理：在和平年代，凡是煽动民族情绪的运动，都是政客的别有用心。

　　705. We can be close and far away. 我们可以相距千里，但仍旧心心相印。这是你可以写给你所爱的人的一句话：Though we are hundreds of miles apart, I can feel you squeeze my hand. 虽然我俩远隔千里，但我可以感受到你这紧握我手心。They are physically close, but mentally far away.他们同床异梦。你给人打电话，可以说：So close, so far away. 远隔千里，却近在眼前。

　　706. Look back, 回首。有人主张要常常回首，这样可以少犯错误，也有人不主张回首，因为这样会徒添痛苦。所以也就有了两种人生观：Look back, reinvent yourself. 回首顾，再出发。Never look back, enjoy your life. 绝对不要回首，享受你的生活吧。朋友，你是属哪种人？

　　707. Just two or three lifetimes ago, most people in what are now called industrialized countries lived by farming. 在现在称之为工业化国家，仅仅在两三代人之前，大家都是生活中农业社会。口语里用lifetime来代替generation。

　　708. The petrochemical refining industry helped lift Singapore out of the economic baseline.石油冶炼将新加坡从简单的经济中提升了出来。Give us a baseline definition of culture. 文化最基本的定义是什么？

　　709. The bubble burst of the stock market has brought the high inflation. 股票市场的泡沫破灭带来了巨大的通货膨胀。bubble up 是“上升”的意思 bubble-up economic作长期计划的经济，例如投资教育、基础设施等。Marxism bubbled up in China in 40s. 四十年代，马克思主义在中国得到兴起。

　　710. The end of the last millennium was best remembered as the birth of the triad “Bio, Nano and Info”. 上一个千年的末期因为诞生了这三样科学而将被人纪念：生命科学、纳米技术以及信息产业。nano是nanotechnology的简称。

　　711. There are many good native eats in this town.这里的eat做“餐厅”解。native eats 经营本地风味特色的餐厅。

　　712. The Swan is a classy Chongqing restaurant that attracts hoards of famous (and non-famous) people. “天鹅”是家上档次的、经营重庆风味的餐厅，吸引了不少名流（和非名流）。

　　713. This is a posh restaurant. I would suggest dressing up. No flip-flops.这是家装修豪华的餐厅，我想大家还是穿正式点，不要穿拖鞋。This is a rather swanky restaurant that serves up fine Chinese food at a price. 这是家高档餐厅，中国菜做得相当不错，价钱也不菲。Posh和swanky都是指高档餐厅。

　　714. Is the restaurant in Beijing International Hotel casual or dressy? Is there a dress code for its restaurants? 北京国际饭店内的餐厅穿着可以是便装呢还是要比较正规？穿着有什么要求吗？

　　713. eatery, 相对于正式的餐厅，比较随便点的餐厅叫eatery，到这种餐厅打赤膊、穿拖鞋都可以。You can’t treat our guest in that eatery, take him to some place really nice. 你不要再那家没档次的餐厅招待我们的客人，带他去家好点的餐厅。

　　715. I won’t recommend that restaurant to anyone. 那个餐厅太次，不要去。（直译是，我才不会给任何人推荐那家餐厅呢！）This is the last restaurant I will recommend. 我绝不会推荐这家餐厅。（不要翻译成“这是最后一家我要推荐的餐厅。”）He is the last person I want to see.我才不想见他呢。或者：He is the last person I want to be around.

　　716. You know what, it is not clean; people found rat droppings in the food one time, and some other health hazards as well. The owner is running this restaurant into the ground. 你知道吗，这家餐厅不干净，有人曾在菜里发现了老鼠屎，还有其他一些伤身的东西，这家餐厅正毁在这老板手里。 run something into the ground 把东西给毁了。

　　717. In fast food restaurants, you look for what you want at the chart on the wall, while in regular ones, you will be given menus.

　　718. He is engaged in the food and beverage business (industry). 他从事餐饮业。

　　719. There is a lot of booze at the party. You need to tell your children not to touch it. booze酒，“这个聚会上会有大量的酒，你得告诉你的孩子不要去碰。”boozy dinner / boozy lunch 有酒喝的晚餐或午餐。

　　720. Eating breakfast helps to jumpstart the brain, so to speak! 有这么一说，吃早餐能帮助启动大脑功能。jumpstart, 启动，so to speak有这么一说

　　721. 在112句里我们讨论了ball的三个口语用法，其中有：The ball is in your court now. 轮到你了；由你发言了；由你做决定了。 或者说，You have the ball now. 现在我们再来讨论几个涉及ball的用法：That is a totally different ball game. 那是完全不同的一种环境（制度）。

　　722. drop the ball, 失手，犯错（球到手了却不知为什么丢了）A. You can trust me. B. I don't know. Every time I depend on you, you drop the ball. A. 你可以相信我。B. 那我就不知道了。每次我需要你时，你都辜负了我。I thought Sam was going to reserve the room, but somebody dropped the ball. 我以为Sam会定房间呢，看来有人并没有定。

　　723. That’s the way the ball bounces. 这是没办法的事。球蹦起来是无法掌控的，可能会把窗给砸了。你犯了错，就替自己开脱说That’s the way the ball bounces.

　　724. He has a lot of balls in the air, such as writing, giving lectures and so on; and he can handle them all. 他又是写作，又是授课，事情很多，但他都能应付。这个用语出自杂耍，一个人要抛出几个球都能接住。

　　725. Every time when there is a problem, politicians will play the blame game. 每次出问题，政客们就忙着玩起推卸责任的游戏。

　　726. He is just a rookie police officer, and in two years, he will be just as corrupt as anyone. 他刚刚当上警察，用不了两年，他就一样贪了。刚参加工作不到一年的人叫rookie，a rookie teacher, a rookie officer, and so on.

　　727. The bureaucrats have a strong itch to control the life of ordinary citizens. 官僚都有一种强烈的愿望，就是要控制普通公民的生活。I have a strong itch to travel.我很想去旅游。

　　728. Ronald Reagan最有名的一句话：Government is not solution to our problems; government is the problem. 政府不是我们问题的答案，政府就是问题本身。

　　729. The government is making windfall profits from everyone. windfall 横财

　　730. Restriction of human rights is morally and ethically wrong. 限制人权从道德与道义上来讲都是错误的。

　　731. He has been railroaded by a government agency that is out-of-control. 在口语中，railroad做动词使用时，意思是“诬陷、陷害”。“政府部门无法无天，将他陷害。”

　　732. They go and worship idols because of their fear that their ill-gotten gains will be taken away sooner or later. ill-gotten gains 非法所得。他们求神拜佛因为他们害怕他们的那些不义之财会迟早被缴获。

　　733. She said: “I have to drink with my leaders again tonight. That’s part and parcel of the job”. 她说，“今晚又得去陪领导喝酒了，这是我工作范围内的活。”part and parcel of, 逃不了的一部分。

　　734. As a result, we have to rewrite our playbook for the way we do business in these challenging times. 结果，我们得重新制定出工作策略，来应付时代的挑战。

　　735. High这个词谁都认识，如果用得好，也有妙趣。Anyone who can take the time and learn English is high on my list. 凡愿意花时间学英语的人都受到我的敬佩。high on one’s list 受到敬佩

　　736. I have high hopes for this class. 我对这个班寄予了很高的期望。You are getting my hopes high for him. 你让我对他寄予了极高的希望。

　　737. Don’t mess with me; I have friends in high places. 不要惹我，我在政府里有很硬的后台。

　　738. in high gear, 全速，高潮。in high spirits，情绪高昂。The exam season is in high gear and everyone is in high spirits. 这两个词组意思很相近，前者的主语可以是物也可以是人，后者的主语一般就只能是人了。When Yaoming is in high gear, no one can stop him.

　　739. To achieve human rights, we have to refuse violence and seek the moral high ground. 要想获得人权，我们一定要拒绝暴力，而寻求道德高地。Taking The Moral High Blogging Ground 网络写作的道德要求（例如那些转帖又不表明为转贴的，都是无德贴。）

　　740. This can help you reach that higher ground. 这会帮你更上一层楼；这会帮你进入更高的境界。

　　741. The new job keeps you on your toes? 新的工作让你忙得晕头转向吧。The boss gave me a couple of extra things to do just to keep me on my toes. 老板又给我指派了几件额外的事做，就是不想让我有半点空隙。

　　742. hard-nosed, 又可以说hard-headed,讲究实效的，务实的,不拖泥带水的，不讲面子的。He is a hard-nosed boss.这个老板精得很。

　　743. down-to-earth，这是个褒义词，为人诚恳，不骄傲。He is down-to-earth. 他这个人很实在。例如，down-to-earth的人是不会花一大笔钱去买名牌的。We need to develop a down-to-earth approach to learn English. 学英语要采取务实的方法。（例如不去梦想半年内突破英语和韩语。）

　　744. down-home: 很简单的、每天都经历的、单纯(只能放在名词前做形容词)：He did it with down-home heart. 他带着一颗诚挚的心完成了这事。My tastes are turning to down-home cooking. 最近我的胃口只想吃家常便菜。（你天天陪人大鱼大肉吃了几天后可以说的话）I enjoy down-home cooking. 我就喜欢家常便菜。建议旅游区的小餐厅可以用这个做英文招牌，可以吸引很多外国游客。He's a down-home sort of guy. 他心地善良。

　　745. down with the kids, 我们看到down with 时容易联系到“打倒”如Down with the Party，但这个词的意思是，“与孩子打成一片,有年轻人的朝气，像孩子般，”。I almost broke my neck the other day learning how to skateboard but hey I'm down with the kids!前两天我学玩滑板，差点把脖子都给摔断了，但是我在和孩子打成一片了。

　　746. 但是“down on the kids”意思与“down with the kids”截然相反，是“辜负了孩子”的意思。I don’t want to be a kid in today’s China, toxic milk powders for babies, shoddy buildings for kids, heavy load of homework for teens. We grown-ups are down on the kids. 我才不想做当今的中国的小孩，婴孩吃毒奶粉，孩子去豆腐渣学校，青少年有堆积如山的作业。我们成年人在儿童培养上完全失败。We can be down on anything, but we should never be down on the kids. 相当于我们说的，再穷也不能穷孩子。

　　747. After my graduation, I was thrown a real-world test immediately. 我刚一毕业就遇上了一次真实世界的考试。

　　748. I could count the number of days she was really studying back in school on one hand. count on one hand, 又作count on the fingers of one hand:屈指可数。她在学校读书的日子我是可以屈指可数。I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she's actually offered to buy me a drink. 她请我喝过几次茶那是屈指可数。

　　749. a straight-laced boss: 对员工要求严格、苛刻、横挑鼻子竖挑眼的老板。Her straight-laced mom doesn’t like her miniskirts because it makes her look like a floozy. 她那严谨的老妈不喜欢她的超短裙，因为这会让她这看上去像坏女孩。floozy 妓女，生活放荡的女人。英语中有许多词表示“妓女”，常用的有：hustler, street girl, streetwalker, hooker, harlot, lady of pleasure, prostitute, sporting lady（千万不要翻译成“爱好运动的淑女”）, whore, woman of the street, working girl, call girl, comfort woman(慰安妇)。

　　750. The new job might bring you more money, but it requires longer hours, so you’d better balance that out in your thoughts. 新的工作可能会有更高的薪水，但工作时间也更长，所以你得好好想想，权衡清楚。balance out：权衡利弊，平衡。You need to balance out your stress. 你的设法减轻压力。要注意，不要把balance out与out of balance搞混淆。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-9-22　19:50:30　 回复  

　　偶尔去了第一页，才忽然发现，此帖已发了整整一年。写完了500句后，觉得达到了目标，所以封了笔。三个月后再来“英语杂谈”，发现还有人在顶这帖，看大家如此厚爱，深觉鼓舞，于是又重新开始，并且把目标由原来的500句提高到了1500句。而今天已经走过了750句，刚好一半。前750句花了约9个月时间，所以后750句预计应该九个月后能完工。
　　我的句子来源基本上有两个，一是在与老外接触时听到的句子。我一般随身带一个小笔记本，听到什么口语就即刻记下，第二来源就是通过阅读，包括网上的一些辞典。写外语学习帖一般不要求作者自己去造英文句子，但翻译部分应该由作者完成。我就是走的此道，除了少部分句子是我自己造的，绝大部分都是网上、书上摘录的、或“道听途说”的。翻译部分都是由本人完成。
　　在“英语杂谈”连载帖中，好像只有两个帖是正而八经的原创帖，一是安迪的帖，二是本人的了。可惜这个安迪好像在休假或者已退休，近来不再现身。
　　谢谢大家给我的鼓励，同时也请大家不光顶此贴，而且也帮顶我其他的帖，其他帖也很重要，例如，我最近在做“英语杂谈”的净化工作：希望那些转贴能如实申报。但这需要大家帮忙顶我，才能达到效果。也希望你能参与，专门去查查，有哪些帖是转贴又不标明的。
　　大家有什么问题也可以提出来，问题不一定放在跟贴部分，你可以用内部信箱。但是这类问题我一般是不答的，诸如“如何学好英语，记单词有什么诀窍”，这些问题一般都是初学者问、初教者答的事。我的帖已表明是高级帖，就是说，你的英文得有一定的程度。另外我希望大家能互动，例如我希望大家能套there are two kinds of, one is, the other is，但没有一人回应。学英语的有效方法之一是不要怕错、要勤动笔，持之以恒，必有成果。
　　写此帖虽然很花费时间，但乐在其中，也就不觉得是费时的活了。
　　一年一晃就过去了，正所谓“光阴似箭”。今天的十句就谈谈时间好了。

　　751. Time flies like an arrow. 光阴似箭。Life goes by so fast you even don’t realize it. 相反的说法：Time goes by so slowly.时间过得真慢。Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. 光阴似箭，你生命里，人客来了一批，走一批。

　　752. Time is still. Time stands still. 时间停滞了。

　　753. Time is of the essence. You need to know the clock is ticking for your decision. 时间才是关键，你要知道作决定所剩下的时间不多了。the clock is ticking for, 时间不多了。

　　754. Your life is slipping away. 你的生命正在不知不觉中消失。The death clock will remind you just how short life is.死亡之钟在提醒你，生命短暂。

　　755. To write a high quality blog post is actually quite time consuming. 要写出一个高质量的帖实际上是很花时间的。The time is tight.时间紧迫。

　　756. There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. 要完成所有的事，时间总是会不够；但要完成最重要的事，时间却总会够的。

　　757. race against the clock. 与时间赛跑The court's decision has put the clock back a hundred years. 法院的判决让时光倒流了一百年。It's a race against time to get the building finished before the rainy season sets in.这是在与时间赛跑，一定要在雨季来临前把房子盖好。

　　758. Fast forward to what is happening now, I am so happy that everything has worked out fine. 长话短说，提到现在的情况，我很满意结局都很美满。fast forward, 看DVD，想省却一些内容，就按“快键”，这里意为“长话短说”，很生动。Fast forward to 2009! 展望2009！

　　759. My late-night thoughts bend to contemplations about how short my remaining time is.半夜三更，我不由自主地思考，我的年数已经所剩无几了。

　　760. 对时间描述得最为精辟的莫过于旧约传道书3：1-8（Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ）。这一段的中文随便去查哪本圣经都可以查得到。或者，哪位朋友把中文查到，然后贴在跟贴里。
　　For everything there is a season,
　　And a time for every matter under heaven:
　　A time to be born, and a time to die;
　　A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
　　A time to kill, and a time to heal;
　　A time to break down, and a time to build up;
　　A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
　　A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
　　A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
　　A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
　　A time to seek, and a time to lose;
　　A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
　　A time to tear, and a time to sew;
　　A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
　　A time to love, and a time to hate,
　　A time for war, and a time for peace.

作者：野百合花开　回复日期：2008-9-23　7:26:41　 回复  

　　传道书3：1-8
　　3:1 凡 事 都 有 定 期 ， 天 下 万 务 都 有 定 时 。
　　3:2 生 有 时 ， 死 有 时 。 栽 种 有 时 ， 拔 出 所 栽 种 的 ， 也 有 时 。
　　3:3 杀 戮 有 时 ， 医 治 有 时 。 拆 毁 有 时 ， 建 造 有 时 。
　　3:4 哭 有 时 ， 笑 有 时 。 哀 恸 有 时 ， 跳 舞 有 时 。
　　3:5 抛 掷 石 头 有 时 ， 堆 聚 石 头 有 时 。 怀 抱 有 时 ， 不 怀 抱 有 时 。
　　3:6 寻 找 有 时 ， 失 落 有 时 。 保 守 有 时 ， 舍 弃 有 时 。
　　3:7 撕 裂 有 时 ， 缝 补 有 时 。 静 默 有 时 ， 言 语 有 时 。
　　3:8 喜 爱 有 时 ， 恨 恶 有 时 。 争 战 有 时 ， 和 好 有 时 。

　　761. Are you jetlagged at all? Jetlag可作动词用，但一般作名词：Are you suffering from jetlag at all? 这句话很实用，见了老外没话可说就说这句话。

　　762. I had a grand time with my friends. 跟这些朋友玩得很痛快。也可以用great来代替grand, 但这里只能用grand：A grand Opening. 隆重开业。the Grand Canyon 大峡谷。（与长城比较：the Great Wall。）

　　763. I’m open to other options. 我可以考虑其他的方案（选择）。

　　764. 报纸上由三副或四副漫画成一组的漫画叫comics, or comic strips, or funny book，or cartoon art。连环画则叫graphic novel，因为有故事情节(也有“sequential art”的用法)。This graphic novel is actually a satire of American society for adults. 这部连环画是给成人读的，讽刺美国社会。

　　765. Their words mean squat. Squat原意是“蹲下”，口语里意思是一钱不值。“他们的话信不得。”These bureaucrats will give themselves some awards that mean squat. 这些官僚给自己颁奖，毫无意义。

　　766. Obama最近讲了一句话，引起共和党人的围攻：You can put lipstick on a pig. It is still a pig. 你可以给猪涂口红，但猪仍旧是猪。也有用on a donkey/frog来代替pig。意思原为“浪费时间”，像是cosmetic project, (面子工程，费时但没有什么实际的用处)。因为共和党副总统是位刚刚提名的女性，所以共和党人就在那里嚷了，说Obama是在侮辱女性。也有人加几个字：You can put lipstick on a pig all day long, but it's still a pig. 与pig一个相关的词是piggy，Uncle Sam dips into its piggy bank to pay for financial bailouts. 美国政府从储备金中掏钱来挽救金融市场。408介绍过piggy bank。

　　767. They need some helpful tips to try to make do in this rough economy. make do 就是struggle的意思。”在经济不景气的情况下，他们需要一些知识帮助他们度过难关。”We had to make do on less income. 收入减少时，我们得咬紧牙关。类似的结构：make a go: 意思是取得成功。They have made a go of the business. 他们的业务相当成功。

　　768. My computer is acting again. I hate it when it hangs up on me and I can't click anything我电脑又出麻烦了，我什么文档也点不开，恨得我咬牙切齿。My computer is acting up on me.

　　769. My computer is so sluggish, it must have caught a worm. 我的电脑慢得如蜗牛，肯定是染了病毒。a worm就是a computer virus。（专家会说，worm与virus不同，但通俗用法上是一样。）

　　770. Good things happen in twos. 好事成双。

　　771. A. How do you feel? B. I feel run over. 你感觉怎样？糟透了。run over 就是车子从你身上压过去，B君说感到是被车撞了，那种感觉可想而知。

　　772. I know what you have been through. 我知道你所经历的（痛苦）。这是安慰人的话。

　　773. I was totally blown off. 我高兴死了；我都懵了。Why do girls blow off nice guys for the bad guys?为什么女孩们都喜欢坏男人，而拒绝好男人。

　　774. She was excited about this guy, but her mother said: Flash in the pan. 她为这个男人很动心，但她母亲说，表面上看不错，但过不久就会让你失望的。（当年淘金的人，拿着盘子去淘，看到有闪光的东西就以为是金子，但结果却叫人失望。）

　　775. A nice girl is like a solo multi-million dollar lottery ticket win. Sure, it happens, but like once every couple of years. 如今好女孩就像独中百万彩票，当然，也不是没有，但这只是几年才遇上一回的事。

　　776. I echo his comments. 我完全赞同他的意见；我与他有同感。或者说：I am totally with you.

　　777. Like-minded people should work together.志同道合的人应该团结一致去奋斗。

　　778. Our stores are the world’s local stores. 我们商店立足地方，遍布全球。这是一句很好的广告词，即拉近与一个地方顾客的距离，又标明了自己是个国际公司。

　　779. You need to get this boy back in the box. 你得管管这孩子了。

　　780. As an old saying goes: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Whoever makes the loudest complains gets attention. 老话说得好，得到机油的是响轮。谁的抱怨声音最大，谁就会得到帮助。这句话相当于“会哭的婴孩有奶吃”。

　　781. a body double, 替身演员，Stallone hires a body double for Rambo. 史泰龙雇用替身演员演兰宝。 body doubles，替身与被替身的演员， stunt 特技替身。口语里替身又叫stand-in.（代课老师叫fill-in teacher）

　　782. dreamboat不是“船”，而是“偶像”，此词多为女性用。He is the romantic dreamboat. 他是爱情偶像。I thought he was my dreamboat, but now I realize, he's just a silly old punt.　我以为他就是我梦中情人，但我现在才发现，他不过是个又笨又老的家伙。

　　783. Navy Fires at Spy Satellite: Bull's Eye! 海军向间谍卫星发射导弹：正中目标。bull’s eye黑色靶圆，靶心，因此转义为“打中了，往死里打，”。Your remark about corruption hit the bull's-eye. 你对腐败问题的看法一针见血。If both men and women could just shoot a little lower in the bulls-eye, I think these kinds of questions would disappear. 如果男女双方吵架时能互相手下留情不往死里打，我相信许多的问题都能迎刃而解。hit the mark or hit the nail on the head也是同样的意思。

　　784. Jack was every inch a sailor. 杰克是个天生的水手。That music excites every inch of me. 这首曲子让我全身兴奋。I am giving you every inch of my love, please don’t refuse me. 你不要拒绝我，我把全部的爱都奉献给你。另外表示爱的句子：I love you with every inch of my heart and soul . I love you sweetheart to the moon and back.

　　785. Our training will put you in front of the crowd. 我们的培训可以让你出人头地（或让你脱颖而出。）另一个说法是：make you stand out among the crowd.

　　786. He has proven through his success that he bears the CEO title well. 他的成功证明他的总裁头衔实在是实至名归。

　　787. I am bored out of my mind. 我腻透了。

　　788. She puts a new spin on cuisine. 她改进了烹饪。

　　789. south and north 这两个词初一生都认识，但还有个很口语的用法：north代表上升，增长，多；而south意思为掉价。I believe it is somewhere north of 70 percent. 我相信大概在70%以上。Gold prices now are going south by 20%. 黄金价格掉了20%。

　　790. He is putting the finishing touches on his new book, set for publication this year. 他正在给书做最后的润色，预计今年出版。the finishing touches, 快完工的阶段。另外要了解这两个词组： woman’s touch； magic touch

　　791. Many cannot come. On the plus side, the mayor has confirmed he can come. 很多人来不了，但不错的是，市长已经决定要来参加。on the plus side, 好的一面，积极的一面。相反的用法是：on the down side。

　　792. Happiness is not about being loved, it is about loving someone else. 幸福不是让人来爱你，而是你去爱人。Real love breaks the bond of selfishness. It makes you larger. 真爱让你脱离自私的捆锁，让你变得崇高。

　　793. In the depths of God’s love, I find comfort and peace, though my enemy is against me. 纵然仇敌逼迫我，但在上帝的深厚大爱里，我找到了安慰与平安。depth用复数时表示很“浓厚”的意思：Even in the depths of darkness, a little lightness finds a way in. 在浓浓的黑夜里，一点星火也能显出光辉。（出淤泥而不染之意。）比较单数的用法：In the depth of winter I finally learned that there within me lay an invincible summer.

　　794. I was deserted by my no-good boyfriend, and I want to study Japanese hard. 我被那一无是处的男朋友给甩了，我要用功读日文。Desert：甩掉，口语里多用dump。注意：no “good guy”与no-good guy意思并不一样。no “good guy”是与“good guy”相对比。No-good是说这个人或物本身一无是处。

　　795. I want somebody to belong to and somebody to belong to me. 我渴望属于一个人，也渴望这个人属于我。

　　796. You need try to sidestep this kind of situation in your love life. sidestep 避免

　　797. I will stand by for you. 我随时恭候你。stand by 等候

　　798. I would like to be on the same wave length as members of a younger generation. 我希望总是能与年轻一代同呼吸共命运。on the same wave length 直译是“同一个频道”

　　799. This is the first time Chinese people have realized that human rights are universal. This is a quantum leap in Chinese consciousness. 这是中国人第一次认识到，人权是普世的。这在中国人的灵魂深处是一次质的转变。质的转变是a quantum leap，而不是quantity change。

　　800. A. Do you want to join us? A. 你想和我们一同去吗？B. Count me in. 把我算上。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 17:09 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-10-1　23:43:11　 回复  

　　
　　801. Kenneth Lee Rothey, whose Chinese name is 路乞, was a big shot in Wuhan. He even earned a nickname, ''the foreign Lei Feng." K.L.R.的中文名字叫“路乞”，在武汉可是曾经风光一时呀，甚至得了一个外号叫“洋雷锋”。a big shot: 重要，了不起，猛批。They take a big shot at those corrupted officials. 他们把矛头直接对准了腐败的官吏。

　　802. Yes, that rings a bell. I heard his story some place. It was a heartwarming and inspiring story. He started a campaign to clean trash from city streets. To Chinese people, he came across as a very caring individual who wanted to do good things. 是，想起来了。我在什么地方听过他的事迹，是个很温馨、鼓舞人的故事。他发动大家在城市街道上捡垃圾。在中国人的印象里，他是个乐于做好事，很能体贴他人的好人。It rings a bell. 想起来了。heartwarming: 暖人心的，温馨的。inspiring: 鼓舞人的。come across as: 给人的印象是

　　803. You know what, he was actually a criminal on the run. He was on the most wanted list of the International Police.但你知道吗，他实际上一直是一个在逃犯，是上了国际刑警通缉令上的人。on the run： 在逃犯，又可以说a criminal at large。the most wanted list： 通缉令。the blacklist: 黑名单。

　　804. What crimes was he engaged in? 他犯了什么罪呢？或者说，What crimes did he commit?

　　805. He is a white collar coyote. He also did money laundering. He successfully stayed away from justice by hiding himself in China for three years, but finally he was picked up by American cops and taken back to the States the end of past June. 他是个专做白领偷渡的蛇头，他也犯有洗钱罪。他在中国躲了起来，逃过了法律制裁达三年之久，但最终还是被美国警方于六月底给带走了。Coyote原意为小狼，但口语里指蛇头，很多人将蛇头翻译为snakehead，这是直译，但现在英语世界也渐渐接受了snakehead一词。Did you make it across with a coyote? 蛇头把你带过边境了吗？We paid a coyote ten thousand bucks a piece to get us in to the United States. 我们每人都付了一万美元给蛇头带我们进到美国。

　　806. Is that right? I also heard that he is a Mormon missionary. 是吗？我还听说他是摩门教的传教士呢。

　　807. Mormon sucks. A Mormon guy was found guilty of having ten wives recently. Mormon doctrine states that their members must be living in polygamy in order to enter the highest heaven. Their members have the rampant practice of taking underage girls as polygamous wives. 摩门教恶心。有个摩门家伙最近被判罪因为他娶了十个老婆。摩门教教义说，一个人要进入天国的最高境地就要多娶老婆。他们成员盛行娶好些未成年女孩做老婆。polygamy 一夫多妻制，underage girls as polygamous wives，这又叫child brides， 类似于中国旧时的“童养媳”。

　　808. That is against modern precepts. 这是违背现代理念的呀。

　　809. Well, not necessarily against every man’s modern concept. I bet that some Party members may want to be converted to Mormon, since they have lovers and concubines in droves. 嗯，但倒不见得是违背每个人的现代理念。我敢打赌，有些党员就想皈依摩门教，他们可是二奶三奶成群结队呀。in droves： 成群结队。precept, concept 意思相近，放在一起记比较好。

　　810. There you go. Those guys can get off easily with just a slap on the wrist even if they get caught. ( or a slap-on-the-wrist punishment.) 你说得不错。这些人就算被发现了，也会不了了之，轻易就走脱的。There you go. 表示赞同对方的说法。get off: 走脱。a slap on the wrist, 在手腕上打一下，表示处罚很轻微。get caught 被发现。
　
　　　811. I am off the subject. 我走题了。Do they go off the subject often and get lost in their words? 他们是不是常常离题、信口开河？You are off the subject. I am lost in your words. 你走题了，你的话让我迷茫。

　　812. 140题是Turnoff，相反的说法是turn-on：Confidence will always be a major turn-on. 自信总是一个主要吸引人的优点。

　　813. There are thousands of articles on English learning in Yingyu Zatan(英语杂谈). How can you keep up with all this reading? Well, focus on Teacher Xin’s. Teacher Xin’s column offers enough stuff to keep you abreast of today’s English. 英语杂谈有上千的文章论说如何学好英文，你怎么可能把这些文章都读完?专心读信老师的文章。信老师的文章足可以让你跟上当代英语。keep up with 与 keep someone abreast of 是同一个意思。

　　814. Xin’s column helps you not only with your English learning, but also with a broad scope of knowledge, thus you gain confidence with people. 信老师的文章不仅帮助你学英文，还让你获得较为广泛的知识，这样你在与他人交往时就会信心十足了。

　　815. The most important thing is to develop a burning internal urge for improving and honing your English skillset. 最为重要的事是，你得有一股内在的激情想要改进提高你的英语综合技能。 a skillset, 通常写为a skill set, 指综合技能，不是单单一项。例如，听、说、读、翻译技能都过关，就是a skill set，如果只有其中一项，就是a skill。

　　816. A. Teacher Xin, I think I suffer from shyness. What can I do? B. Winning the war with shyness takes practice. You should know that people generally are friendly, and you should not feel insecure and fear that you are being judged with every word you say. 要想战胜胆怯需要多练。你该知道，人通常还是非常友善的，所以你不必提心吊胆，老是担心别人会对你的话去斤斤计较。

　　817. Ordinary families do not have any savings to fall back on in an emergency. 一般家庭没有任何储蓄可以对付意外事件。 fall back on 依靠。

　　818. The computer is acting on me today. 今天电脑有点不正常。

　　819. Soccer kind of fell upon me. 我是不由自主地爱上了足球。

　　820. Here's the tag line. 这是最重要的话。通常电影海报上会引用电影里一句给人印象最深的话，这就是tag line.

　　821. A chance meeting with her has changed his life. 一次与她的邂逅相遇改变了他的一生。a chance meeting, 偶尔相遇。I met him by chance. 我偶尔遇上了他。I am quite certain the chances are low. It has never happened before. 我敢肯定，这样的机率很低，这事从来没有发生过。

　　822. What exactly are you giving her besides an open wallet? 除了慷慨外，你还能给她什么呢？an open wallet, 敞开的荷包，这里意思是“大方”。To those bureaucrats, the government equals an open wallet. 对于这些官僚而言，政府就是一个敞开的金库。

　　823. I am not your ATM machine. 我不是你的自动提款机。

　　824. I am not an open checkbook to you. 我又不是你的财主。an open checkbook 任由你填写的支票簿。比较a blank check。

　　825. I have two beefs with your argument. 对你的观点，我有两点不同的意见。beef 口语里意思是吵架，不同的意见。 Why do you want to have beef with me? 你为什么要跟我过不去？I won’t buy that beef from you. 我才不会听你这套胡说。

　　826. two sides: There are always two sides to every story, and there are two sides to this story. 每个事件都有两个不同面，这个事件就有两个不同面。（这是你陈述、辩护自己观点比较好的开场白。）

　　827. It generated strong feelings from people. 这引起了大家的强烈反应。Those on both sides of the issue agree it generates strong feelings.

　　828. If news media people had an ounce of integrity, they would not report such a one-sided story from the local government. 如果这些新闻从业人员还有一点点良知的话，就不会仅仅报道来自地方政府的一面之词了。

　　829. These are the two sides of the same coin. 也可以作：These are the two sides of a coin. Rewards and punishments are two sides of the same coin – both are used to control people, and neither works very well. 奖励与惩罚实际上是一个硬币的两面，都是用来控制人的，但是两者都不能取得很好的效果。This will always be a two-sided argument. 比较：two edged sword，双刃的剑。

　　830. I cannot understand why a minor disagreement escalates into a fist-fight. 我真不明白为什么一点意见不合就变成了拳头相见。

　　831. pass the buck 推诿责任。Passing the buck is a way of life for Chinese bureaucrats. 中国官僚最拿手的就是打太极拳。以前美国人打牌，怕有人做小动作，庄家前放一把小刀，状如小公鹿，所以这刀叫“buck”，谁舞弊，刀就飞了过去。轮到下个人做庄，刀就传到下一个人。也就是pass the buck。后来美国人比较文明了，就改为放一银元。所以后来美元就叫bucks。杜鲁门有句最有名的话。I am the ultimate responsible person in this organization. Everyone can pass the buck to me, but I cannot pass the buck to others. The buck stops here. 我是这个组织的最高负责人，谁都可以把责任推到我这里，但我绝不会把责任推给别人。问责到此为止。胡哥什么时候也能说同类的话呢？

　　832. I don't usually get peeved by misleading articles, knowing that they are merely for propaganda. 我知道那些专门误导读者的文章都是宣传工具，所以我通常是不会对这些文章较真的。peeve 生气。a pet peeve 指让你生气不舒服的小事，但可能对别人并不会产生什么影响。That is a pet peeve. 类似151句：something get under one's skin。 My pet peeve is that so many people here are coping articles written by others. 叫我头痛的是太多的人抄别人的东西。

　　833. Whoever controls the flow of information controls the mind of people. 谁掌控了信息传播谁就控制了大众的头脑。

　　834. This is a small token of my appreciation. 感谢人送礼物时必说的话。a token of my love

　　835. Get over it. 算了，不要再计较。 You need to get over it. 你得忘记这事了。 I can never get over it. 我总是无法忘怀。

　　836. City white-collar women who have succeeded educationally and professionally are the least likely to marry down. 城市白领女性受过良好的教育，事业有成，一般很难与比自己条件差的男人结婚。Men tend to marry down more easily. 男性不在乎与比自己条件差的女性结婚。 marry down 与条件比自己差的人结婚。

　　837. You are on top of the game today. 你今天表现出色。on top of the game与on the cutting edge（见第187句） 是同一个意思。You need to stay on top of your game if you want to stay valuable and in demand. 你如果想要得到重视、重用，你就得表现优秀。in demand 得到重用。

　　838. This is a classic David versus Goliath showdown. 这是一场典型的小人物挑战巨人的决斗。

　　839. I have now taken it upon myself to champion my two favorite causes, the English language and human rights. 我主动承担了全力以赴地来推动我所喜爱的两项事业：英语与人权。

　　840. You can’t be serious. 你不会当真吧！No one takes you seriously except yourself. 除了你自己，并没有人把你当根葱。You take yourself too seriously. 你太把自己当回事了。

　　841. This restaurant easily tops Beijing’s list when it comes to choice. Guests can find almost anything their tastebuds desire for dinner. 如果你想在北京品尝最好的烹饪，这家餐厅肯定是榜上有名。（或榜上排名前几名。）可以说只要食客能想得到的佳肴在这里都能找到。Come to choice 找最好的餐厅。

　　842. Learn how to boost your powers of persuasion and get what you need in a business/relationship. 学会提高说服人的本领，你就能在生意场上游刃有余。（或在感情方面）。比较前面所学：to hone your ability。

　　843. You know that to cross a street in China requires some special skill. You need to learn how to bob and weave around slow-moving pedestrians and cars at the traffic. 你知道在中国过马路是需要点特别技能，你要学会在拥挤的交通中，在那些走得慢的行人和汽车中穿梭自如. bob 轻轻地跳跃，weave原意是织布，这里是指“在人群中穿来穿去”。

　　844. I am sorry I haven’t replied to you sooner, because my phone is on the fritz. 对不起，我没有及时给你回电话，因为我的手机死机了。

　　845. Freeze. Police! 站住,警察！freeze 在平时场合也能用，并不是只有警察才这么说。例如你叫人不要动，就说：Freeze.

　　846. Let’s give him a big hand. 让我们给他热烈掌声。Put your hands together for him. 现在给他热烈的掌声。He won a standing ovation. We can’t get enough of this guy. 大家起立向他鼓掌，我们感到还不过瘾。（还想听听他的更多发言。）

　　847. The company is making money hand-over-fist. 这个公司赚得盆满钵满。也可以是说花钱如流水：He is a playboy, and spends money hand-over-fist. 他是个花花公子，花起钱来大手大脚惯了。

　　848. You can cut the tension with a knife. 这里气氛紧张得可以用刀来削。

　　849. It is just a feel-good move. 这不过是一种自我安慰的措施。

　　850. She is a scatter brain. 她总是丢三落四。相当于absent-minded，但也有“没有头脑，傻瓜”之意。也有将两词合成一个词的：a scatterbrain。

　　851. The Olympics brought friends to us from every corner of the Earth. 奥林匹克给我们带来了来自五湖四海的朋友。也可以说from four corners of the Earth.

　　852. Olympic history abounds with tales of athletes who overcame crippling adversity to win gold medals, but Karoly Takacs' comeback may be the best. 奥运史册记载了众多运动员历经磨难，顽强拼搏，最终夺取奥运金牌的事迹。然而在这些数不胜数的感人故事中，卡乐里•塔卡克斯（Karoly Takacs）的归来也许应算是最耐人寻味的。
　　上面这句话出自“原版英文阅读网”。中文翻译得不错，只是comeback翻译得不到位。Comeback意为“起死回生，东山再起。” Since making his decision to comeback to soccer last year following the incident which cost him nearly his life late in 2006, the 24-year-old guy has tried not to reflect too often on that moment. 2006下半年他重伤几乎丧命，但他仍旧定下心志，要东山再起，从那一刻起，24岁的小伙子就决定不再对以往耿耿于怀。

　　853. Walk 作及物动词： We should not just talk the walk, but also walk the talk. 我们不能只清谈如何行，而且要行所言。Aliens may have already walked the earth.外星人很可能已经来到过地球了。

　　854. Pen 作及物动词：He pens a column in Yingyuzatan. It becomes one of the most widely read here.他在英语杂谈写一个专栏，是点击率最高的文章之一。　He poised to pen the new deal. 他倾向签署这项生意。

　　855. Gossip problems usually develop slowly, and a timely discipline can often head them off. 流言蜚语通常形成过程很慢，及时的训诫便可以杜绝这现象。head off 砍头，杜绝

　　856. Lotteries have operated for many years in China, raking in billions of money annually in ticket sales. 彩票已经在中国发行很多年了，每年都是上百亿的进账。rake本意是扒草，钱一捆一捆地进，就像扒草一样，很生动。This is a successful company that has raked in the profits. 比较上面的第847句子hand-over-fist. She raked her fingers through her hair. 他用手指梳理了一下头发。

　　857. She started as a street-level salesperson. 她是从最底层的销售人员开始做起。

　　858. I am not always vacillating and second-guessing myself. 我做事并不是总是犹豫不决，瞻前顾后的。vacillate: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader. 他做事不果断，领导能力差。second-guessing 就是你做了一个决定，又回头看是不是作对了。也有“事后诸葛亮”的意思。

　　859. Myanmar illegals risk life and limb to enter Singapore. 缅甸非法移民冒着生命危险偷渡进入新加坡。life and limb是一个固定词组，意为“生存、生命”。In order to keep life and limb together she worked sixty hours a week. 为了能够生存，她每周工作六十个小时。

　　860. Banzhu got cowed down by pressure from the net police. 因着网警的压力，斑竹只好屈膝。

　　861. 几个有关hell的表达法：When she was young, she is a hell-raiser. 她年轻时谁都不敢惹她。a living hell, 人间地狱。They seemed hell-bent on fighting corruption. 他们势要与腐败斗争到底。The poor woman's been going through hell over the last few weeks, not knowing whether her son was alive or dead after the earthquake. 这个可怜的女人过去的几周里如同经过了地狱一般，因为她不知道她的儿子在地震后是生是死。

　　862. 前面提到了eat作名词用，现在来看read作名词：These are my all-time favorite reads. 这些都是我百读不厌的好书。

　　863. I have come to realize that my workout does more than keep my body together; it helps keep my life together. keep something together 保持良好状态；相当于keep something in good shape. 我已经意识到，锻炼不仅让我保持最佳的健康，而且让我有整个生活都有条不紊。

　　864. make the rounds, 由一人传递到另一人，到处转。The rumor making the rounds in Washington is that the ambassador will be leaving. 华盛顿盛传大使即将离。Tony and I made the rounds of the museums in the city. 我和土尼在市的一些博物馆留恋难返。Every new executive must do the rounds of all the departments in the company. 每次新任总管都得到所有的部门走访一遍。

　　865. Here is some food for thought. 这里是给你思考的一些资料。

　　866. use it or lose it. 不使用就废弃。A foreign language is something you use it or lose it. 外语是不用即丢。

　　867. make it or break it. 不成功即成仁，成败在此一举。I have to take this calculated risk, it is a make-or-break move. 我得好好掂量一下危险，这可是成败在此一举呀。

　　868. Love him or leave him. 要就爱上他，要就离开他。（意即不要不爱了却还藕断丝连。）

　　869. You can learn English from roots up. root 词根。你可以从词根开始学英语。

　　870. This couple went around and around like this for two hours. 这对夫妻就是这样来来回回吵了两个小时。

　　871. shellac 是一种油漆，口语中意为“打败”。The word "landslide" did not even begin to capture the enormity of the shellacking. “大获全胜”一词远远不足以来描述这场空前绝后的胜利。Consumers are getting shellacked all over the world. So are investors. 全球的消费者都正在经历一场灾难，投资者的经历也是如此。They suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition. 敌人占有明显的优势，他们是兵败如山倒。

　　872. I have been pulling double shifts for four months. 我一天上两个班，已经四个月了。I am not an impeder. I am pulling for you. 我并不是拖你后退的人，我在为你喝彩呢。

　　873. 特别注意，英语里的“pull someone’s leg”不是“拖后腿”的意思，而是“开玩笑”：Is he really angry with me or do you think he’s just pulling my leg? 你说，他是真的生我的气呢，还是跟我闹着玩？He is just pulling your leg.他只是在跟你开玩笑。

　　874. After this unfortunate turn I found myself talking almost nightly to him online. 自从这次不幸的遭遇后，我不知不觉地每天晚上和他在网上聊天了。unfortunate turn 不幸的遭遇。Due to this unfortunate turn of events this project will be put on hold until I can find a solution. 因为事情发生了逆转，在我找到解决问题的方法前，这个项目只好搁浅。

　　875. This is an old family recipe. 这道菜是按祖传方法制作的。

　　876. Your advice, I am sorry to say, is a recipe for disaster. 你的主意，我抱歉地说，只能招致灾难。

　　877. think about 与think of的用法。一般语法书或辞典上都有对两个词组的解释。许多学生还是对此不太容易区分其不同处，此举数例以助了解其用法。这两个词组在很多时候是通用的，例如：Whenever I think about her, I get goose bumps. 我一想起她就起鸡皮疙瘩。I do not want to think about it any more. 我不想再提这件事了。Whenever I look at this gift, I think of you. 我每次看见这礼物就不由想起了你。Did you think of me when you went to the restaurant? 你去餐厅时有没有想起我呀？在think与of中可以加几个副词： I think better of him since I saw how impressively he speaks English. 当我了解到他英语讲得那么棒时，我对他就刮目相看了。I hope you will think better of the plan now. 我希望你现在能更加接受这个计划。She thinks very highly of you. 她对你的评价很高。Liz thinks little of Tom and his efforts to interest her. 汤姆想着法子想吸引她，她对他却没有任何兴趣。I think nothing of it. 对此我根本就没有什么想法。Please do not think ill of me. It was just a silly mistake.请不要把我想歪了，我不过是犯了个低级的错误。

　　878. They just try to think of some crackpot solutions while they refuse to face the root of corruption. 他们拒不面对腐败的根源，只是想找些稀奇古怪的方法来唬弄大家。crackpot solution 稀奇古怪但并不能真正解决问题的方法。Accountability system is just another crackpot solution. 问责制不过是又一个鬼花招。

　　879. They got kind of upset because, they thought I was nit-picking. 他们觉得我是在找碴，所以有点不高兴了。Nit虱子蛋。

　　880. Our product is client-specific, one of a kind design. 我们的产品都是根据客户的要求专门定制的，每样就生产一款。
　　
　　880. We offer customized service. 我们的服务能满足顾客的各种不同的具体需要。Nowadays, consumers can customize a computer online. 现在顾客可以在网上提出自己的具体要求来订购电脑。

　　881. I can provide English lessons tailored to your needs. 我可以根据你的需要来制定英语课程。tailored solution, 具体问题，具体答案。

　　882. It is designed just for you. 这款是专门为你定做的。

　　883. We offer gifts which can be personalized for whomever you wish! 我们定做礼品，印上你指定的名字。

　　884. After the summer, he is heading to college. 暑假后他就要上大学了。I wasn’t a fan of school until I hit college. 我上大学前都一直对上学不感冒。hit the road: 上路。Sorry I’ve got to hit the road again. 对不起，我又得上路了。

　　885. The classics are not my thing. 我不喜欢古典文学。It is just not my thing. 我就是不喜欢这样事。not one’s thing，这是个固定词组，用否定式。

　　886. This kind of story is my bread and butter. 这类的故事正是我饭碗里的事。（是我求之不得的，最关注的）Unemployment and security are the bread-and-butter concerns of this campaign. 失业和安全是这次竞选最受关注的事。

　　887. The English learning with V.O.A. is my lifeline. 跟美国之音学英语简直就是我的命根子。He is really a bad addict. Internet is his lifeline. 他患有严重的网瘾，没有网络他就无所事事。

　　888. He doesn’t have the faintest idea what was happening. 他根本就不知道所发生的事。Not the faintest idea 一般要用否定式。也可以说the slightest idea: It’s absolutely no good asking me. I haven’t the slightest idea. 你问我，我问谁？（用相对的汉语口语意译）

　　889. Does your mother teach you any manners? 难道你妈妈没有教过你礼貌吗？

　　890. You can wow your professors with the stuff you learn from this column. 如果你能掌握好这个专栏的东西，你会让你的教授大吃一惊的。wow一般作惊叹词，这里作动词，表示让谁大吃一惊。What I can do to wow my boyfriend for his birthday? 我可以做件什么事来让男朋友在生日时大吃一惊呢？

　　891. If you’ve been burned by someone, it may be tempting to give the person a taste of his or her own medicine. 如果有人在背后占你的功劳，你会很自然地想要报复，让他也同样尝尝受伤的味道。burn在口语里为“背后贪别人的功劳，贪天功为己有”。此词从电脑词汇 “burn a CD” 的 “burn”引申出来。Getting a Taste of One’s Own Medicine Is Surely a Hard One to Swallow.自己酿的苦酒要自己尝绝不是好滋味。

　　892. With gossip or office politics, you should remain above the fray as much as possible. If you get involved in a tit-for-tat game, it can damage your own reputation. 对于流言或办公室内的勾心斗角，你应该学会超然，远离是非。如果你卷入了你争我夺的是非，你的声誉也会受到蒙羞。tit-for-tat 报复。

　　893. So fight the fights that actually mean something. If it doesn’t mean anything, just let it go and try to get along. 所以干仗也要干一些有意义的仗，如果太过无聊，就不要去理会，试着与大家和和气气好了。Let it go. 让这事过去好了。

　　894. Horseplay is not allowed in the bus. 车内禁止大声喧哗打闹。horseplay不能望文生义，理解为骑马。

　　895. You may want a second opinion. 你最好再询问一下其他人的意见。

　　896. I am not your mind reader. How can I know your thought? 我又不是你肚子里的蛔虫，我怎么知道你的想法？mind reader，世界几乎所有文化中都有这种迷信，类似的还有palm reader, 看手相，crystal ball, 水晶灯；tarot cards，算命牌；numerology，算八字；astrology 看星座，等等不一而足。

　　897. Children can sharpen their mental reflexes by learning to play chess. 儿童学下棋可以提高敏锐反应的能力。mental reflexes 头脑反应快，条件反射。 “Oneself” is a reflexive pronouns. (反身代词）

　　898. You don’t have to scratch the flaky surface of extreme nationalism very hard to reveal the totalitarian underneath. Extreme nationalism doesn’t have much in store for us. 你不用太费力，就能把极端民族主义的薄薄表皮给捅破，藏在下面的不过是极权主义。极端民族主义没有什么精神力量可以提供给大家。

　　899. He is a dirt bag. 他脏兮兮的。或者，他这个人品格很坏。

　　900. lose one’s shirt, 输得精光。Don’t lose your shirt in a bear market. 熊市期间不要把钱都打了水漂。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 17:19 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-10-19　18:05:19　 回复  

　　901. I have set my heart and mind on Qinghua university. 我一心一意想考上清华。Or I set my sights on Harvard. 我把目光投向了哈佛。Before you get into the sanctuary, have your heart and mind set on magnifying God. 在还没有聚会前，你就得开始把心灵投放在上帝上来荣耀他。

　　902. The little boy is asking me for a piggyback ride. 这小孩要我背他。It can be a felony in some states to piggyback on someone’s unsecure Wi-Fi connection without the owner’s permission. 在美国有些州，一个人如果擅自上他人没有上锁的无线网络可以判为重罪。piggy backer汽车或摩托车后面的小型拖斗车。大一点的拖斗车叫trailer。

　　903. His forte is to show people around in the company. 他最拿手的就是向大家介绍公司。

　　904. Someone once said, “Journalism is the first rough draft of history.” No wonder journalists always get things wrong. 有人曾经说过，“新闻不过是历史的最初的、粗糙的草稿”。难怪记者总是把事情搞错了。

　　905. History doesn’t repeat itself--historians do. I am with Karl Popper in the belief that history has no laws, only some occasional recurring patterns.历史是不能重复的，但历史学家却在不断重复着。我赞同卡尔波普尔的信念，即历史是没有规律的，有的不过是一些偶尔重复的轨迹。

　　906. History is a great teacher. 历史就是最好的老师。

　　907. Think twice, dig deep, and you will find a good answer. 好好思考，多下工夫，你会得到一个美好的答案。Your English is poor now, but that is OK. If you dig deep and push yourself hard, you will be in good shape. 你的英语现在是不怎么样，但这不要紧。只要你用功努力，你就会很不错的。

　　908. It seems the perfect solution everyone looks for is to minimize his work life while still getting the stuff done that needs to get done. work life 与work-life 是有区别的。work life指的是工作时间，与leisure life相对应。“似乎每个人都在寻找一个完美的生活方式，那就是尽可能减少工作时间，同时该干的工作又都干好了。”I would like to have my work life to be enjoyable, productive, low-stress and high fun. 我希望我的上班时间能有趣、高效率、少压力、又快快乐乐。work-life指的是工作与生活要有平衡。You are not a robot. You need a good work-life balance. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.你又不是机器人，你需要处理好工作与生活之间的平衡关系。只有工作没有娱乐让Jack成为了一个枯燥的人。

　　909. Is your plan still hazy? 你的计划是不是仍旧模糊得很？

　　910. The concept of language errors is a fuzzy one. Someone would say this sentence is right, while others say it is wrong.语言错误这一个概念实际上很不容易界定。有人说这句子是对的，有人说这是错的。

　　911. She has a sharp tongue and think fast. 她伶牙俐齿，思维敏捷。顺便再介绍三种舌头：forked tongue: Those officials at the department all speak with a forked tongue, promising support they will never deliver. 这个部门的官员个个是谎话连篇，承诺解决问题，但是绝无行动。用tongue来表示说谎最直接的说法是a lying tongue. a flattering tongue, 甜言蜜语

　　912. Go bang your head against a wall, so that maybe it will stop making you say the stupidest things at the worst possible times. 你把头去撞墙吧，这样或许会让你不会在最糟糕的时间说最蠢的话。

　　913. 887句学了lifeline, 这里学另一句：He is putting his life on the line to promote democracy and freedom. 他冒生命危险去推动民主与自由。put one’s life on the line, 冒生命危险。That crazy driver puts everyone’s life on the line. 这个疯子司机在把大家的生命当儿戏。冒生命危险还有两个说法：May one lie when a life is at stake? 当生命出危险时，能说谎吗？His life is at risk. 他的生命处在危险中。

　　914. 中国人喜欢礼让，但最后总有一方要让步，这时我们可以说if you insist, 如果你一定坚持的话，那么。这是正规说法，口语的说法是：if you twist my arm. 例句：If you twist my arm, I’ll stay for a second beer. 既然你这么客气，那我就再喝一杯好了。

　　915. Gentlemen, start your engines. 先生们，可以开始了。（这是赛车时的用语，但是也进入了日常生活中。）

　　916. One would be hard-pressed to find a single scientific breakthrough that required evolution. 很难找得到这样的例子，说是科学领域的某项突破是靠进化论的指导来完成的。hard-pressed 面临极大的压力。Our company is financially hard-pressed. 我们的公司面临极大的财务压力。You would be hard-pressed to explain to me what the government political and economic vision is. 你很难向我解释，政府究竟有什么政治和经济蓝图。

　　917. You need to think creatively—outside the box. 你应该跳出狭隘的惯有思维方式，去创造性地思考。

　　918. Do you think the projected sales figures are realistic? They’re in the right ballpark. 你觉得预计的销售额还现实吗？大致正确。

　　919. You want to control your own destiny? But you are in the wrong lane. 你想掌握自己的命运吗？但是你的方向搞错了。

　　920. They stand on the shoulders of the great people of the past, thus looking father and seeing more clearly than they. 他们站在历史伟人的肩上，所以可以比前人能看得更远，更清楚。

　　921. Reconciliation is the foundation for true harmony. Without it, harmony can only be a stupid idea. 和解是真和谐的基础，没有和解，和谐只能是一个极为愚蠢的观念。

　　922. Can you force harmony at gunpoint? 你可以靠武力来强行推销和谐吗？at gunpoint 又可以说by force of arms：Can you achieve harmony by force of arms? 能靠武力来取得和谐吗？

　　923. Probably you can argue that there was harmony behind the Iron Curtain of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics. 或许你可以争辩说，在以前的东欧和苏联的铁幕背后也有和谐。the Iron Curtain 铁幕。从铁幕一词有人发展出the Bamboo Curtain(竹幕)。

　　924. Government agencies are finding themselves in increasingly rough waters as people know how to defend their rights. 当普通民众学会了如何保护自己的权利时，政府部门就发现他们的日子日益不那么容易过了。in rough waters 也可以说in hot water：Don’t speak ill of your boss. That can land you in hot water. 不要背后说老板的坏话，搞不好你会有麻烦的。fish in troubled waters:混水摸鱼。

　　925. Citizens need to fight for a way to protect themselves from the ambitions of tyrants motivated by ideology, such as Hitler, Stalin and M. 有些暴君，如希特勒、斯大林、M为了一个主义而奴役人民，这时公民应该自强，学会保护自己。

　　926. Government should play no role in the lives of the citizens of a free society except keeping orders. 在一个自由社会，政府除了维持治安外，不能干预公民的私生活。

　　927. One of the biggest problems about the Chinese culture is that people are brought up with the low expectations for themselves. They expect the government to solve all the problems for them. This kind of culture can only produce a dictatorship.中国文化的最大的问题之一就是，人民被调教成了对自己的期望值过低，他们什么事都希望政府来替他们解决。这种文化只能培养出独裁者。

　　928. The tragedy of the younger generation is that they have no ability to think. They need debunk and clear away lots of wrong ideas first. 年轻一代人的悲剧是，他们丧失了思维的能力。他们要做的首先是扫除许多错误的概念。

　　929. I never watch CCTV 7 o’clock evening news, because it destroys our critical abilities and the ability to actually think. 我从来就不看中央台7点的晚间新闻，因为中央台把我们搞得没有分别是非的能力，以及思维的能力。critical abilities: 批评能力，分辨是非能力。。

　　930. Why does the government fear freedom of speech? Because ideas have consequences. 政府为什么这么害怕言论自由？因为思想必带来结果。
　　
　作者：小心逛TY的MM　回复日期：2008-10-23　10:13:38　　　
　　　　此帖真强大，受用！
　　　　三克油，楼主
　　　　弱弱纠正个小错 72中“notion”改“lotion”*_*　

　　931. I let my guard down. 我放松了警惕。

　　932. In the news stand, you find a lot of cheap throwaway newspapers and magazines. 在报刊亭，大量的报纸和杂志都是看完就扔掉垃圾。

　　933. On the street, you will find lots of free, throwaway handbills. 走到大街上，总会有人塞给你大量的免费垃圾推销广告。

　　934. Home, sweet home. 这是旅途人回家常常感叹的一句话。大概相当于“金窝银窝不如自家的狗窝。”也可以译成“甜美之家”。

　　935. I know this is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it! 我知道这是项不容易的工作，但总得有人做吧！（说这话时，实际上就是你自告奋勇愿意来做别人不想做的事。）

　　936. For many sufferers, the drugs have been a godsend. 对于许多患者，这些药就是上帝的礼物。

　　937. After some back-and-forth, we finally settled on a name for our new company: the New Century. 经过来来回回地讨论，我们最后决定了公司的名称：新世纪。

　　938. Right here, right now. 此时此刻，就在此地。（不要找借口拖延。）

　　939. Just do it. 这三个字很有用。你要别人做件事，他啰啰嗦嗦，你就说这句话。或者强调： Just do it, OK! 动手吧，拜托！

　　940. If you can’t beat them, join them. 打不过土匪，就加入土匪。这是一些潜在腐败分子喜欢的哲学，例如刚刚大学毕业的学生，刚毕业，他们还有满腔热情，厌恶腐败，但过了不久，发现根本不可能斗过腐败，于是他们就说这句话。当然也可用在完全不同的语境，例如，你竞争不过人家，就加入他们，这样你也就有了成功的机会。

　　941. You must be kidding me. You wanna be a singer? You even can’t carry a tune. 你真是在给我搞笑，你想成为歌星？你五音都不全！也可以说：You are tone deaf. 你是什么高音低音统统分辨不清楚。I can’t read music. 我不识谱。I cannot carry a tune, no matter how I try. 我尽了力，但还是拿不准调。

　　942. Put the past behind you before you can move on. 你得忘记过去，才能重新出发。

　　943. You can’t argue with success. 成者为王。

　　944. There are many cultural lies in our society. If a movie star is a spokesperson for a product, that product is worthy of trust. This can be said to be a cultural lie.我们社会有许多文化谎言（就是大家都接受的谎言）。如果一个明星做了一个产品的代言人，那个产品就值得我们的信赖了。这就是文化谎言。

　　945. Another one of them is that the Party is the engine of our civilization. It indicates that the Party members are better than other people. It is just another version of Nazi’s race theory.另外一个是，党是文明的火车头。这意味着党员就比其他人优秀，这简直就是纳粹种族理论的翻版。

　　946. We need to tell our people to actively resist cultural lies that limit our potential. 我们得告诉大家，要竭力抵制那些束缚我们发挥潜力的文化谎言。 Potential 可为名词，也可为形容词：a potential danger to safety 安全隐患。

　　947. Evolutionists often speak of missing links. The bridge between man and the apes is the “missing link”, the hypothetical ape-like ancestor of both. 进化论者常常谈到缺失链（又译为“迷失的环节”，或译“缺环”）。进化论假设猿与人享有共同祖先，所以人与猿之间的那座桥就是“缺失链”。

　　948. But the challenge is that missing links are everywhere all over the evolutionary tree. For instance, dogs and bears are thought to be evolutionary cousins, related to each other through a missing link. 但是难题是，在进化论的树枝上，缺失链是比比皆是。例如，狗与熊按进化论解释是属表兄妹，只是中间少了一个缺失链。

　　949. So far, there is no evidence of any fossil record for so-called missing link. 但到迄今为止，找不到一块化石证据来证明有缺失链这回事。So evolution is a theory of circular argument which is never proved. 所以进化论是一种靠循环论证建立起来的理论，得不到证实。

　　950. Real truth stands up to be tested and be debated. There are two theories you are not allowed to debate in our country: communism and evolution.真正的真理是经得起试验与辩论的。但是在我们国家，有两个理论是绝对不允许辩论的，即共产主义与进化论。

　　951. You are defined by what you do, not by what you say. 是你的行为而不是你的言语在揭示着你的为人。A company is defined by its product, not by its commercial. 一个公司是由其产品而不是由其广告所决定的。define 给什么下定义。

　　952. Violet is, by any standards, easy on the eyes. 紫罗，无论用什么样的标准来看，都是一个很养眼的漂亮女孩。She may be easy on the eyes but she is totally conceited.她或许很漂亮，但她却是个狂妄之徒。

　　953. Can you just translate his complicated comments into straight-shooting advice? 你能把他难以明白的言辞化为直截了当的主意吗？He is a straight shooting man caught up in the politics of a crooked little town. 他是一个直爽的人，却陷入了一个充满是非的小镇的官场政治之中。Branch is a straight shooter, a no-nonsense kind of guy who says what he means.布兰是个直来直去的人，不喜欢绕圈子，而是有一说一。

　　954. She loves gossip and tends to listen in on our private conversations. 她这个人喜欢饶舌，喜欢偷听我们的私人谈话。listen in on 等于是eardrop, 偷听。

　　955. Be nice on his wedding day. Don’t cause a scene. 在他的婚礼上要得体一点，不要添乱(引人注目)。cause a scene 引人注目。

　　956. That is a head-smacking solution. 这个解决问题的办法真是别开生面。He has got some ideas so head-smacking good that we shouldn’t miss them. 他有一些叫人顿开茅塞的主意，我们得听一听。head-smacking 顿开茅塞。

　　957. If he does that again, I have to bring it to a showdown with him. 如果他再这么做的话，我就得跟他摊牌了。Three Americans, three Jamaicans to show down in women’s 100m finals. 三个美国人，三个牙买加人将在女子100米决赛中决一胜负。

　　958. I don’t want to cause any hard feelings with his step-mother, but should I call her mother? 我不想叫他继母感到难堪，但我该称她为母亲吗？No hard feelings but I have to tell you that you are wrong. 我并不生气，但我得说，你错了。

　　959. She is so friendly and takes me home often, but she will not allow me to chip in on gas, she says she is making the trip anyway. 她很友善，常常给我搭顺风车，但是她不接受我想给她点汽油钱，因为她说她反正要走这条路。chip in on 大家凑钱 If we all chip in we’ll have enough to buy a suitable gift for our teacher. 如果大家都凑点钱，我们就可以买个象样的礼物给老师了。

　　960. How do I hold my interest in English for the long haul? 我怎样能长期保持学英语的兴趣呢？I am in it for the long haul. 我会长期投入的。

　　961. If you want to keep open your opportunities of moving up the company, then you should not complain too much. 如果你想要在公司有晋升的机会，就不要老抱怨。

　　962. Chinese medicine holds that there are hundreds of points on the body that link to invisible pathways for the body’s vital energy, or qi. 中医认为，人身体上有数百个穴位，透过经脉与气相通。

　　963. A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.银行这种机构就是晴天给你送雨伞，雨天却要收回。

　　964. A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever. 骨伤可以疗，言语造成的伤害却难疗。

　　965. A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age.能够记住女人的生日而又记不住她年龄的人就可以当外交家了。

　　966. A free society is a place where it’s safe to be unpopular.能为少数派提供安全场所的社会就是自由社会。

　　967. A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.不知道历史的一代既没有过去也没有未来。（这句话对当代的愤青真是当头棒喝。当代愤青对过去60年的历史一无所知。）

　　968. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.千里之行始于足下。

　　969. A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.当一个人跪下帮助一个小孩时就会顿时高大起来。

　　970. A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it, is committing another mistake.（孔子）

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-11-13　17:54:59　 回复  

　　1． Zhang Yimou’s new film is undoubtedly the most wildly over-praised film of the year; a work of insipid turns, embarrassing performances.张忆谋的新片无疑是今年受追捧得最过了头的一部影片，实际上情节乏味，演技也叫人不敢恭维。

　　2． I don’t like those ham actors. 我实在不喜欢这些夸张的演员。The plot twists are so ham-handed that it is not enjoyable at all.情节矫揉造作，根本就不好看。Ham-handed 笨手笨脚。The government’s inference is totally ham-handed.政府的干预实在粗暴得很。也有人用ham-fisted

　　3． His film is always rendered as nothing more insightful than “you can’t escape the past.”他的电影总是一个所谓的深刻主题，就是“你不可能摆脱历史。”

　　4． This movie tries to portray the story "as it really is," despite the fact that nothing even remotely occurs in the real world. 这部电影试图讲个“十分贴近真实的生活”的故事，但事实是，电影里所描叙的在现实世界根本就找不到。

　　5． It is a childish sense of play, without credibility and substance. 这电影有点哄孩子的味道，叫人看不下去。

　　6． To be honest, his performance is jaw-droppingly bad. 讲老实话，他的演技实在糟糕透了。Jaw-droppingly 令人吃惊 （惊讶得下巴都掉了）。Jaw-droppingly stupid.

　　7． We’re also supposed to learn a lesson or two from the movie, but there is really nothing there. 照道理我们应该从电影里学那么一、两课人生的功课，但是这电影很苍白。

　　8． This is not what I would assume the top level talent. 我不觉得这电影有什么太高的演技。

　　9． How does he feel about being stormed by out-of-control paparazzi at an event for his new movie? 在新片发行时，狗崽队对他进行了穷追猛打，他对此有什么感受呢？paparazzi 狗崽队。Paparazzo原是一个专门拍摄名人隐私的记者，现成为了一个行业的代名词。

　　10． Fairy tales are the beat vehicle to fulfill wishes of ordinary people. 神话/童话故事是满足普通人梦想的最好方法。Therefore fairy tales have great staying power.所以童话片是经久不衰。staying power 持久力。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-11-14　6:55:12　 回复  
　　sorry, it should be "the best vehicle"
　　
　　10． Fairy tales are the beat vehicle to fulfill

　　 几句无伤大雅的迷信话
　　981. "See a penny, pick it up." 捡起一分钱，好运连连。现在地上有一分钱，可能不屑一顾的人居多。但美国人觉得捡起这分钱会带来好运，所以一边捡一边说：See a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.还有人接着说："see a penny, let it lay and have bad luck all day. "

　　982. 英语里还有些无伤大雅的迷信："Break a mirror, face seven years of bad luck." 中国人也相信不要打破镜子，因为A broken mirror creates a broken soul.

　　983. Friday the 13th is associated with a great deal of superstition in many cultures, and some people think that it is an unlucky or inauspicious day.

　　984. "Step on a crack, break your mother’s back." 人行道上铺有砖块，你应该走在砖面上，而不是踩在砖缝，如果踩到了，结果可能就是：“踩在了砖缝，让你妈背痛。”don’t step on the cracks in the pavement。

　　985. Don’t walk under a ladder. 不要从梯子下走过。（这会带来坏运。）

　　986. 在美国电影里，有时候会出现一只黑猫。这只黑猫很可能象征“噩运”。 In the US, there are some sick-minded people who take and kill especially black cats around Halloween.

　　987. 坏运气又叫“bad juju”，juju是一种护身符。Now that apartment had some bad juju.

　　988. 迷信：superstition，superstitious; 也可以说：irrational beliefs

　　989. The higher you climb, the harder you fall. 我们中文也有这样的说法，但中文的说法是不是来自英文呢？我还没有考究过。这是句哲理话，并非迷信。

　　990. The computer games are their everything. 电脑游戏就是他们的一切。

　　991. raise one's head out of the foxhole 从隐藏处暴露出来，走向公开
　　The National Security forces will focus their power on any pro-democracy guys who have the courage to raise his or her head out of the foxhole. 只要那些民运分子敢抛头露面，国家安全局的人马就会倾巢出动来对付他们。foxhole, 战壕
　　Raising my head out of the political foxhole here on the battlefield, all seems quiet. Only distant rumbles becoming weaker. Peace at last? 我把头从政治搏斗的壕沟中小心地探了出来，发现一切似乎在归于平静，只有远处仍旧有依稀的争斗。终于可以获得和平了吗？
　　相反的说法是：into the foxhole, 进入状况。

　　992. Our work has not been done, not by a long shot. 我们的工作还没有完，远远没有完。

　　993. You need to get back together. 你头脑得好好地清醒清醒。

　　994. He won't take no for an answer. 他非得这样做不可。（他非得得到肯定的答复才满意。）

　　995. These people either spin history or express their philosophical and political opinion when they don't agree with you. 这些人不同意你的观点时，要不然篡改历史，要不然就乱撤哲学和政治。.

　　996. People's Daily is just a megaphone for the Communist Party but it is withering. Fewer and fewer people have confidence in its news. 人民日报不过是党的喉舌，但每况愈下，信其报道的人是越来越少。megaphone 是麦克风，意“传声筒，喉舌。”

　　997. You can run, but you cannot hide. 你可以逃，但不能躲。（比喻即使失败也比不应战要强。）

　　998. You have to go into the lion’s den.if you want to succeed. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子？英语不说tiger's den, 而是the lion's den。

　　999. The Focus (焦点访谈) once a while will have some high level cadres on the program, but only for friendly softball interviews and rhetorical backrubs with off-camera happy endings. “焦点访谈”有时也会弄一两个高官来做节目，不过都是问些友好、无关痛痒的问题，或者貌似严厉不过是挠挠痒罢了，节目一完，皆大欢喜。softball 无关痛痒（与hard ball相对。）

　　1000. The officials like to hem and haw before tough questions and foolishly attempt to get around. 官员们在面对真正的挑战时，总是顾左右而言它，愚蠢地想回避过去。hem and haw哼哼哈哈。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 17:32 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-11-17　06:11:33　 回复  

　　1001. Don’t worry, the police won’t arrest you because you said something unusual. Truth is on your side. you’ll come out scot-free. 别担心，警察不会因为你说了几句出格的话就来抓你的，真理在你一边，你不会有事的。scot-free, 不会有事的，安全。（有人在我的帖后写道：you are in danger, 我就想起了这个词。）

　　1002. You are putting the words right into my mouth. 那全是你的意思，不是我的意思。直译是“把你的话塞到了我嘴里。”Don’t put words into my mouth.不要把你的意思强加给我。 You are reading something into my words. 你在有点歪曲我的话了。

　　1003. I’m a very honest person. Sometimes I put my foot in my mouth, but at the same time, it’s truthful and honest. 我是个诚实的人，有时我说话不能恰倒好处，但同时，我说的都是真的、诚实的。put one’s foot in one’s mouth 说话随意，不得体，说错了。

　　1004. Am I the only person left who thinks this way? 难道我是世上唯一有这种想法的人吗？

　　1005. Even the most out-of-it patients raise a mighty ruckus when you try to put NG tubes c down through their nose. 当你把鼻胃管插入病人的鼻子时，就是最有气无力的病人也会拼命挣扎。out of it, 病人昏昏沉沉，I took some strong medicine, and I am now out of it. 我服了些厉害的药， 现在有点昏昏沉沉。ruckus 强烈的反抗。

　　1006. He is just a college student, always on the prowl for a free meal, 他就是个大学生，总是想蹭顿饭吃。prowl到处寻找猎物，到处找可以吃的东西。

　　1007. 上面提到了softball( 垒球，从字面上看是“软球”，因此是些无关紧要的事)，现在来看另外两个关于球的词：hardball（棒球，从字面上看是“硬球”）,He played hardball by walking out of his boss’ office. 他走出了老板办公室表示了他的强烈不满。fastball, 极难接的快球：So when I threw this inside fastball, he was surprised. 当我出奇不备地向他提出了这个含有内幕的问题时，他大吃了一惊。I’m sorry I didn’t get the contract. Their team threw a fast ball . They talked to the boss first.抱歉，我没有得到合同，他们那组人马行动更快，他们先接洽了老板。
　　throw someone a curve/ curveball 给某人出难题。play ball打球，也表示“开始干活”：Let’s play ball and start negotiating the contract. 我们可以开始办正事了，来协商一下这个合同吧。
　　
　　1008. I will not vote for the lesser of two evils, because at the end of the day, you’re still voting for evil.我不会把票投给小魔鬼，因为到头来，你仍旧是在给魔鬼投票。choose the lesser of two evils 两害相权取其轻

　　1009. The air in the room was politically charged, and everyone there was anxious to hear the news. 房间里的空气弥漫着政治决斗，每个人都在焦急地等待着消息。
　　There was an extreme anticipation in the air as he walked to the crowd. 他出场走向人群，空气中散发着大家的强烈盼望。
　　There is tension in the air.空气十分紧张。

　　1010. I chalked it up to a rookie mistake. 我犯了一个十分低级的错误。a rookie mistake, 低级错误。
　　或者一个男孩头脑发热地爱上了一个女孩。"Man! Look at that idiot! He fell for that gal after one visit! She totally blew him off!" 老兄，你看这个傻瓜，他才见了她一面就爱上了她，她把他是弄得团团转。
　　"What a fool. It must be his first time with a girl."真的有病。他肯定是第一次谈恋爱。 "True man. We’ve all made those rookie mistakes." 男的都是这样啦，我们都曾这么傻过。
　　It was a major rookie mistake for him to leave his car door open! 他车门没关，还有比这更糟的失误吗？

　　1011. It was only after we’d invested all the money that we discovered we’d been backing the wrong horse. 我们把全部的钱都投到了进去后才发现，我们押错了宝。back the wrong horse, bet on the wrong horse, 押错了宝。

　　1012. U look like a million dollars in that dress! 你穿这件衣服太漂亮了。He felt a million dollars after he got the new job. 他找到了新的工作后感觉好极了。

　　1013. Please do something. 请想想办法！请帮帮！

　　1014. You are a bad monkey. 你真是调皮捣蛋！Stop monkey business. 不要捣乱了。猴子喜欢学人做动作，称为monkey business. Don’t be monkey around here! 不要在这里无所事事！

　　1015. He can talk me into anything.他可以说服我做任何事。

　　1016. Open, Sesame. 芝麻，芝麻，开门。（你在等好运气时可说的话。）

　　1017. Cut it out. 得了吧，不要再提（这事）了

　　1018. He is a crude sort of chap, but he flies the flag for us.这个家伙是不怎么样，但他是我们这一边的人。an old chap,老家伙

　　1019. It is now, or never. 机不可失,时不再来。

　　1020. 与上一句类似的、比较正式的说法：Opportunity knocks only/but once. 有人从这句话引申出：Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door. 就算机会来临，如果你不起身把握，仍旧与你无益。一句励志格言说：Weak men wait for opportunities, strong men make them. 弱者等待机会，强者创造机会。Opportunity knocks only once, but temptation bangs on your door for years.机会是只有一次，但诱惑却在无时不刻地捶打着你的门。Opportunity knocks for every man, but you have to give a woman a ring. ring这里是个双关语。每个男人都有机会，但你必须得给女人一个电话（得给她一个项链）（才能有这个机会。）

　　1021. 上一句谈到pun，就是双关语。再录一个可能用得着的双关语。You foreigners should know that acupuncture has some good points. 这句话表面上看是说“针灸有些优点。”但针灸落脚点叫穴位，英文就是point，许多人，特别是外国人对针灸穴位将信将疑，所以这句话实际上是双关语，说针灸的穴位很不错。也可以译为：“针灸穴位法有许多优点。”

　　1022. He doesn’t know what he is talking about. 他在胡说八道。（直译是“他不知道自己在说什么。”）

　　1023. You need to do some thinking first before you make the decision. 你在做决定前得好好想想。do some thinking 好好想想。 We need to develop critical thinking. 我们应该培养批评型思维。 Positive thinking is very important for a happy life. 积极的思维对幸福的生活很重要。

　　1024. Don’t start petty squabbles with your wife. You may win the battle, but you will lose the war. 不要就这些芝麻事去跟老婆干仗，你或许能赢一场吵架，但你会输掉整个婚姻。（你或许能赢一场战斗，但你会输掉整个战争。）The better strategy is to lose a battle, but win the war. 好的策略是宁愿吵架让一步，也要保全婚姻。

　　1025. When the Chinese authority shut down his blog, that was the last nail to the coffin of independent voice in China. 当政府把他的博客给关闭后，中国也就再没有独立的声音了。 the last nail to the coffin 给棺材钉上最后一颗钉子，了结。

　　1026. You should take this chance, you have nothing to lose. 你应该把握住整个机会，你又没有什么可失去的。

　　1027. Finger-pointing at the end of a losing game is traditional. 球打输后要互相责备那是历来如此。Finger-pointing 指责。When you point one finger at someone, you need to realize that you are pointing three fingers at yourself. 当你伸出一个指头指责别人时，你要知道你在伸出三个指头在指向你自己。（这句哲理的意思是说，你不要随便去指责别人。） We need to accept responsibilities, instead of finger-pointing. 我们应该承担责任，而不是去相互指责。

　　1028. This is not a complicated issue, it doesn’t need an Ivy League degree to figure that one out. 这个问题并不复杂，不需要北大清华的学位才能弄明白。Ivy League degree常春藤学校学位，指的是哈佛大学，耶鲁大学等名校的学位。更为流行的说法是It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. 这不需要一个火箭专家才能明白吧！Drugs equals crime. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

　　1029. To bring about democracy, we need more grass-roots activists and fewer intellectual elites. 要想获得民主，我们需要更多的草根积极分子，少一些知识分子精英。一个社会，一个公司，总是有两部分人：grass-root and elite.

　　1030. Though there is a recession, this company still retains a remarkably strong pulse. 虽然正经历经济衰退，但这家公司却仍旧保持了旺盛的活力。a strong pulse, 脉搏强有力，意为旺盛的活力。

　　1031. “I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.” 这是莎翁的一句话：我别无他语可表达，唯有说：深谢，深谢。（注意，古典英语里不用 to。）

　　1032. I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom. 我真希望我能从心底向你表示感谢，但是对你，我心却无底。

　　1033. Gratitude is the memory of the heart. 感恩就是心灵的记忆。

　　1034. God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” 今天上帝给了你86，400秒钟，你有没有花上其中一秒说“谢谢你”？

　　1035. Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot. 小事感恩，洪福不断。

　　1036. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 有感恩的心却不表达就如同把礼物包扎好却不送出手一样。

　　1037. A thankful person is thankful under all circumstances. A complaining soul complains even if he lives in paradise. 一个感恩的人会在任何情况下都感恩，一个抱怨的人就算是在天堂也会抱怨。

　　1038. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 凡事谢恩，因为这是神在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。（圣经帖撒罗尼迦前书5：18）

　　1039. Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give. 有两种感恩：一种是即时的，因我们所获得；一种更为深厚，因我们所付出。

　　1040. When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude. 如果一个人不懂感恩，他的人性里就存有严重的欠缺。一个人对感恩的态度决定了他的为人。

　　1041. Don 't tear down your storehouse. 不要自断后路。storehouse是“仓库”之意，把自己的仓库给毁了，就没有退路了。

　　1042. While the investment always makes an interesting topic around the water cooler, you really don' t have to follow the trend. 投资总是闲聊的好话题，但是你根本不必追随潮流去加入这样的讨论。water cooler指的是办公室喝水休憩的地方，大家一边喝水，一边闲聊。A "water-cooler" chat will not give you the depth or breadth you need. 靠在办公室的闲聊是不可能给你所需要的深度和广度的。

　　1043. Thanks for your continued/ongoing interest in our product. 谢谢你对我们产品总是这么感兴趣。continued 持续不断的兴趣，也可以用ongoing。This issue has generaged a great public interest. 这个问题引起了大众的浓厚兴趣。

　　1044. His letter is just a self-serving and self promotion. 他写的这信不过是自吹自擂来提高自己的声望。self-serving 自吹自擂。self-serving bias 自利性偏见。A self-serving bias occurs when people attribute their successes to internal or personal factors but attribute their failures to situational factors beyond their control. 自利性偏见指的是，把成功归功于自己的能力，把失败归于他们无法掌握的外部环境。

　　1045. But this hardly seems to tell the whole story. 但这根本就没有说出事实的真相。

　　1046. I do not rejoice in Ken's - or anyone else's - misfortune. 我不会对肯幸灾乐祸，不会对任何人幸灾乐祸。

　　1047. That's the way free markets work: good behavior is rewarded, and bad behavior is punished. 这就是自由市场的法则：良好的行为会受到奖励，恶劣的行为受到惩罚。

　　1048. The national congress takes its cue from the Party secretary and seldom challenges his policies. 人大是跟在党书记的后面，很少会对他所实行的政策进行挑战。 take cue from, 受影响

　　1049. Now, six months later and with Wachovia's takeover by Citi, another sad chapter unfolds. 现在，六个月后，Wachovia银行被花旗银行收购，另一悲惨的一页正在翻开。

　　1050. In the show, he happily told us that traffic to his booth was heavy. 在展销会上，他很高兴地告诉我们他的展位客流量相当大。traffic, 这里作“客流量”解释。

　　1051. Is this a bad time to call you? 现在给你打电话是不是不太方便？（太早或太晚给人打电话记得要说这句话）

　　1052. The job might be too time-consuming. 这工作或许会相当耗时。Blogging is fun and educational, but it’s also time-consuming. 写博客好玩，能学知识，但太花时间。

　　1053. They are going to sit down and work out the mechanics. 他们会坐下一起搞出一套具体操作方案。mechanics 细节，过程。He is a mechanic. 他是汽车修理工。

　　1054. Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is. 赢不是一切，但为赢而拼却是一切。也有人这么说：Winning is not everything, it is the only thing! 赢不是一切，却是唯一。

　　1055. Competing, excelling, winning—these words are constantly all around us from our childhood. It makes me sick. 竞赛，好成绩，得头名，这些词汇从我们的小学开始就一直伴随着我们，我都厌恶了。The important thing is playing a good game rather than winning and losing. 重要的是要玩得公平，而不是输赢。

　　1056. Smilers wear a crown, losers wear a frown. 微笑者得冠冕，苦脸者陪末座。这句话鼓励人积极乐观，不要一天到晚愁眉苦脸。

　　1057. makeup 和makeover 都有“化妆”的意思，makeover是全面化妆，从头化到尾，面容、发式、衣着等等都要化。引申意是“全面改革”。The entire system in China needs the makeover, not just some small patch-ups here or there. 中国的整个制度都得来次变革，不是东一榔头西一棒的小打小闹。

　　1058. Rule No. 1: Never pat a burning dog. 第一条规矩：不要去对发怒的狗友好。（这时狗会反咬你一口。）

　　1059. The commercial is the ultimate dumping ground for the washed-out actors and actresses. 拍商业广告是那些过气了的男女影星的必然归宿。the dumping ground 垃圾场，washed-out 过气了的。"An old washed-out politician" aptly describes Jiang, who really is far removed from today's younger generations. 用“过气政客”来描绘江是再恰当不过了，他与当今年轻一代完全脱节。

　　1060. Inflation and rising prices are not the “same”. The reality of inflation is that governments steal money from their citizens with absolutely no intention of repaying that money. 通货膨胀与涨价不是一回事。通货膨胀的实质是政府从公民手里劫夺财富而又根本无意归还这笔财富。

　　1061. The monologue of the C. Party should be over, and a new dialogue should begin. 共党的自言自语应该结束，而开始一个新的对话时代。monologue 与dialogue 一起记忆比较容易。dialogue还有一个异形词：duologue，这个词只限于两人对话，而dialogue可以在几个人或群体间进行。moving from monologue to dialogue to collaboration，从自话到对话，再到合作。

　　1062. I am tired and weary when I return home from the office everyday. I need someone to comfort my ragged nerves. 每天从办公室回到家时，我是精疲力尽。我需要有个人来安慰安慰我快要崩溃的神经。ragged 支离破碎，荒芜 I have run myself ragged. 我已经憔悴不堪。a ragged garden 杂草丛生的花园。

　　1063. He is a timber in a stand of dwarf trees. 他是鹤立鸡群。

　　1064. He didn’t just watch, but he ran the jobs himself. He was very much in the hands-on mold. 他并不是在甩手观望，而是事事亲历亲为。他喜欢处在第一线。hands-on 脚踏实地、擅长动手， I am a hands-on man. 我是一个脚踏实地的人。

　　1065. This student consistently made the honor roll. 这位学生一直是优秀生。the honor roll, 上了荣誉榜的学生。staff honor roll 职工光荣榜

　　1066. There's nothing special about these singers--they're just run of the mill. 这些歌手表现实在不可称道，只有业余水平。run-of-the-mill, 毛胚产品，没有加工的东西，粗糙。He is jobless, but he would decline small, run-of-the -mill job. 他失业了，但是他拒绝做那些报酬不高的零活。

　　1067. 表示“记忆”的一些说法：It has brought to life memories that had stayed locked inside me all those years. 这件事让那封存了这么多年的记忆一下就回到了现实生活中。It all came flooding back to me. 这事像洪水般冲回到了我记忆。These are the fading reminders of her. 这些事依稀使人想起了她。He had few memories of his son. 他几乎想不起他儿子长得什么模样了。Our memory weakens when something is distracting to us according to neuroscience. So we should focus on our task and eliminate potential distractions when we learn something new. 根据神经科学，如果有东西搅扰我们的话，我们的记忆力就会减弱。所以我们学新东西时，应该尽可能消除那些可能的干扰，对工作专心致志。How can I get these words to stick in my memory? 我如何才能把这些词汇牢牢记住？

　　1068. Many young college graduates have pie-in-the-sky ideas when they are looking for jobs. 许多大学毕业生在找工作时都会异想天开。Mr. Wang is pie-in-the-sky rather than down-to-earth. 老王喜欢想入非非，而不是脚踏实地。

　　1069. Pocket money, petty cash, small change 这三个词意思差不多，都是“零花钱”“备用金”的意思。

　　1070. Our product is the best. Nothing comes close. 我们的产品一流，其他产品都差得太远。也有这说法：Nothing else even comes close.

　　1071. He is nowhere in sight. 根本找他不到。

　　1072. The price we pay is just too high for enforced population control. 我们为强制性堕胎所付代价太过高昂。enforced population control，强制性堕胎。family planning 计划生育。

　　1073. It is a double standard. Don't they just really realize it's a new coat of paint on an old issue? 简直就是双重标准，他们难到真意识不到这不过是老问题的新包装吗？

　　1074. You are sure what to do? Don’t fret. You can weigh several options. 不知道下一步怎样做吗？不要紧张。你有好几个选择可以想想。

　　1075. Loosen up, it is not that difficult. 不要紧张，没有那么难。

　　1076. Finally I came around to be normal. 后来我终于恢复了正常。None of learning tips will turn your life around, but they can make a difference. 没有一个学习方法论是真的可以改变你的生活，但还是可以起点作用。

　　1077. Tiger Zhou is often chewing the scenery. 周老虎的表演常常夸张得过了头。chew the scenery, 表演过了头，也可以说chew up the scenery。

　　1078. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Let someone else do the job. 干活不能不自量力，让其他人做这活吧。bite off more than you can chew 塞到嘴里的多过能嚼，就是“太多了”“眼高手低”的意思。

　　1079. She was riding her boss's coattails to promotion. My opponent is riding the coattails of the popular governor of Massachusetts. 她纯粹是靠与老板的特殊关系而被提拔的。我的对手在依靠麻省德高望重的州长而占点便宜。

　　1080. Better to do in the present than to stew about the past. 与其纠缠历史不如面对现实。

　　1081. Those officials should try to live a day in our shoes. 这些官员应该来与我们的同甘共苦地生活一天。He is my hero, and I hope to step in his shoes someday. 他是我的楷模，我希望有一天也像他一样。We operate in a shoestring. 我们运作的经费实在有限。

　　1082. You can do it even with a barebones budget. 虽然钱只有那么一点点，但你还是可以把事做成的。与上一句一同记忆：We operate in a shoestring.

　　1083. In many ways, our government has grown so large, it has become a virtual parasite on people, sucking our life. 我们的政府在很多的领域都膨胀得庞大无比，成为人民身上不折不扣的寄生虫，要抽干我们身上的血。

　　1084. He can go toe-to-toe with "hard-hitting journalists.'' 他能面对那些刁钻的记者。They fought toe-to-toe for the nomination. 他们为获得提名斗得不可开交。toe to toe 竞争，面对面。同类似的结构有face to face, nose to nose, 还有neck and neck, 等等。

　　1085. It is a nice, high-minded idea to join an English club, a way to make friends and practice your English. 参加一个英语小组，这主意不错，值得提倡，即交了朋友，又练习了英语。high-minded 目标高尚，值得做。注意这个结构：形容词+minded，类似的还有：single-minded, close-minded, narrow-minded; open-minded; tough-minded; absent-minded; like-minded; 等等。

　　1086. He is a money-minded man. 他对钱看得最重。money-minded, 斤斤计较。注意，这里是名词+minded，表示对此很重视，或带有此倾向。例如ocean-minded athletes 喜欢海上运动的人，civic-minded, 关心社会的人，We need to be more civic-minded. community-minded businessmen关心社区的商人; mission-minded church, 注重宣教的教会;这些单词都非常有用。

　　1087. 也可以用conscious来代替minded, He is budget conscious. 他对计划用钱很在意。Earth conscious, 很注意环保。

　　1088. Teacher Xin has turned me on to English study. 信老师让我喜欢上了英语学习。turn someone on 让某人激动，兴奋，吸引，谴责。What turns the kids on these days?目前最能吸引孩子的是什么？The country's leaders worry that the people could quickly turn on them.国家领导人很担心人民会很快把矛头对准他们。

　　1089. I was so nervous, but I am happy now. I am in a good space. 我刚才好紧张，现在好了，我现在状况不错。

　　1090. Valentino always stands for something very classy and very timeless. Valentino总是代表着经典与永恒。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-12-11　17:21:20　 回复  
　　一位同胞，50年前还是风华正茂的时候，被迫离开了自己的家园，带着一帮难兄难弟在邻国求生存。50年来，他渐渐地发展出了一定的规模，赢得了普世的尊敬。然而不管他走到哪里，我们的汉人党就要去挤兑他，不明事理的汉人愤青就要恶毒地咒诅他。他现在垂垂老矣，在一生动奋斗中，他没有失去天真，没有苦毒，只有纯洁与对美善的向往。他的一些语录体现了人类的大智慧，叫我这个汉人读起来倍受感动。今天的十句全是摘录了他的话。愿我们学外语的人能达到这样的境界，那就是透过语言的学习，能看到另一个世界。

　　1091. I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.在最黑暗的日子，我找到希望，然后专注于光明。我不去论断这个世界的是与非。

　　1092. If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them. 如果你能，就帮助他人，如果你不能，至少不要去伤害他人。

　　1093. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. 博爱与怜悯是必需品，而非奢侈品。没有这两样，人类就无法生存。

　　1094. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 记住，有时候得不到你想要的其实是一种大幸运。

　　1095. The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. 良善的根源乃存在于对良善的喜爱。

　　1096. We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. 如果我们无法（在心灵内）与自己和平相处，我们就无法在外部世界获取和平。

　　1097. Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace. 无知成为我们的主人时，就不可能有真正的平安。

　　1098. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 敞开胸怀来拥抱改变，但不要失去了你自己的价值观。

　　1099. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace. 既然我们都绝非单单物质意义上的动物，那么把所有幸福的希望都寄托在外部的物质追求上必定是一个错误。关键是要培植内心的平安。

　　1100. Happiness is not something ready made

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 17:41 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-12-12　08:58:49　 回复  
　　
　　1101. “Do you still play football?” “No, I knocked that on the head a while ago.” 你还打足球吗？不打了，不久前决定不再碰那玩意儿。knock it on the head, 不再碰，停止。

　　1102. It is too bad that they would impose their bullheaded will upon others. 他们要把自己那套愚蠢的信念强加于人，这真是太不幸了。bullheaded will 愚蠢的意志，比较415句 bonehead。

　　1103. 另外有这样的“头”：We find ourselves at loggerheads with government officials. 想不到我们自己跟政府官员顶起牛来了。

　　1104. Let put our heads in the same place. 让我们一起寻找一致的办法。或者：大家要心往一处想，劲往一处使。

　　1105. He is wrapping his mind around this matter.他现在无时不刻想的就是这件事。 U.S. shot putter Adam tries to wrap his mind around gold. 美国铅球运动员亚当现在一心一意要拿金牌。

　　1106. Ben has what it takes to be the best of the best. 本恩具备成为最优秀者的潜质。

　　1107. Our media, rather than turning up the heat, often ends up in marshmallow mode with the officials. 我们的媒体不去提出尖锐的问题，而是与官员拉拉扯扯，任其逍遥。turn up the heat, 把气氛搞得火热，也就是提出尖锐问题。It is time for John McCain to turn up the heat. 马凯恩现在得辩论一些实质问题了。marshmallow 棉花糖，棉花糖有粘性，记者本来是要挑战官员的，但却被收买了，与官员扯拉到一块去了。

　　1108. Soho Beijing is one of the city’s most expensive enclaves. 北京Soho齐身市内最贵住宅楼。enclave指的是在一片区域内一块独特之地，例如：a Chinese-speaking enclave in New York 纽约华人居住区。an ethnic enclave, or ethnic neighborhood （市内）少数民族居住区，例如北京大红门一带住了很多温州人。

　　1109. It always seems that I'm a day late and a dollar short. 好像我总是离成功只隔一步之遥。有人总是感叹，时不予我，就说这句话。总是差了那么一天就能碰上好运，总是差一块钱就能成功。

　　1110. During the Olympics, they execute a nation-wide crackdown on the political dissidents. 奥运会期间，他们对全国的政治异议分子施行了全面抓捕。

　　1111. Wow, Todd, dinner and a movie would really be the cat's pajamas! 太妙了，泰德，晚餐后再看场电影，这真是求之不得的事。the cat’s pajamas 妙，酷，好极了，很行。Martin sure knows how to dance, he's the cats pajamas, man! 老兄，马丁真会舞，他跳起来得心应手。She thinks he's the cat's pajamas. 她觉得他真是酷毙了。

　　1112. So, why are you late again, Jessie? I'll bet you're running out of excuses. What’s the matter - oh, cat got your tongue? 怎么又迟到了？我猜你的借口不多了吧？怎么了？怎么不说话了？cat got your tongue（感到很尴尬时）胆怯，张口结舌。Has the cat got your tongue? 为什么不说话了？

　　1113. Never look in daddy's drawer; it isn't for little girls. It's his private business and no one else's, not even mommy's. Remember, curiosity killed the cat. 绝对不要去翻老爸的抽屉，这不是小女孩的事，这是他个人秘密，谁也不必去理会，就是老妈也不会去管。记住，猫因好奇而丧命。

　　1114. Don't tell me I'm not fine to drive. I just need a little coffee and a quick catnap and we'll leave. 不要说我现在开不了车，我只要一小杯咖啡，再打个盹，我们就可以上路了

　　1115. After all, a cat may have nine lives but we humans only have this paltry one in which we should not take too many risks. 毕竟是猫有九命，而我们人类只有一命，太有限，所以不宜冒险太多。

　　1116. Getting real, and letting the cat out of the bag. 谈正经的了，有什么秘密就说出来吧！let the cat out of the bag. 竹筒倒豆子，全倒出来。（公安审讯我时，最喜欢说，竹筒倒豆子吧。我就想起了“Let the cat out of the bag.”这句话）Oops. It looks like I let the cat out of the bag. 啊哟，我好像说漏嘴了。

　　1117. I’d have jumped at the chance – surely the opportunity of a lifetime. 我立即就抓住了这个机会—这可是一生难得的机会。也可以说This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.这是千载难逢的机会。难得的机会也可以说，the last slender chance。

　　1118. We're hoping that this is a long-term opportunity, and not just a flash in the pan. 我们希望这是一个长远的机会，而不会只是昙花一现。a flash in the pan, 昙花一现。

　　1119. Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. 微不足道的机会往往是宏伟事业的开始。

　　1120. On the off chance that the window is still open. on the off chance, 万一。

　　1121. Clock finally strikes midnight for him. Cinderrella story comes to an exciting end. 午夜钟声终于到来，他的灰姑娘故事就要达到令人快意的结局了。

　　1122. 与human相关的几个词：human 作形容词时意为“人的”，Human rights 人权；human welfare人类福祉。humane，“人道的，人文的”，humane killing, 人道屠宰；the Humane Society of the United States，美国保护动物协会。humane learning 人文学习。We need to foster humane treatment of animals. 我们对动物要采取人道的方法。The higher education, by its nature, is concerned with abstractions — both in the sciences and in humane studies. 高等教育，本质上来说，就是研究抽象的概念：在自然科学和人文科学上都是如此。humanism，人本主义。humanitarian aid，人道援助；humanitarian relief, 人道救助；humanity；

　　1123. There is meat to this magazine, not just fluff and puff. 这本杂志还有些内容，不尽是那些言而不实的东西。fluff, 肤浅，华而不实，puff, 烟、夸张，其反义词是stuff。It is all huff and puff but lacking real stuff. 都是些胡里花俏的东西，没有任何真正有用的东西。

　　1124. The company is subjected to class-action litigation over its abuse of workers’ right. 因为侵犯工人利益，这家公司正面临一桩集体诉讼。class action 集体行动。

　　1125. class 最常用的意思之一就是“阶级”，middle class, 中产阶级。按马克思的说法，现代社会有两个主要的阶级，一是the proletariat，二是the bourgeoisie，前者为“无产阶级”，后者为“资产阶级”。但是bourgeoisie的确切含义却是“中产阶级”。中国人搞无产阶级专政搞了六十年，连最基本的对象都不知道。中产阶级，你去专他的政干嘛？当然，bourgeoisie是个学术名词，没有人用，大家只用middle class. A strong middle class is vital to democracy. 一个强有力的中产阶级对于民主乃至关重要。

　　1126. McDonald’s puts its full weight behind promoting the homosexual agenda. 麦当劳在全力以赴地支持同性恋的目标。put one’s full weight behind 全力支持。也可以说stand behind.

　　1127. He spent the weekend in boxers. boxers 内短裤。他一个周末都懒懒散散。（他一个周末都穿着内短裤，就是说，他哪里都没有去。）

　　1128. He is absolutely enjoyable to be with. He is cheerful, upbeat. You will feel good around him. 与他相处最为令人快乐。他乐观、向上。在他身边你会感到舒畅。

　　1129. Men are afraid of coming in second to women. 男人很害怕会比不上女人。

　　1130. They won the National Champion for the second year in a row. 他们连续两年获得全国冠军。in a row 连续。They made two strong victories in a row.他们取得了两连胜的好成绩。

　　1131. He is the boss and he calls the shots. 他是老板，由他做主。call the shots, 做决定（shot要复数）Since Tom has been calling the shots, the work has doubled.汤姆当上了主管后，工作量加大了一倍。比较第485句。

　　1132. bring down the house （声音大得把房子都震垮），演出赢得一片喝彩。The clown sang a duet with the talking horse, which brought the house down every night. 小丑与会说话的马表演合唱，每晚都把观众笑得人仰马翻。The children's performances brought down the house. 孩子们的演出博得了满堂喝彩。

　　1133. That is a powerful action-packed movie that takes you into a never-seen-before world. 这部影片从头打到尾，非常刺激，把你带进了一个全新的世界。

　　1134. The play received raves. 这个剧获得了好评如潮。He is earning raves for his quirky show. 他的表演很幽默，经久不衰。quirky 奇奇怪怪的

　　1135. This movie is loaded with twists and turns. 这部影片情节错综复杂，充满悬念。

　　1136. This movie is a box smash.或者It is a box hit. 这部电影创造了不俗的票房成绩。

　　1137. Liu Xiaobo is out front carrying a bullhorn for the political reform. 刘晓波冲锋陷阵，是呼吁政治改革的领军人物。bullhorn 手提式扩音器。拿扩音器的人一般都走在队伍的前面。Beijing University is no longer a bastion of democracy. 北京大学已经不再是捍卫民主的堡垒。

　　1138. 08 Charter, like Charter 77 declaration of the Czechoslovak, is a beacon of humanism. 08宪章，如同捷克的77宪章一样，是人道主义的烽火台。

　　1139. You must be the change you want to see in the world. 你想如何改变世界就先如何改变自己—甘地

　　1140. Misery loves company. Happiness is contagious. 悲哀喜欢结伴，快乐传递众人。People who are happy are likely to live longer, even if they have a chronic illness. 快乐的人总会长寿，就算常年患者也会如此。

　　1141. The Communist Party is just another human organization, with all the scope for laziness, inefficiency, and even corruption. It is not divine at all. Don’t have any illusions for it.共产党不过是另一个由人组成的组织，完全可能懒惰、效率低下、甚至腐化。不要觉得有什么神奇，不要抱有幻想。scope 程度，范围；to scope out, 发现，By the time we'd scoped out the problem, it was too late. 当我们发现问题时，却为时已晚。写研究报告的人可能会遇到一组词：scope and limitation, 报告范围及限制，（就是你研究报告中要谈到内容以及不会涉及到的内容。）

　　1142. These two countries are now in a full scale war with each other. 这两个国家已全面交战。scale 也有“程度”的意思，另一个主要的意思是“鱼鳞、秤”；动词：打水漂。He tips the scales at 190 lbs. 他体重已达190磅。 It would take a miracle to turn the scales for us now. 只有神迹才会使天平倾向我们一边。

　　1143. The end justifies the means. 只要目的正确，看使用任何手段。（目的使手段合法。）The Communist Party believes that the end justifies the means. 共党的信仰是，只要目的对，可使用任何手段。

　　1144. An investigation could take years, will be completely out of the public eye, and may result in nothing more than fines for Sanlu. 这个案子查起来得费数年的功夫，很快就完全脱离了公众的视线，最后也就最多是给三鹿一点罚款罢了。out of the public eye, 脱离公众监督。

　　1145. The blue ocean is just a stone's throw away, next to a soft white sand beach in Sanya. 三亚蔚蓝的海洋近在咫尺，还连着柔软白色的沙滩。a stone's throw away，很近。We stayed in a small apartment just a stone's throw from the beach. 我们住在一间很小的公寓里，离沙滩很近。

　　1146. It is the height of summer, a great time to relax. 现在正是盛夏，是休闲的好时光。

　　1147. He is a running joke with most people. 对大部分人来说，他不过是个甩不掉的笑话。a running joke, 没完没了的笑话。

　　1148. I became the butt of jokes to them. 我成了他们的笑柄。

　　1149. She is simply a spoiled brat, and she believes that everyone has to coddle her. 她被惯坏了，以为大家都得顺着她。a spoiled brat是个固定词汇。

　　1150. He is just a rubber-stamp. 他是个趋炎附势的人物。rubber-stamp 橡皮图章，随声附和的人。He just rubble-stamps it without thinking. 他也没多想就批了这个项目。 Congress in China is nicknamed “rubber-stamp”. 中国的人大有个雅号，叫“橡皮图章”。

　　1151. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. 这是一句老掉了牙的励志语，球队教练比赛前都挂在嘴上对着运动员喊。意思是“越艰难越显英雄本色。”the going 局势，进程。the tough, 能勇于接受挑战的人。

　　1152. When life gives you a lemon, make a lemonade. 生活给你一个柠檬，你将柠檬变成柠檬水。这也是一句老生常谈。柠檬本身味道极酸，没有人能直接去吃，但柠檬水的味道却可口。这句话意思是，生活是酸甜苦辣，但你却能去面对享受。

　　1153. How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself - so always think positively.你如何看待问题比问题本身更重要，所以一定要乐观思维。

　　1154. super-duper 巨大的，非常宏伟的，a super-duper person 大好人，She loves to buy super-duper merchandise though her budget is limited. 虽然囊中羞涩，但她喜欢买那些高档奢侈品。a super-duper sale 跳楼大甩卖。

　　1155. Press freedom is but a distant dream in China. 新闻自由在中国仍旧是个遥远的梦。Friendship need not be a distant memory. You can find it everywhere. 其实友谊随处可见，并非得成为遥远的记忆。Press on. 继续努力。（这是在鼓励人时说的话。如果一个人干活干得好，你跟他分手时，就可以说Press on.）

　　1156. Decades-old trees line the streets, the bustle of the city seems far away. 几十年的大树耸立在街道的两旁，城市的熙熙攘攘似乎离这里十分地遥远。

　　1157. When in Rome do as the Romans do. 到罗马就照罗马人的规矩办事。有时就简化成When in Rome。When in Rome--we'll do the same. 在罗马了，我们也会这样做。

　　1158. You're right on target. 你说得非常正确。（直译是，你打中了目标。）

　　1159. Let’s give it a whirl. 让我们试试。=Let’s give it a try. Tan had given up technical writing to give fiction a whirl. 老谭不再写那些技术公文，而在试着写小说。“试一试”也可以说give it a shot: I've never danced Salsa before but I'll give it a shot. 我从来没有跳过萨萨舞，但我愿试一试。

　　1160. 上次1110句中提到crackdown，一同学读了说感觉有点怕怕，我安慰他说，你又没有干任何反革命活动，不用怕。这里还有一个与crackdown相似的词：Beijing Clamps Down After Call for Democracy. 民主呼吁一发，北京镇压随到。（指最近08宪章的事。）

　　1161. He knows it backwards and forwards. 他对这事前后来龙去脉都很清楚。He knows it inside out. 他对此事了如指掌。

　　1162. I know this city like back of my hand. 我对这座城了如指掌。

　　1163. I know this book backward. 我对这本书是倒背如流。

　　1164. I have always told her not to be lazy but it goes in one ear and out the other. 我常劝她不要懒散，但这话对她来说是一个耳朵进，另一个耳朵出。

　　1165. essay 是“短文”的意思，但还可以做动词：The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps. 婴孩试着蹒跚走了几步。

　　1166. You will find pure beauty in unspoiled villages in southwest China. 在中国西南，你可以在那些没有受过污染的村庄找到纯洁的美。

　　1167. Bernard L. Madoff, a storied name on Wall Street, confessed that his business was a Ponzi scheme. Bernard L. Madof---一位华尔街家喻户晓的人物---承认，他的公司不过是个高额利息融资的骗局。a Ponzi scheme在中国也常见到，融资者许诺有高额投资回报，其实只不过是拿后面投资人的钱给前面投资人，最后拿了钱走人。第一个搞这花招的是一位名上个世纪20年代叫Ponzi的美国人。

　　1168. 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。）

　　1169. It is just a light-hearted banter. 这不过是场无伤大雅的玩笑。

　　1170. A. Do I owe you any money? B. No, we are quits. 甲：我还欠你钱吗？乙：没有，我们已经两清。I am finally quits with the loan. 我终于把贷款还完了。
　　
　　1171. The historic record of the birth of Christ can be found in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20. 耶稣诞生的史记可以在圣经马太福音与路加福音里查到。

　　1172. Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means “in the flesh.” In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh. 圣诞，意为“道成肉身”。耶稣的诞生意味着永恒的、全能的、全知的造物主以人的形状来到了地球。

　　1173. Why would God come as a baby, instead of appearing in power and majesty? 为什么上帝要以婴孩的形式、而不是以至高无上的模样来到人间？

　　1174. Christians traditionally exchange gifts to remind themselves of God’s gift of his son as a savior to human kind. 传统上，基督徒会互相交换礼物，来彼此提醒上帝给我们人类的礼物就是将他的儿子作为救世主赐给了我们。

　　1175. It is a time that all of the world should to shed differences and work toward the common human goal of peace. 已经到了刻不容缓的时候了，我们全世界的人都应该除掉分歧，为人类的共同福祉---和平而努力。

　　1176. Christmas can be difficult for some Chinese families balancing two Christian and Chinese cultural traditions. 对于某些中国家庭来说，圣诞节有点不容易，因为他们要在基督教传统和中国文化传统中找到折中。

　　1177. All we need to do to make the world a much happier place is to love God with all our hearts, then love our neighbors as ourselves. 要让世界变得更为美好，我们所要做的不过就是尽心地来爱上帝，然后爱人如己。

　　1178. In deed and word Jesus showed those who would listen what God is really like - not a rigid rule but a God of passionate love for every man, woman and child on Earth. 耶稣透过言传身教，告诉我们上帝的真实面目：上帝不是来给我们制定出一套苛刻的条条框框，而是展现出大爱，来爱这世上的所有男人、妇女和小孩。

　　1179. “For God so loved the world," said Jesus, "that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 耶稣说，神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫凡信的人不致灭亡，反得永生。（约翰福音3：16）

　　1180. 要是要选全世界都家喻户晓的一首歌，那一定非“平安夜”莫属：Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright ‘round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. 平安夜，圣善夜！万暗中，光华射，照着圣母也照着圣婴，多少慈祥也多少天真，静享天赐安眠，静享天赐安眠。
　　
　　Merry Christmas to all of you. God loves you all. I love you all.

　　1181. one thing at a time， 一件一件事做，一次一件，Focus. Concentrate. Do one thing at a time. 目不斜视，注意力集中，一次就做一件事。One thing at a time, you will get everything done. 一次完成一件事，每件事就都可以完成。

　　1182. 与1181句类似的话有：Rome was not built in one day. 罗马不是一天建成的。 这几句都可以：Rome is not built over one night. Rome wasn’t built overnight. Rome was not built in a day. 有人接着说：But it was burnt down in one night. 但罗马是一夜之间烧毁的。（意思是，建成不易毁坏易。）Likewise, the Roman Empire did not fall in one night. 同样，罗马帝国也不是一夜间倒塌的。有个小孩子听了格言Rome was not built in one day. 他就说，Perhaps it was built in one night. (将前面的one day理解为一个白天。)

　　1183. Young people should avoid making decision on a whim. 年轻人不要凭凭心血来潮做决定。On a whim, he quitted his job. 他一时心血来潮就把工作给辞了。

　　1184. You have to take a snap decisions in a situation like this. 在这种场合，你只有当机立断地作出决定。a snap decision, 没有时间考虑所作出的决定。Over-confident individuals tend to make snap decisions. 特别自信的人往往会草率做决定。

　　1185. He made off-hand remarks. 他作了即席发言。

　　1186. You need to learn how to control your impulsive natures. Self-control is important.你要学会如何控制你冲动的情绪，自制力很重要。

　　1187. Now a lot of bright, young, newly-minted college graduate are looking for jobs. 现在很多年轻有为、刚刚从大学毕业的学生都在找工作。newly-minted 刚刚出厂还没有使用过的钱币，形容刚刚出炉的，新的。the newly-minted apartments, 刚建好的公寓。a newly-minted governor 刚刚上任的省长。

　　1188. I have got into the groove of a nine-to-five job. I would like to have a change. 我陷入了这种朝九晚五枯燥的工作，我很想有个改变。groove 沟，生活习惯。get or be stuck in/into a groove; 日复一日；比较第七句。We never do anything exciting any more - we seem to be stuck in a groove. 我们在一起已不再有新鲜刺激，陷入了日复一日的枯燥生活。

　　1189. If you’re thinking about switching careers but can’t take the plunge, taking a part-time job could be a way to test the waters or boost your entrepreneurial skills. 如果你想要换一个职业，但是又一时无法立即抽身，那么先找份业余的活，试试水的深浅，这样也可以提高你的经营技能。

　　1190. I have to do something big. Time waits for no man. 我得干番大事业，时不待人呀。Robert Frost 说：Time and tide wait for no man, but always stand still for a woman of thirty. 时间与事势都不待男人，但女人却永远停留在三十。（讽刺过了三十的女人，她们总说自己才三十。）

　　1191. We all know that Mr. Wang is a big wheel in China. 我们都知道，王先生在中国是大腕级人物。big wheel大腕。The big wheels of industry are showing dissatisfaction with the President’s policy.工业界的大腕们对总统的政策均感不满。也有这类似的表达法：a big shot, top banana, top dog, a big thing, , big time等等。

　　1192. He is a longtime fixture on Wall Street. 他在华尔街一直是位炙手可热的人物。

　　1193. I am a small-time journalist on a small newspaper. 我是一份小报的微不足道的记者。

　　1194. When he was shopping in a store, he spied a wallet stuffed with cash on the floor. spy 作动词用意思是“发现”。他在商店买东西时，发现了一个装满了钱的钱包掉在了地上。

　　1195. It is rather difficult to spot him among so many people. 要在这么多人中找到他不容易。spot 的名词意思是“一个点”，作动词时有“找到”之意。He likes to take us to good spots around the city. 他喜欢带我们去城里那些好玩的地方。

　　1196. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time. 期待人人在每件事上时刻保持一致意见这是很不现实的。You don’t have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand. 你不一定得意见一致才能手牵手地同行。或者：意见不一致也能步调一致。

　　1197. It is always good to read the fine print in the contract. 一定要注意读合同中那些不显眼的细节。fine print 是与large print 相对应的概念。广告一般会用很大的字体（large print）来作宣传，然后用很小的字体（fine print）来作手脚。例如，广告大字体部分会说，“零利息”，下面的小字体说“限前四个月”。美容院就常常惯出此招。

　　1198. conservative and liberal: 要了解美国政治，有两个基本的词必须掌握，一个是保守派，一个是自由派。这两个概念与我们国内的保守派与自由派的含义几乎完全不一样。可以说，美国的保守派相当于中国的自由派，美国的自由派相当于中国的愤青。He is a conservative bucking the tide in liberal Washington. buck the tide, 反潮流

　　1199. Some Republican senators jumped ship and did not vote for the bill. 有些共和党参议员改变了立场，没有投这个议案的赞同票。jump ship跳船、临时改变立场。

　　1200. He is unearthing information to expose the scandal. 他正在收集资料要来揭露这件丑闻。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 17:52 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-12-27　18:24:46　 回复  

　　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。

作者：freedomforever1　回复日期：2008-12-27　23:29:21　 回复  

　　 The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
　　 ----Thomas Jefferson
　　请问个问题,杰弗逊的这句话"自由之树必须常常浇灌以爱国者和暴君的血使之常青"里面的tyrants(暴君)和dictator(独裁者)这两个词中文这样翻译是否准确,是不是所有的tyrants都是dictator,但并不是所有的dictator都是tyrants?
　　
　　还有一句,They’re struggling between freedom and order.And with that struggle,new spirit of nationalism has been born.
　　里面的new spirit of nationalism该如何翻译?
　　
　　谢谢
作者：信天优　回复日期：2008-12-28　17:26:39　 回复  

　　很喜欢你的问题。你的理解很到位。所有的tyrants都是dictators，tyrant有感情色彩，dictator比较中性。前巴基斯坦总统General Pervez Musharraff穆沙拉夫将军虽然假模假样地也经过了选举，但是却似举世皆知的dictator，Raul Castro and Fidel Castro 也都是独裁者，但这几个人都算不上tyrants。Dictator可以用在口语中，例如：My boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime. （我的老板是个独裁者，他让所有的员工都加班加点。）Mao即是tyrant 又是dictator，他杀人无数，奇怪的是今天却不知道有多少中国人还迷恋他。原因之一是今天的贪官太多，而他不贪。这个Mao把中国的权力都贪完了，现在有人却说他不贪，真是匪夷所思。
　　另外几个表示独裁者的词是：缅甸的独裁军政府叫military junta；还有autocrat，这个词学术味浓一点；despot，也是独裁者的意思，但贬义色彩较低一点，例如普鲁士的君王，又叫开明君王(the enlightened despot )，Frederick II of Prussia这个despot受德国人尊重；还有totalitarian, 集权，是political science里用得比较多的词。
　　
　　是要自由，还是要次序？他们难作取舍。但随之而来的是一种新的民族主义。（或者，民族主义也随之产生了新的含义。）
　　我的理解不一定对，仅作参考。

　　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.”

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-1-4　19:46:32　 回复  
　　对不起，打错了两个地方，
　　“with money that from your parents. 你没有权利把父母的钱去打水漂。”没有that，如果用that，得再加个动词。
　　　　
　　　　1233. Teacher X’s writing gives your handy tips and
　　这里应该是gives you handy tips, 不是your.


　　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。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-1-5　17:49:37　 回复  

　　1243：应该是“找约翰”。
作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-1-5　18:06:17　 回复  

　　1244. 流星的三个说法：meteor, falling star, shooting star。meteor, 是比较正规的用法。falling star and shooting star 比较口语。这是一句优美的歌词：Like a shooting star across the midnight sky. From afar from afar just to be with you tonight. Sometimes when people see a shooting star, they make a wish and hope it comes true. 有时候，当人们看见流星时，就会许个愿，盼望能实现。I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever. 这是Amy Tan书里的一句话。

　　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。

　　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。)

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 18:04 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-01-14　22:25:59　 回复  

　　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。

　　冬天来了，这里我们一起聊聊寒冬
　　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. 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。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 18:13 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-03-01　04:00:31　 回复  
　　
　　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

作者：novice_novice　回复日期：2009-03-04　12:58:21　 回复  

　　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
　　---------------------------------------------------
　　"visual world" should be "virtual world" .
　　virtual reality:虚拟现实，指一种计算机技术。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-03-05　22:52:42　 回复  

　　visual world, 是一种技术，但好像也是虚拟世界，或网络世界的意思，例如，在网上查到这样一个句子：青少年网上黑帮:虚拟世界滋生真实阴影 Juvenile Gang on Internet: Visual World Creating Actual Shadow
　　
　　　　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。

　　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。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-03-20　20:33:37　 回复  

　　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。还有一个类似的概念：a cultural mosaic,马赛克文化 这个概念强调的是，各个不同的文化和平共处，各自保留其特点。熔炉的概念是，大家都融合在一起了，各自的特点也同时消失。

　　　　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？

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-04-01　10:09:45　 回复  

　　1501. To House Church members, persecution is a blessing in disguise designed to bring out the best of Christian character. 对家庭聚会的成员而言，逼迫不过是伪装的祝福，神以此来造就基督徒最美好的品格。bring out, 带来，产生。Why do you like me? Being with you brings out the best in me. 你为什么喜欢我？你在一起能让我变得美好。

　　1502. Prison is only a spiritual campus for true believers, where they can learn how to bend their knees and be humble. 监狱不过是所灵修院，真正的基督徒在那里可以学习屈膝谦卑。bend one’s knees, 表示跪下祷告，一种在神面前谦卑的姿态。It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. 宁可站着死，不愿跪着生。

　　1503. It is a great honor for believers to follow the thorny, cross-bearing path of Christ. 背十字架、走荆棘路来跟随基督，对信徒来说是一种殊荣。

　　1504. To get a better idea about the scope of these persecutions, we should turn to the statistics. During the Boxer Rebellion days, twenty thousand Chinese Christians and foreign missionaries were killed. 要想更好地深入了解逼迫的程度，我们应该借助数据。义和团期间，大约有两万中国信徒和外国宣教士遇害。to get a better idea about, 要想深入了解，turn to 借助 We have to turn to your help.我们得寻求你的帮助。

　　1505. We should be able to sing in chains. 我们应该可以戴着镣铐歌唱。in chains 也是坐牢的意思。

　　1506. Is this the tip of the iceberg or merely an isolated incident? 这只是冰山一角呢，还是一个孤立的个案？这是一个“大量”与“少量”的对比。

　　1507. English has become an ideology, a force strong enough to remake your résumé, attract a spouse, or catapult you out of a village. Linguists estimate the number of Chinese now studying or speaking English at between two hundred million and three hundred and fifty million, a figure that’s on the border of the population of the United States. 英语已经成了一种思想意识形态，学好了英语可以让你找到好工作，娶妻嫁夫，摆脱乡村贫困的生活。语言学家估计中国有两亿到三亿五千万人在学英语或能讲英语，这差不多是美国人口的总和了。on the border of 接近，也可以说，in the neighborhood of。The figure is in the neighborhood of three hundred million. 数字大约在三亿左右。

　　1508. Children need to gain the ability to think out of the box. 儿童应该学会打破传统习惯进行思维。out of the box, 打破传统，不囿于传统。也可以说think outside the box。相反的意思是in the box. The communist officials are in the box. 这些共产干部就会墨守成规。They are in-the-box thinkers.

　　1509. We are a close-knit team. 我们是一个密切合作的团队。也说tight-knit 。She does a good job and she is a team player. 她工作干得好，而且有团队精神。

　　1510. Whatever you say.随你的便。管你的！

　　1511. line 是最常见的词，能掌握好与此词有关的词组能帮助提高我们的表达力。关于line的用法与词组远远不止十个，但我把这些用法都集中在十条里。以下都是常见的一些用法。I am on the starting line now, waiting for your marching order. 我已经站在起跑线上了，只等你下进军的号令。长官说“March!(出发)”.

　　1512. the first line 最初的，最好的。the first line of defense 第一道防线。I feel it is difficult to write the first line.我觉得文章开头最难。This is the first line treatment. It will be followed by more treatments. 这只是第一疗程，接下来还会其他的疗程。the last line, 最后，最重要的The court is the last line of defense for justice. If judges are corrupt, there is no way to mend the system at all. 法院是正义的最后防线，如果连法官都腐败了，那就没得治了。behind the enemy's lines 深入到敌人的后方去。

　　1513. the top line news 头条新闻；This is the top-of-the-line laptop. 这是这款手提电脑中质量最好的。the bottom line 底线，The bottom line is that the People’s Daily strictly follows the communist line. It will never cross the line. All the Party members have to come into line with the Party policy.底线是人民日报严格走党报路线。它绝不会偏离这点。党员都必须与党的政策保持一致。这里三个句子用了四个关于line的习惯用法，都是常用的。You have crossed the line when you criticize your boss publicly. 你公开批评老板，这样做就有点不能为人接受了。step over the line, 也是“过线、过分”的意思。They are under constant pressures to step over the line.他们受到很大的压力，要违规作业。push the line,挑战容忍度（push the envelop也是这意思）

　　1514. He’s in the line of fire again Your life will be on the line. We have to draw a line in the sand. 我们必须作出清楚的界定。（我们必须表明清楚的立场。）

　　1515. Recession? I have so many customers waiting in line. 衰退？我的顾客都排成了长队。to line up, 排队

　　1516. hard line and soft line: They took a hard line on defense. 他们在国防上采取强硬立场。Beijing's soft line on corruption will hurt the Party. 北京对腐败睁一只眼，闭一只眼只会让这个党受损。

　　1517. He is very strong-willed in his line of business. 他在业界是出了名的犟脾气。A policeman was wounded in the line of duty.一位警察在执行任务时受伤。

　　1518. the country line 国家边界线，the province line, 省界the assembly line 流水线 the assembly line education, 指那种没有人性、机械性的教育，就像工厂的流水线一样。the line of credit, 信用额度。I was on the line when you called. 你给我电话时，我正在打电话。online education, 网上教育。Don't forget to drop me a line when you visit a new place. 到了新地方，记得给我来封信！Drop me a line. 来封信！

　　1519. Somewhere further down the line, you will come across his name. 只要你往后留意，你总会碰到他的名字。I do TV as a sideline. I spend the bulk of time doing my main business. 作电视节目是我的副业，我大部分时间都在做我的主要业务。It is quite a lucrative little sideline. 这个副业油水足。 The fault lines are emerging in the upcoming battle over the reform. fault lines 是地质上岩石的断裂层。这里的意思是：改革即将面临一场激烈的纷争，分裂在所难免。fast line 或fast lane，一个意思。 punch line 笑话里的包袱句子， The first-line service people, the cover line，

　　1520. The shorter the hemline, the better the economy is. When hemlines fall, watch out!摆裙线越短，经济就越好，摆裙线拉长时，就得小心（熊市）了。这不是很常用的表达法，可记可不记。

　　1521. put one’s foot in one’s mouth, 因说错话而后悔莫及。Charles put his foot in his mouth when he asked the overweight girl if she was pregnant. Charles追悔莫及，因为他问那个胖女孩是不是怀孕了。有人根据A rolling stone gathers no moss. （滚石不生苔）的句型造出A closed mouth gathers no foot. 管紧嘴不后悔。意思是只要不乱开口，就不会有后悔的言论发出。又有人发展出foot-in-mouth disease 一词组，表示“说话不算数症” Most politicians suffer from foot-in-mouth disease; they make promises that they never keep. 大多数政客都患有说话不算数症，许些从来就不履行的诺言。

　　1522. Gotcha. 为Got You.的口语。抓到你了。

　　1523. He is a child of the 1950s. 他是50年代的人（或者受教育成长的人）。注意，不一定是说，他是50年代出生的孩子，他或许是40年代就出生了。

　　1524. 知道“光棍”英语怎么说吗？有人翻译为bare-branches，很是传神。One child policy destroys the ratio of male and female. It has produced more guang-gun, or "bare branches," because they are branches of the family tree that will never bear fruit. In China the sex ratio for children up through age 4 is over 120:100 (120 boys for every 100 girls), according to the 2000 census.独生子女政策导致了男女比例严重失调，会制造更多的光棍，也就是不能为家庭开花结果的树枝。根据2000年的一项调查，中国到四岁的孩童男女比例是120：100（也就是每100个女孩有120个男孩。）

　　1525. Pumpkin boy 稚嫩的男孩，Look at this cute pumpkin boy! 瞧瞧这个好玩的胖娃娃！

　　1526. baby steps：蹒跚学步，艰难的起步，Taking baby steps is better than taking no steps at all. 开头难总比不开头要好。Take baby steps to achieve your goal. 一步一个脚印，去达到你的目标。蹒跚走路的单词为：teeter

　　1527. He is axed. 他惨遭淘汰。The leaders dropped ax on the program. 领导把这个节目给砍了。

　　1528. The program could be on the chopping block. 这个项目有可能被砍掉。What is on the chopping block? 要砍那些项目？

　　1529. If you don’t work hard, you’d better polish your resume. 如果你不努力干活的话，看来你最好另谋高就吧！（直译是：把你的履历去润色一下吧！也就是让他走路。）

　　1530. spear-head, head up, lead, 都是“带领、领导”的意思。Can you spear-head the discussion? 你能带领大家讨论吗？

　　　　1531. If the Lord doesn’t do anything else, resurrection is enough for me. 如果主没有为我做任何事，复活就足矣。

　　1532. the final frontier or the last frontier 最后的未开耕的处女地，最后的挑战。Space is the last frontier for man. I want to be the first Chinese female astronaut in space.太空是人类的终极挑战，我要成为第一位进入太空中国女人。

　　1533. “死角、盲点”一般应该是blind spot，不是dead angle。Dead angle是一军事用语，虽然意思也是“死角”：(Mil.) an angle or space which cannot be seen or defended from behind the parapet （军事用语）碉堡射击的死角。radar blind spot 死角，盲点Why do a lot of women have a blind spot for men’s lies, especially in an intimate relationship? 为什么很多女性看不出男人的谎言，为什么在亲密的关系中更是如此？After all, a blind spot for anything spells trouble.归根到底，任何事的盲点都只会带来麻烦。

　　1534. 手机短信是text message, 注意，不是short message, 手机短信也可以写得比较长，虽然一般短。She likes text messaging to others. 她喜欢给人发短信。Text me. 给我发短信。

　　1535. Your car is mere scrap metal, worthless. 你的车不过是破铜烂铁，值不了几个钱。scrap paper, 废弃的纸，I just need some scrap paper and write a few words on. 我只需要一点废纸，写几个字。

　　1536. Don’t write me off yet, give me another chance. 不要把我一笔勾销，再给我一次机会。

　　1537. I understand where you are coming from. 我明白你的立场。

　　1538. It caught my attention. 这引起了我的注意。“引起注意”的动名词搭配有好几个： It arrested/ got/ my attention. This sign is an attention-getter. The sign commands attention. 这两句的意思都是：这块招牌引人注目。The old car needs/ requires constant attention. 这辆老爷车需要勤护理。complete attention, pay attention to, 注意；复数也可以：pay attentions to。 Attention! 军队用语：立正！

　　1539. You need to have a radical surgery on your life. 你的人生需要来一次彻底的改变。（直译是要动一次手术。）

　　1540. tiptoe 脚尖，比喻为小心翼翼，悄悄，期待。With Christmas coming, the children were on tiptoe. 孩子们满心期待圣诞节的到来。She tiptoed out of the room. 她蹑手蹑脚地走出了房间。

　　1541. In China, there is a frantic race to keep up with the Joneses. Everyone wants to get rich overnight. 中国，现在人人都在疯狂地你追我赶，攀比谁更有钱。大家都想一夜暴富。keep up with the Joneses 与他人攀比。

　　1542. Why does the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence? 邻居为什么总是看上去要比我生活得更好？（直译是：邻居家的草为什么看上去总是更鲜艳？）

　　1543. The issue we face are too great and too immediate to ignore. 我们面临的挑战既严峻又迫在眉睫，容不得置若罔闻。We have to tackle the issue now.我们现在得处理这问题。

　　1544. That will open a whole can of worms. 这会带出一系列的问题、麻烦。

　　1545. China is gradually getting rid of the vestiges of its communist past. But the one child policy of the 1980s and 1990s planted a time bomb, and its effects are just starting to be felt. 中国正在逐步摆脱曾经搞共产主义的痕迹，但是八十年代九十年代的一胎化政策埋下了定时炸弹，恶果现在慢慢可以感觉到了。

　　1546. 这三个说法都是“我们一定得克服困难”：We must overcome difficulties. We must break down the barrier. We must overcome hurdles to fulfill our dreams.

　　1547. settle 解决问题，settle a dispute / argument 解决纷争/ 争论，也可以说solve a dispute。 have an account to settle 有个问题还没有了结。I failed in my exam last year. I have an account to settle! 去年我高考失利，这是我要了结的问题。He has a few scores to settle. 他还有几个问题要待解释清楚。I have a score to settle with John since he insulted me at our party. 我还有笔账要跟约翰算，因为他在我们的晚会上侮辱了。这里的have a score to settle = have an account to settle 跟某某算账。

　　1548. 由 alcoholic 发展出的几个词：workaholic, 工作狂， Let me tell you he is a workaholic. 我告诉你吧，他是个工作狂。She is a shopaholic. 她喜好逛商店。He is a sexaholic. 他一天到晚只热衷一件事，就是性。He is a dataholic. 他什么消息都收集。

　　1549. They are strange bedfellows. 他们是对头却联手。

　　1550. pillow talk 床上悄悄话，枕边语，It is a documented fact that couples who enjoy pillow talk have happier relationships. 研究证明，懂得享受枕边语的夫妻过得更幸福。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-04-24　22:59:56　 回复  

　　1542. Why does the grass always looks 这里的looks 应该是look, 还有很多错误，望大家指正。
　　
　　1551. I didn’t understand what she was getting at until it suddenly hit me. She was asking for money. 我一直没搞清她究竟想要什么，忽然我才恍然大悟，原来她是在问我要钱。it hit me, 忽然明白。hit是口语，书面语为dawn。

　　1552. 也可以说，it dawns upon me, 我忽然明白，我最后突然明白。It dawned upon me that I think therefore I blog. 我忽然明白了过来，我思故我写博客。

　　1553. These women have beauty, brains and substance. They have the whole package. It is unbelievable that they are still single and available. 这些女性集美貌、才智与财富于一身，什么都不缺。难以置信的是，她们竟都还在待字闺中。substance 财富，内涵，the whole package, 全套，什么都有，available 仍旧可以出手、出嫁，单身。

　　1554. Guys still hit upon her despite the fact that she has kids and leads a happy married life. 虽然她有好几个孩子，过着幸福的家庭生活，但还是有些男人对她有意思。hit upon搭话想发展关系，或者说，She is still approached by guys despite…虽然…仍旧有些男人还是想要接近她。He tried his luck with her. 他想碰碰运气看能不能和她好上。

　　1555. Guys often come up to her with pick up lines. 还是常有些男人来跟她搭讪想跟她好。pickup lines 男人找女人时想的一些开场白。

　　1556. A divorced man expresses deep loneliness and the sense that he will live the rest of his life in the penalty box. 一位离异的男人流露出严重的孤独感，觉得他这一辈子都会生活在惩罚中。the penalty box 球赛中犯规球员被罚下场而呆的地方。Don’t leave me in the penalty box forever. 不要老是把我晾在一边。

　　1557. I know what you need. You are not here to buy boxes. You buy what is inside them. 我知道你的需要，你来这里不是要买包装，而是里面的产品。（不做买椟还珠之事的意思）

　　1558. A good teacher needs a bag of tricks. 一个好老师得有很多的好方法。这里的tricks不是诡计，而是好的法子。

　　1559. things这个词的常用语很多，很实用：Things will be okay. 一切都会好的。Will things really be okay? 一切果真都会变好吗？Things happen, you know.你要知道，这类（坏）事总会发生的。注意，这里的things指不太好的事。Things fall apart now.一切无可挽回。Things to be remembered. 要做的事（列出一个清单）。All things considered, you need to go. 所有因素都权衡后，你还是应该去。He is a man who can get things done. 他是一个能实干的人。Things don’t look good. 形势看来不妙呀。Things don’t happen for a reason. We just find reason in what happens. 事情的产生并没有理由，我们不过是在为这些所发生的事去找理由。All things are bright and beautiful. 一切都光明与美丽。也有人说，Not all things are bright and beautiful. 并不是所有的事都光明美丽。

　　1560. Everything happens for a reason. 一切事的发生必有原因。

　　1561. Let’s re-cap what we have covered. 我们再来回顾一下我们所讨论过的内容。re-cap 也作recap，可以为名词：the meeting recap.会议简要。

　　1562. I spent many pointless hours in that city. 在那个城市，我度过了许多无所事事的时光。pointless, useless, meaningless, fruitless, aimless, purposeless, 都是一个意思。网上聊天大多是pointless。To chat on line is a time-waster. 网聊就是消遣时间。

　　1563. I am not where I want to be just yet, but I am getting there. I am striving to be the whole package. 我尚未达到理想目标，但是我会达到的，那就是一无所缺。Whoever marries me has to take my whole package deal. 想要娶我的人得满足我的所有要求。You will get the world class service—the whole package. 你会得到顶级服务，一样不缺。比较以前学过的well-rounded，指的是人的全面发展； the whole enchilada也是整体，全部。

　　1564. He cannot understand you since he was not there. 他没有与你一起成长，不会能理解你的。

　　1565. You never know what will happen, so be prepared. 你无法预料前面要发生的事，所以还是做好准备吧。

　　1566. You don’t want to look like someone else but the best version of yourself.你不必去模仿别人，你要做的就是表现出你最佳状态。

　　1567. loaded up with 装满，吃得很饱，I heard my stomach growl around 5. Later I was loaded up with beef for dinner. I am sleepy now. 我五点钟就饥肠辘辘了，后来我晚餐被牛肉撑得不行，现在只想睡。I find myself feeling full and with a heavy stomach after a big meal. 一顿大餐后，我觉得撑得不行了。

　　1568. Ken-Let me borrow some money off you. Ken能借点钱给我吗?
　　Kris - No bugger off. All you do is mooch off me. Kris-没门，滚你的蛋，你只会占便宜。
　　Ken - I’m thirsty, give me some of your drink. 我口干，给我点你的饮料。
　　Kris - No! stop mooching off me you dirty hobo! Get a job you, slacker! 门都没有，不要老揩我的油，讨厌鬼！去找份工打，懒鬼！They desire to mooch off our rich resources. 他们想偷走我们丰富的资源。 She just wants to mooch off me. 她只想揩我的油。
　　mooch off 揩油，以前学过的揩油是freeload；bugger, 你这狗屁，讨厌鬼，（这是骂人的话，不要乱用），bugger off, 滚开；hobo, 口语，流浪汉，正规词是drifter, vagrant；slacker 逃兵，胆小鬼，正规词是a draft dodger。

　　1569. Everyone, aboard. 全体上车。这里aboard 是副词。onboard the plane, aboard the plane, 这里的onboard，aboard是介词。Board the plane! 上飞机，这里的board是动词。Get aboard and get ahead. 立即出发拔头筹。

　　1570. It is not in the cards for him. 没有他的份。（直译是，他握的牌里没有这张牌）This plan is not in the cards. 没有准备要商议这项计划。

　　1571. It is a huge hit in Europe. 这在欧洲获得了巨大的成功。

　　1572. Deadlines are closer than they appear. 截止日期没有你想象的那么远。这是老师或老板警告学生下属一句很有用的话。

　　1573. Yunnan police are well-known now all over the world because of their playing-hide-and-seek explanation about their harsh torture of prisoners. 云南警方残酷虐待犯人却解释为“躲猫猫”，现在他们因为此说可谓全球扬名。play hide and seek 躲猫猫。

　　1574. No pay, no play. 相当于广东话的“冇钱冇谈”，也就是“衙门八字开，有理无钱莫进来”，后来这演化成pay-to-play ，贿赂，Pay-to-play scandals are everywhere in China. 花钱消灾/行贿的丑闻遍布全中国。

　　1575. 中国人都会当医生，你病了，周围的人便纷纷给你免费诊断，给你开药方。小时候我病了时，冬天，我母亲诊断说，着寒了；夏天呢，她就说，上火了。你要用英文诊断，不能说什么寒呀火呀。你要这样诊断：对于任何病，你可以一言以蔽之说：You need to improve your immune system. 你要提高免疫系统。疾病的产生除了外伤，你都可以怪罪到是免疫系统出了问题。如果你还要故作高深，就说，It is something wrong with your DNA. I wish that some doctors can unlock the DNA and find out the problem. 是你的基因出了问题，我真希望有医生能给基因解码，找出你的病根。什么immune system, DNA呀，没有人能搞得懂，所以对方听了你的话都只能点头。 当然，你也可以简单地说，It is a virus. 是个病毒or It is caused by bacteria。开药方呢，就说：Take a lot of Vitamin C. 多吃点维他命C。反正多吃维他命总是有好处。Has the human genome been mapped yet? 人类基因图谱编出来了没有？

　　1576. He lost the battle with cancer. 最后他死于了癌症。（直译是，他输给了癌症）

　　1577. Do I ever cross your mind? 你也有想过我的时刻没有呀？

　　1578. I often go to a nearby restaurant that serves “the noodle-over-bridge” for flavor of home. 因思念家乡风味，我常去附近一家做“过桥米线”的餐厅。

　　1579. Well-off parents normally will hire private tutors for their children. 富裕的父母通常都会为子女找家教。“富裕的父母”口语还可以说是well-to-do parents。Rich是正规词。

　　1580. street 街道，比喻为平民百姓。ivory tower vs. street, 象牙塔与市井，Wall Street vs Main street,富人与平民（华尔街与大众街） It should not be just good for Wall Street, but also for Main Street. 这个计划不仅要对富人有益，对平民也得有益。

　　1581. May Day is Labor Day in China. But in America, Labor Day is a holiday observed on the first Monday in September. In China, the Union’s responsibility is to sell movie tickets. In America, the union defends workers’ rights against bosses. 中国五一是劳动节。但是在美国，劳动节是九月的第一个周一。在中国，公会的责任就是卖电影票，在美国，公会得捍工人与老板抗争的权利。

　　1582. Put your feet up and relax. 摆平双腿，好好休息一下。Time to put up my feet and get some rest.我得好好休息一下了。

　　1583. “Cheng Long” is just a stage name. 成龙只是个艺名。

　　1584. It takes one to know one. 自己做过贼，才能识破贼。电影"Catch me if you can" （有本事就来抓）中主角原先自己是贼，后来教导各大公司如何防贼。这就是It takes one to know one.的意思。

　　1585. No matter you are on the go, at home, or in the office, you can use this mobile phone. 不管你是做旅行中，还是在家，或者在办公室，你都可以用这款手机。on the go, 旅行中。

　　1586. water over the dam, 过去的事就过去了，覆水难收，木已成舟，也可以说water under the bridge。My sister and I fought when we were children, but that’s water under the bridge. 小时候我姐姐和我是死对头，不过那都是往事了。

　　1587. We had a lot of blow-ups in our first year. 我们（结婚）的第一年常常争吵。

　　1588. He is home safe and sound. 他已平安到家。It was a rough trip, but we got there safe and sound.一路颠簸，不过我们总算是平安到达了。

　　1589. He is clumsy. 他很笨。I am inordinate. I am not well coordinated. 我有点笨手笨脚。

　　1590. You don’t have to be anywhere near the top of your class to enjoy your life.你不一定要是班上的尖子才可以过得快活。（这是对成绩不佳学生的安慰话。）

　　1591. Teacher X’s commentaries on the current events are always thought-provoking, challenging and controversial. 信老师的时评文章总是令人深思，具有挑战和争议性。They always generate heated response -- pro and con -- to Teacher X’s ideas. 文章总能引起读者对他观点的激烈反响—有赞同有反对。

　　1592. Teacher X’s basic premise is simple and hard to dispute: Libertarian philosophy amply justifies the limited role that government should play in the lives of the citizens of a free society. 信老师的最基本的出发点非常简单，难以辩驳：自由主义的哲学雄辩地证明，政府在一个自由的社会里不应过多地干预公民的私生活。Teacher X’s premise is strongly supported by facts. 事实强有力地支持了信老师的基本论点。

　　1593. You cannot really dispute with Teacher X’s on the values he espouses: charity, friendship, the rule of law, protection of minority rights, freedom of religion, private property, free markets, a free press, civilian control of the military, and an independent judiciary. 你很难去批驳信老师所拥有的价值观：慈善、友谊、法治、对少数民族权利的保护、宗教信仰自由、保护自由财产、市场经济、出版自由、军队国有化以及独立的司法系统。

　　1594. While never calling the current government a dictatorship, Teacher X certainly connects many dots and sounds a clear warning against such a tendency. 虽然没有直截了当地把现政府称为独裁政府，信老师用了很多的证据，清楚地指出了它走向独裁的信号。connect dots, 把许多孤立的点连接起来，让事实更加显得清楚，sound a warning, 提出警告，

　　1595. The Chinese people should have some common sense that it is the state that poses the greatest threat to liberty. 中国人应该有点常识，国家才是对自由的最大威胁。

　　1596. Teacher X’s arguments and examples in most cases are incredibly strong and well documented. Maybe once a while there are some stretches. 信老师的论点十分令人信服，而且例证十分翔实。或许有少数几处地方显得有些牵强。

　　1597. Teacher X simply asks his readers to consider the true meaning of patriot, someone who actively participates in and engages with their civic society. 信老师只是要求读者认真地考虑一下爱国者的真正含义，就是那些积极投入、维护公民社会的人。

　　1598. The truth is, it would be dangerous to sit back and rest easy. 事实是，如果坐在那里不闻不问，那才危险。

　　1599. So much of the Party’s activities were carried out in the shadows of a disinterested, and therefore uninformed, civic society. 这个党的很多活动都是在秘密状态下进行，公众既不关心，也就都蒙在鼓里。

　　1600. Teacher X’s articles are often yanked off his blog. So you’d better log on his blog fast. 信老师的文章常常被河蟹掉了，所以你得快点去他的博客。yank 给删掉了，= delete

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 18:39 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-05-08　20:06:22　 回复  

　　与人辩论，或阐述自己的观点，有一个常用的方法就是先提出大家都能接受的前提，这个前提是不需要再证明。例如，你要说明年轻人应该自立，你可以这样开头，“一个孩童不能永远地吃奶，他总会有断奶吃干粮的一天。”“孩童不能永远吃奶”这是属于不言自明的道理。这里摘录10句常用的辩论语句。
　　
　　1601. Different problems require different solutions. 不同的问题需要不同的方法解决。（这话为你提出你的方案打下伏笔。）

　　1602. You can’t please everyone all the time. 你不能让人人时时刻刻都高兴。（所以有人不喜欢我的观点是情有可原的。）

　　1603. Nobody should be compelled. 我们不能强迫人去做事。（所以你不能强迫我做事。）

　　1604. Everybody should be treated equally. 人人待遇应该平等。（所以你不能亏待我。）

　　1605. You cannot turn the clock backwards. 你不能让时光倒流呀。（所以过去的事就让它过去吧。）

　　1606. Present generations cannot be blamed for the mistakes of past generations. 这一代人不能为上一代人的错误负责。

　　1607. The facts show … 事实证明，
　　It is self-evident that… 显而易见的是
　　All the evidence points to… 所有的证据都表明
　　Obviously….很显然
　　It leaves no doubt that… 毫无疑问

　　1608. Everybody can succeed if they try hard enough.只要努力，人人都可以有出头日。（鼓励大家都努力。）

　　1609. Minority opinion should not carry more weight than majority opinion. 少数人的意见不能盖过多数人意见。（鼓励少数服从多数。）

　　1610. We have to live in the twenty-first century. 我们得生活在二十一世纪。

　　1611. around the corner, 就在附近，快了My exam is around the corner. What should I do to get better result? 考试快要到了，我该如何准备才可以考得更好一点？

　　1612. Her treatment has neared its end, she is going to lose battle with cancer. Cancer is an insidious enemy. 很快就会要放弃对她的治疗，她马上就会被癌症夺走生命。癌症真是一个可恶的杀手。

　　1613. Pollution is pushing this animal to the very brink of extinction. 污染把这种动物推到了濒临绝种的边缘。 brink 边缘，on the brink of 将要, 濒于, 在…的边缘

　　1614. The company is close to the edge of chaos. 公司马上变得一团糟。

　　1615. She is on IVs. 她在打吊针。IV是intravenous的缩写。

　　1616. She’s rebounding. = She is recovering. 她在恢复。

　　1617. They are lying through their teeth. 他们满口谎言。

　　1618. fossil fuel = petroleum, coal, or natural gas, 汽油，煤，天然气，这是环保分子喜欢用的词汇，因为，在环保分子看来，凡是碳氢化合物燃料都是是以前动物植物遗体变的，就像你看到的一块恐龙化石，你用掉了，就没有办法恢复了。Fossil fuel eventually will burn you and me. 碳氢化合物最终烧死的是你和我。（意思是这种燃料产生的废气会伤害人类。）Renewable energy is an alternative to fossil fuels. 再生能源可替代碳氢化合物。

　　1619. Actually it is quite easy to reduce carbon footprint. 要减少废气并不难。footprint, 脚印，痕迹，这里指的是燃料污染。

　　1620. You can put a work of art at your fingertips. 你可以亲手收藏艺术品。That tax bill had the senator’s fingerprints all over it. 此税收法案从头到尾都留有该议员的烙印。

　　1621. In this day and age, we are always looking to save money. 这个年代，我们总是想方设法搞节约。This is the way tradition and the modern day merge in this city. 传统与现代就这样在这个城市交汇在一起。

　　1622. Are you trying to give me a hard time? 你是不是想找我的茬？My wife will give me a hard time if I am home late. 我回去晚了。老婆会跟我过不去的。 Bureaucrats today have a hard time distinguishing the genuine public interest from the private interests of the Party. 今天的官僚分不清什么是真正的大众利益，什么是共党之私利。注意比较复数hard times的用法，You need to learn how to manage your money during hard times. 经济萧条时，你得学会管理好自己的钱财。

　　1623. Hu Yaobang’s death signifies the end of an era. 胡耀邦的去世象征着一个时代的终结。

　　1624. Many students take a gap year after university. 许多学生大学毕业后会修整一年。a gap year, 大学毕业后，先不忙着找工作，而是花一年去旅游、作义工等活动。

　　1625. This is a historic day, a watershed event. 这是具有历史意义的一天，这是划时代事件。

　　1626. This has been locked in stone. 这事已经完全敲定。这是铁钉钉板的事，改变不了啦。

　　1627. 口语里，“boss” 也有"awesome" or "cool"的意思，作形容词用： Have you seen Mark’s new car? It’s so boss! 你见到了马克的新车吗？太牛了！

　　1628. This is a really good book. You won’t put it down until you finish it. 这本书真的好，你会爱不释手，一口气读完。a page turning book 这部书引人入胜。This is an utter page-turner. 这本书叫你一口气翻完。This is a dynamite read. 这本书很有震撼力。

　　1629. Give me all you’ve got or I’ll blow you away. 把钱都掏出来，否则要你的小命。这是土匪抢钱时用的话，你不妨跟自己的男朋友开玩笑时说说。

　　1630. I have zero direction. 我完全迷路了。We should have zero tolerance of corruption by the Party members. 我们绝对不能容忍党员搞腐败。

　　1631. The march toward democracy is coming to this country, and you can either be a part of it or stand in the way. 民主正浩浩荡荡进入我们这个国家，你可以贡献力量，也可以阻拦。stand in the way 挡道。Please don’t stand in the way. 请让一让。

　　1632. rock 石头的几个口语用法：
　　a) Aha! My rock beats your scissors! 我的石头（锤子）赢了你的剪刀。I lost to the rock!我输给了石头。石头（锤子）、剪刀、布游戏中的石头（锤子）；注意，中文里的布，英文是paper。He is one of the best RPS athletes. 他是玩锤子剪刀布的少有的高手。
　　b) rock-bottom price, 触底价Some felt that house prices had reached rock bottom in their area but closely, but some felt the worse was to come.有些人觉得房子价格已经到底了，但也有人觉得更糟的情况还没有到。
　　c) rock-solid 坚实的，We want to have our kids to have rock solid ethics, strong self-esteem, and bubble over with confidence and enthusiasm. 我们要把我们的下一代培养成有坚实的道德、顽强的自尊、因自信与激情而生活得快乐。
　　d) The on-line college is rocking. 网上大学很流行。
　　e) She is rocking the red carpet. 她太得意了。（直译是，她在红地毯上只摇晃。）
　　f) Don’t rock the boat. 别惹麻烦！（不要把船给整翻了）

　　1633. I am here to get you there. 我到这里就是为了帮你能到达那里。我的目的是为了帮你能达到目的。

　　1634. Whenever I’m in a funk, I feel grumpy and disengaged from life in general.我只要遇上低沉的时刻，就容易沮丧，生活一团糟。

　　1635. Stop feeling sorry for yourself 不要再那里自怨自哎好不好！

　　1636. A compassionate society should care for the least, last, lost and left-out. 一个富有同情心的社会应该关照那些弱势、社会地位低微、失意的以及被抛弃的人群。

　　1637. I’m fully aware that depression could get its ugly grip on me if I don’t turn the corner. 我完全清楚，如果我不赶快振作的话，我会被忧郁给整疯的。ugly grip on 狠狠地钳制、窒息，turn the corner, 改变局面。Our company has successfully turned the corner. 我们公司已成功地度过了难关。

　　1638. He has made a sizable living for years on the contracts with the government. His uncle holds considerable sway. 他这些年靠与政府的合同赚得盆满钵满。他叔叔很有影响力。make a sizable living 赚了不少，hold sway 有影响力。The company had a sizable loss. 公司产生了巨额亏损。

　　1639. Your child has a good ear for sound. 你的孩子有很好的乐感。I have no good ear for music.我不太懂欣赏音乐。

　　1640. You have got a baby with taste in music.你的这个娃娃很有点音乐天赋呢。 How is your taste in music? 你喜欢什么样的音乐？

　　1641. 有个理发店有个俏皮广告：从头做起。英语文化里也有类似的俏皮话：A Cut Above. Cut就是理发，A cut above 表面上看就是从上面开始理。但是a cut above 也是个成语，意思是，非常棒，be a cut above something or somebody, 比其他的事或人更胜一筹。His work is a cut above. 他的作品非同一般。I love this restaurant. It is a cut above. 我蛮喜欢这家餐厅，菜做得很好。

　　1642. Jump the shark, 不妙的转折，Things haven’t been looking rosy for the company lately, but the boss totally jump the shark when he said ’no big deal’ after half the best employees quit on the same day. I gotta get a new job - quick.

　　1643. Has the market bottomed out? 市场触底了吗？

　　1644. have a thing for or about, 对什么有种特殊的感受，这个感受可能是不喜欢，也可能是喜欢。Kelly has a thing about Tim. She simply hates him. Kelly对Tim不感兴趣，她实际上恨死了他。I have a thing for men in uniform. 我对穿军装的男士都有种特殊的好感。Elaine has a thing about strawberry ice cream. She can’t get enough of it. Eleine特别钟爱草莓冰淇淋，她怎么吃也吃不够。

　　1645. In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. 做决定的时刻，你能够做出的最好的事就是去做正确的事。

　　1646. I could give an opinion off the cuff, but I’d rather think about it. 我也可以即兴发表一些意见，但我还是宁愿再多想想。off-the-cuff remarks 即兴的言辞，

　　1647. Here is an answer off the top of my head. 这是我没有经过好好考虑的一个答复。这是我的一个即兴的答复。

　　1648. It was just a shot in the dark. I had no idea I was exactly correct. 这只是我的胡乱猜想，我也搞不清楚我是否真的就对了。

　　1649. She was whistling in the dark. She has no idea of what’s going on. 她完全是在猜想，她根本就不知道目前的局势。

　　1650. A: Do you know how old I am? 你知道我们多大了吗？
　　B: I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say….35? 我只是随便猜猜，大概35岁？
　　A: I’m 17! 我才17岁呢。What is your stab-in-the-dark prediction for economics? 你随便预测一下，经济将会是怎样的走向？

　　1651. We loved each other. We had no bones about saying it. 那时我们热恋，也从不忌讳告诉每一个人。make/have no bones about 公开地说。

　　1652. This is the view that we accept with our mother’s milk. 这个看法打从我们从娘肚子里出来就形成了。We take in the fact that the world is not all it seems with our mother’s milk. 我们从打出生那一刻起就学习要透过现象看本质。

　　1653. every scrap and speck of this 全部，所有的细节，scrap 和speck 都是粉末的意思。Do you deny every scrap and speck of this? 难道你要彻底否认这一切吗？或者这么说：He flatly / categorically denied the charges.他完全否认了所有的指控。

　　1654. This is all a snare. 这完全是个圈套。

　　1655. good在口语里有时候作副词：Eat good and look great. 吃得好，长得帅。类似的有：talk big, 吹牛，It didn’t take long. 只费了一点点功夫。

　　1656. 现在年轻人表示惊讶喜欢说“哇噻”，这是从英文wow发展而来，中文喜欢双音节，加了一个尾音。wow也可以作动词：He is always doing something to wow you. 他总是做些让人掉眼镜的事。There are several things we can do to wow our buyers. 我们可以做些工作来让买方对我们敬佩不已。

　　1657. Her expressions are still a bit wooden. 她的神色有点呆滞。（有点木纳）

　　1658. I would like to clear the air about the controversy. 我想对此问题作出一些澄清。

　　1659. The problem stems from the misunderstanding. 这个问题源于误会。

　　1660. Guangzhou is a high-volume station. 广州是个客流量大的站。类似结构的词有：high-end costumers 高端客户, high-energy, 充满活力，High-energy food is good for boosting your immune system. 高能量食品对于提高免疫系统有好处。high energy children, 一刻都不停的小孩。

　　1661. My phone is ringing off the hook all day/all day long. 我的电话整天都一直响个不停。cell phone, mobile phone 手机，land phone 座机 cordless phone, 无绳电话。中国人伸出小指与拇指，收缩中间三个指头意思是“六”，而这个动作在英语世界里是指给我打电话。

　　1662. turn the table 翻盘，You can turn the table on the guy with the question such as why he would not take any action. 你也可以反问这个家伙，当时他为什么不采取任何行动。也可以说，turn things around,

　　1663. I’ve read the article, which I take with a grain of salt. 我已经读了那篇文章，对于里面的内容我是持保留态度的。with a grain of salt, 不完全接受。

　　1664. He wears two hats. First, as known to public, he is a professor. Second, as mostly unknown, he is a secret police, collecting information on pro-democracy activists. 他身兼两职，一是大家知道的，就是他为教授，二是，大家所不知道的，他实际上是秘密警察，收集民运分子的消息。wear two hats, 身兼两职。有关hat 的口语很多，以后介绍。

　　1665. back-slapping 拍人的背，表示庆贺，友好，He is always backslapping his colleagues at staff meetings. 员工大会时，他总是对每个人都拍肩表示友好。He threw a party for the team as a post championship back slapping. 他为球队召开了一个酒会，庆祝获得冠军。

　　1666. Stocks kicked back into rally mode Monday, ending a week-long slump. 股市周一大幅反弹，终止了一周的疲软。rally 聚集，集会。The supporters rally around the activist. 支持者们聚集在活动家旁边，以示支持。比较以前的stand behind, back up.

　　1667. He set his sights on the championship. 他把目标定在了冠军。

　　1668. He cannot take his eyes off her. 他是目不转睛地盯着她看。

　　1669. I’ll sleep. I’m wrung out. 我得去睡了，我已经精疲力竭了。类似：worn out, tired.

　　1670. stats and facts 数据与是事实 stats 是statistics 的缩写，These are some stats and facts on poverty you should know. 这是你应该知道的一些有关贫困的数据与事实。

　　1671. Steal the show He liles to steal the show. 他最爱出风头。

　　1672. She has two classes away from a bachelor degree. 她只要再完成两门课就可以拿本科毕业证了。

　　1673. He is suffering from mood swings and tried to kill himself. 他情绪起起伏伏，曾经有过自杀的经历。swing 荡秋千，mood swing 情绪不稳，也可以说，emotional swing, 或者moody, 描述情绪不稳的词有：depression, a swing state, 美国投票时，有可能把票投共和党，也有可能投民主党的州，所以都是两党必重点争夺的州。个人的话就是a swing vote。John just couldn’t seem to get in the swing of things. 约翰老是与大家不合拍。

　　1674. Chinese people are increasingly out of sync with the Beijing establishment. 中国人越来越不认可北京的既得利益者。

　　1675. Look before you leak. 不要随地大小便！（直译就是小便前得看看场合）。leak 口语里是小便的意思，一般指男性。I have to take a leak! 我得小解一下。正规的词是urinate

　　1676. Sometimes when an artist’s album has been leaked, they release their album earlier than planned for fear of the bootleggers. 有时候歌手的演唱碟被遭遇泄密，于是他们就干脆早点公布，以防盗版的出现。bootlegger 盗版者

　　1677. bowlegged, 罗圈脚 He is bowlegged. 他是个罗圈腿。

　　1678. We all need to give ourselves some TLC from time to time. There are some affordable ways to pamper yourselves. 时不时我们得给自己一点关爱，有很多不用花费太多的法子让自己的享受一下。（TLC stands for tender, love , care.）

　　1679. Let’s noodle over this problem for a bit and discuss it at our next meeting. 我们都来想想这个问题，下次会议上讨论。We noodle over what we should get rid of. 我们来整理一下思路，看有什么我们是可以纠正的。

　　1680. You’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful city than Guilin. 你要找到一个比桂林更漂亮的城市实在是不容易。hard pressed to 不容易。

　　1681. Our notoriously weak laws against corruption are a product of 30 years of the Party lawmakers who favored perps over victims. 这个党的法律制定者搞了三十年，搞出了一套臭名昭著、对腐败完全没有任何力度的法律，保护的是坏人，而不是受害者。perp 是 perpetrator 的缩写形式。favor 这里做“保护”解。

　　1682. You are prophetic. 你真是料事如神。

　　1683. Our government is trigger-happy. It took over the power by violence so it never hesitates to suppress people’ uprising by violence. 我们的政府最喜欢枪杆子，这个政府靠暴力夺取了政权，所以也就会毫不犹豫地用暴力来镇压人民。trigger-happy, 喜欢动不动就使用枪杆子的人，好战。trigger 枪的扳机，引发。It can trigger depression. 这会引发忧虑症。

　　1684. After the outbreak of the bird flu and swine flu, I’ve become a germophobe. 禽流感、猪流感爆发后，我变得成了一个细菌恐惧症者。phobia, (phobe ) 恐惧 ，几种常见的恐惧症：acrophobia 恐高症，hydrophobia 恐水症, autophobia 恐孤独症

　　1685. Trailblazing vs traditional 创新与传统，,blazing 燃烧，trailblazing 先锋留下的路标，比喻为披荆斩棘，锐意创新。Indeed, history has shown that the most persecuted eventually becomes the trailblazers to a more positive way of life, such as democracy.确实，历史显示，遭遇迫害最厉害的人最终都是革命家，带来一种更为有益的生活方式，例如民主。　

　　1686. get one’s fingers burnt 或者burn one’s fingers, 失手，He got greedy he wanted to have the whole enchilada now he has had his fingers burnt. 他变得贪婪，想要把利润统统吞下，结果却是损失惨重。Many investors burn their fingers when they are tempted by get-rich-quick schemes. 很多投资者受到了一夜致富的诱惑，结果血本无归。burn one’s fingers, 直译是烧了手指头，意译是损失很惨。

　　1687. The dry spell killed the crops. 干旱使作物颗粒无收。dry spell, 干旱，又有“低谷，没有果效”的意思。Their hopes to break its dry spell were dashed when the market was crashed. 他们期待走出低谷的愿望完全破灭了，因为市场垮掉了。dry spell date, 无疾而终的约会，a dry spell relationship，没有激情的关系（比如不死不活的夫妻关系）

　　1688. above the law, 高于法律 beyond the law, 法律无可奈何，against the law，违法The Chinese bully secret police are above the law. 中国的秘密警察简直是横行霸道，无法无天。If the cops are allowed to act like street toughs and thugs, then the civilians have no choice - they can either accept that the cops are beyond the law, or more Yang Jia will be bred. 如果允许警察像街上的流氓混混，那么平民百姓则别无选择，要不然接受警察是法律制裁不到的特权阶级，要不然就会有更多的杨佳出现。

　　1689. You cannot bend the law just to benefit the Party. 你不能为了一党私利而枉法。

　　1690. Your behavior is simply beyond the pale. 你的行为完全是违法的。（pale是一道线、墙，不能越过的线。）狄根思的小说The Pickwick Papers （《匹克威克外传》）有这么一句话： “I look upon you, sir, as a man who has placed himself beyond the pale of society, by his most audacious, disgraceful, and abominable public conduct”.

　　1691. He is a tightly wound man. 这里的wound不是受伤，而是wind（上紧发条）的过去分词。所以这句的意思是，他是个老是绷得很紧的人、很严肃的人。也要注意发音。

　　1692. He enjoys a reputation as a strict by-the-book officer。他是一位严格照章办事的官员，

　　1693. The lawyers talk about the bad blood at the division. 律师谈到这个部门内部的争斗。the bad blood, 斗争、互不信任、愤怒、仇恨，That guy and me have bad blood between us. 我和那个家伙有矛盾。

　　1694. The unions in China all wear their party affiliation on its sleeve. 中国的各级工会都是归党所管。wear something on your sleeve 亮出你的身份，立场。Wear your heart on your sleeves. 你就大胆去表白你的爱吧。

　　1695. 现在常出现的几个科学名词：black hole, 黑洞，wormhole虫洞，whitehole, 白洞，quantum mechanics, 微量子学说,此词最近因007电影而被推广Quantum of Solace. 大破量子危机，这个翻译叫人不知所云，其意思是，微量的安慰，或者说，不值安慰；relativity theory 相对论， 黑洞拥有无限的引力，没有什么物质能逃脱它的吸引力，连光也逃脱不了。虫洞又译为时间隧道。白洞时与黑洞相反的概念，是物质的开始。这些词偶尔也会作为比喻用在日常生活中，具体意思你得看上下文去理解。

　　1696. H seems as neat as a pin. 他很干净利落。

　　1697. The number can be counted on one hand. 屈指可数。

　　1698. cloak and dagger, 风衣与剑，比喻为阴谋，间谍。undercover agent 秘密间谍，口语词就是spy。This spy story is an old-school spook. 这个间谍故事有点老套了。

　　1699. 关于标志，名片的几个常用词：hallmark: The tobacco is an industry that is hallmark of the province. 烟草业是这个省的名片。 landmark: Taipei 101 is a landmark skyscraper in Taipei. 台北101是台北的摩天大厦地标。benchmark 基准标记The Red Flag is one of the auto history benchmarks in China. 红旗牌轿车是中国汽车史上的一个里程碑。 milestone, Liu Yujiao’s settlement may mark a milestone in human rights advocates’ struggle to use websites to force Chinese authorities to protect the weak. 刘玉娇案子将会成为一个里程碑，标志着人权维护者利用网络来迫使中国执政者来保护弱势力。

　　1700. Hello, Kiddo, 小朋友好！He is a marvelous kiddo. 这个小朋友很棒。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 18:49 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-06-04　08:15:43　 回复  

　　1701. Control all the media, internet, and newspaper. Fascists believe that a lie repeated one thousand times becomes truth. The only way to achieve this is to kill any voice that can expose lies. So censorship practice is essential. Example: Net--Gestapo’s job is to do nothing but delete posts on Guangtian. 控制舆论，网络和报纸。法西斯相信，一个谎言重复一千次就是真理，而要达到这个目的就得消除所有能揭穿这个谎言的声音，所以必须实行新闻检查制度。例子：网-盖的工作就是删帖。

　　1702. Secret police. In this way, Fascists can bypass the law to arrest people. Example: G. Zhisheng disappeared, and many like him. 秘密警察，法西斯可以绕过法律来直接捕人。

　　1703. Invoke an external and internal threat to ban anything they don’t like. 声称有外来或内部威胁，这样可以禁止任何他们想要禁止的东西。 Example: D-lai L-ma wants to split the country.

　  1704. Develop a paramilitary force. 发展准军事力量，例如民兵，保安，城管，等。Example: Para Soldiers, security guards, city management officers, and so on.

　　1705. Education by indoctrination. 洗脑式教育。Example: Everyone is brainwashed with communism from elementary schools to college. 例子：人人都得从小学到大学接受共产主义洗脑。

　　1706. Ban citizen’s groups. Deny the freedom of society. 禁止民间组织，禁止结社自由。Example: Li Taiyuan was arrested for his organizing a wedding party for 13 young couples. 例子，李太元因组织13对新人结婚而被捕。

　　1707. Cast normal criticism as "espionage" and dissent as "treason" or “attempt to overthrow the government” 把正常的批评打成“间谍罪”，不同意见打成“叛国”或者“企图推翻政府”。Example: police chasing a post-writer across the nation. 警察跨省追捕网上写帖人。

　　1708. Subvert the rule of law. 破坏法治

　　1709. Stir up the flame of nationalism：煽动极端的民族主义。Nazi and Japanese aggressors were based on nationalism. 纳粹和日本侵略者都是建立在民族主义之上。

　　1710. Survey ordinary citizens. Arbitrarily detain and release citizens. Target key individuals. 监视普通公民。任意拘捕、任意释放公民。重点布控一些关键性人物。

　　1711. This group hews more closely to Democrats than Republicans. 相比起共和党，这一群人更倾向民主党。This generation doesn’t hew to the party line. 这一代人不再以党的路线为行事标准。hew to 坚持，hew to the line, 服从纪律。

　　1712. Anyway, you have got to admire that he keeps pushing himself, keeps daring to try and fail, and isn’t just taking the safe route by making the same move over and over again. 不管怎样，你得佩服他不断勇于向自我挑战，勇于尝试，不怕失败，不只是重复一些虽安全但老套的法子。push oneself, 向自己挑战，超越自己，take the safe route, 走没有危险的路。

　　1713. tack 大头针，I hammered a tack into the wall and hung a small picture from it. 我在墙上钉了一颗大头针，挂上一张小相片。“tack(大头针)”有点像中文里的“纲举目张”一词里的纲，是“牵一发而动全身”的那根发，所以意思又作“行动方针”解释。We are going to have a new tack on the policy. 政策方面我们将做新的调整。They will tack a safe and popular course. 他们会采取一个既安全又受欢迎的方法。He changed tack on China. 他对华的观点发生了改变。

　　1714. When a corporation issues a bond, there is a chance the firm could go belly up, but as long as that doesn’t happen, it will pay you your interest and principal. 如果一个公司发行债券，有种可能，那就是公司会倒闭，只要这种情况不发生，公司就总会付你利息及本金。go belly up, 破产，鱼的肚皮朝上时鱼肯定是要死了。

　　1715. They are entitled to a share of profits that might grow and grow but also might turn to dust.他们有权利分享股份的利润，而且这利润会不断成长，但也有可能股份会化为灰烬。turn to dust, 归于尘土，归于零，死。We humans will all return to dust. 我们人都会最终归于尘土。

　　1716. I never thought the whole national real estate would burst. 我绝没有料到全国的楼市都会破灭。burst破灭，指the bubble of the whole national real estate破灭。

　　1717. The company is short-staffed, so they all work hard, but they are not paid overtime. 这公司人手不够，所以大家都拼命干，而且加班也没有加班工资。short-staffed, 缺人手，overtime 加班。

　　1718. He is running this business on the side. （在正式工作外）他兼职经营这生意。

　　1719. You won’t get confused once you get the hang of it. 一旦你掌握了诀窍，就不会再糊涂。After three weeks of using this computer I think I’ve finally got the hang of it. 摆弄了这台电脑三个礼拜后，我想我已经掌握得很好了。

　　1720. Holy crap. 我的天呀！

　　1721. dial back 取消，dial 是“拨电话”，You can dial this number to find him. 你可以拨这个电话号码找到他。但是dial back不是回电的意思，而是取消。 There is no indication that Iran will dial back its nuclear program. 没有任何迹象表明伊朗会取消其核计划。请给我回电：Please call me back.

　　1722. touchy feely 亲密的，平易近人的，肢体接触，He has a touchy-feely image. 他有着平易近人的形象。touch 与feel都是“碰、抚摸”之意。Ah sick! that guy’s playing touchy-feely with that unconscious girl. 恶心，这个家伙对那个毫无提防的女孩动手动脚的。touchy 敏感的，June is a touchy subject. 六月话题有些敏感。（把这个月后面的那个日期给删了，便于发表）

　　1723. would-be 原本的，有此打算的，Would-be home buyers will have a somewhat easier time getting loans. 那些想要买房的人现在可以比较容易地拿到贷款了。

　　1724. just for kicks 只是好玩啦。如果有人问你为什么干一件事，你并没有什么特别的目的，只是打发时间，取乐，就说Just for kicks. I did it just for kicks. 我做这事就是为了耍一下。也可以说，Just for the fun of it. Just for fun. Just for the heck of it. 都是这个意思。

　　1725. He is a rabble-rouser who doesn’t shy away from criticizing the corrupt leaders. rabble-rouser 是 那种极具鼓动性的演讲家。对于那些贪官，他从不畏惧，而是大声疾呼严词声讨。

　　1726. whistle-blower 吹哨的人，多指那些揭露腐败真相的人。也可以用动词搭配：blow the whistle. Mr. Wang is a whistle-blower, who exposed a top corrupt leader. 王先生是位敢于揭露阴暗面的勇士，他将一位腐败的高官揭露了出来。

　　1727. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. 我现在有点稀里糊涂。这也是一首歌的歌词：Having you around, I don’t know if I’m coming or going, since I fell for you. 你在我们身边时，我就如坠云里雾里，因为我已深深地爱上了你。

　　1728. Jack of all trades, 这一成语大家都知道，有个俚语是根据这发展出来：Jack of all tirades, tirades是长篇讲话，犹指骂人的讲话，拼写上，tirade有点像trade。所以jack of all tirades是指那种满腹怨言的人。I can’t hang out with Brian anymore, he’s become the jack of all tirades, nothing but negativity, a real bummer. 我不想再跟布兰交往下去了，他一天到晚就知道抱怨，真是个扫兴的人。

　　1729. You have to drive all the way uptown to get him? Man, that’s a drag. 你要开车到城郊区接他，那真的不容易。Larry is a drag. Larry这个人没有味道。（相对于上面的bummer。）drag 在俚语中还有一个意思，是穿异性的衣服：Xiao Shenyang is a drag. 小沈阳的癖好就是穿女性衣物。

　　1730. It was a doozy. 表示强调，一般表示难，不寻常，Man, that English test was a doozy. I think I failed. 老兄，这英文考题太难了，我想我没有考好。I just had a doozy of a fight with my friend. I feel so sad now. 刚才我跟朋友狠狠吵了一架。我太难过了。

　　1731. bummer可以单独地列一条。a real bummer也算常用：That movie is a real bummer. 这部电影太烂。

　　1732. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Look no further than the Communist Party for the evidence! 权力导致腐败，绝对的权力绝对导致腐败，只要看看共产党的证据就足够了。

　　1733. It is a far cry from 与。。。完全不一样。Chinese news industry is a far cry from genuine journalism. 中国的新闻行业与真正的新闻报道相距甚远。（或者说，二者根本不是一回事，逯军的故事就充分说明这点）。

　　1734. a exit strategy 退路, Most organizations or individuals don’t have a clear exit strategy when they are in a financial quagmire. 大部分的机构或个人面临财务困境时都没有一个清晰的退路策略。

　　1735. Who is behind North Korea’s nukes? 谁在背后支持北朝鲜的核武器？nukes, 核武器。

　　1736. I am omnivore - I love food and will eat ’almost’ anything. 我是万食家-我喜欢吃，什么都吃。点菜时，如果有人问你，你喜欢什么呀，或者你有什么忌口的没有呀，你就可以说这句话了。omni表示所有的，omnipotent, 无所不能，omnipresent 无所不在，

　　1737. I have no formal training in this field/ this subject. I am feeling my way along. 我在这个领域/ 对这个题目并没有正规的训练，我只是摸着石头过河/走一步看一步/ 边做边学。

　　1738. Most of women have a bit of a shoe fetish. 女人对鞋有种特别的狂热。fetish 狂热，痴迷，恋物癖。

　　1739. We have turned the neighborhood around. 我们已经完全改变了这小区。We have successfully spruced up its image. 我们成功地改变了小区的现形象。提升形象 也可以说：boost its image。

　　1740. It should be a shoo-in. 这是瓮中捉鳖，十拿九稳的事。shoo-in 肯定能成功的事，轻而易举的胜利。赢得不容易则是a narrow victory。有人将shoo-in乱拼写成shoe-in，这是不能接受的。

　　1741. He had the target in his cross hairs. 他已经锁定了目标。cross hairs 瞄准器中十字架的中点，意即成为了攻击的对象。This project is in the cross hairs of the company’s budget crisis. 公司财务吃紧后，这个项目成为很有可能要砍掉的目标。也可以说是in the center of

　　1742. He raised eyebrows among his friends when he signed Chart-er 0 8. 他签署了0 8宪后，在朋友当中引起了注目。

　　1743. It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. 先斩后奏。直译是：获得原谅易，获得许可难。也可以说成：Better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. 还有缩写成：EAFP.

　　1744. The project will get the go-ahead from the boss soon. 老板很快就会批准这个项目。go-ahead 同意，批准

　　1745. Don’t worry. The proposals are now on the table. 不用担心，这些计划正在讨论中。

　　1746. Talking to top leaders will go nowhere because they all cover one another’s backs. 这些人官官相护，你告到高官也没有用。cover one another’s backs, 互相袒护，互相掩护

　　1747. This has become a political football. 这成了政治足球，大家都踢来踢去。

　　1748. I have no idea what they want with me. 我不知道他们为何与我过不去。注意want with me 与want from me 意思不一样。I have no idea what they want from me. 我不知道他们想要从我这里得到什么。

　　1749. He berated a officer. He is a stick, by-the-book leader. 他严词责备了一位官员。他是个一丝不苟，照章办事的领导。by-the-book 照章办事，

　　1750. He is getting the groove on music. 他喜欢上了音乐。He grooves on the music. 他对这类音乐很感兴趣。

　　1751. 这里有三个类似的成语，都是聊胜于无的意思：Half a loaf is better than no bread at all. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush. A bit in the morning is better than nothing all day. 用通俗的话来讲就是：Something is better than nothing. He had asked for a new trumpet but got a used one--oh well, half a loaf is better than none. 他想要一只新的小号，但却只得到了一只二手的，不过聊胜于无。

　　1752. His in-your-face personality led to clashes with other people. 他直来直去的性格导致他常与人冲突。in-your-face 源于两个拳击手互相虎视眈眈，互不相让。

　　1753. odd为常用词，用好它也蛮有趣：
　　a) He is facing long odds of defeating the other candidates. 他要击败其他候选人几乎是不可能的事。long odds 很难的事，也可以说：long hard odds。
　　b) The odds of their success are slimmer and slimmer when the team has lost this game. 他们输了这场球赛后，要成功的希望是越来越渺茫。
　　c) They are bouncing back against all odds. 他们排除了万难，死里复生。
　　d) Odds and ends of my trip to Tibet 西藏之旅拾零 odds and ends 是一常用词组。
　　e) They are at odds with each other. 这句话的意思是：They are squabbling, or fighting, or quarreling.

　　1754. Your email address was successfully white listed. 你的电子邮箱已经成功被列为重点户。这个词从black list发展而成，上了黑名单的人或物就是要被禁止的，上了white list就是优秀的人或物了。

　　1755. What he told you didn’t have the ring of truth. 他跟你讲的没有半点事实。

　　1756. U.F.O. or simply UFO stands for “unidentified flying objects”. UFO的意思是“不明飞行物体 ”。Teacher X: Where is your homework? Student: Sorry, Teacher, I was abducted by UFO aliens last week. 你的作业呢？对不起，老师，我上周被UFO外星人给绑架了。

　　1757. She ditched school. 她逃学了。She is a drop-out. 她辍学了。

　　1758. It’s always darkest just before the dawn. 黎明前总是最为黑暗。

　　1759. That was then and this is now. 此一时彼一时。

　　1760. Government operations tend to discourage the human spirit---to discourage efficiency, innovation, competition, cheerfulness. 政府部门的运作往往会磨灭人的精神---就是导致效率低下、无欲望创新、阻碍竞争、打击乐观。

　　1761. In my way, you can get twice the work done in half the time. 照我的方法，你定可事倍功半。这个句型也可发展出这样的句子：Its half the work and twice the fun. 乐倍功半。也可以说：get twice the result with half the effort。

　　1762. 中国做托的现象普遍。英语的说法是stagecraft，或者staging，就是演戏的意思。“托儿”也可以说：faux buyer (假买主) Faux buyers are a big thing in the game. 这场骗局中，托儿起着至关重要的作用。

　　1763. 告诉别人不要白日做梦有几个说法：Don’t day-dream. Stop your wishful thinking. 或者Don’t count chickens before they are hatched. 在鸡蛋还未孵化的时候，不要计算有多少只鸡。 类似的说法还有：Dont put the cart before the horse.

　　1764. wish on a falling star 流星愿 I made a wish upon a falling star that you would return to me soon. 我看到了一颗流星，便许了个愿，愿你回到我身边。

　　1765. pie in the sky, pie-in-the-sky：遥不可及的幻想。 His dream of being hired as an editor proved to be pie in the sky. 他当编辑的梦想证明不过是竹篮打水一场空。

　　1766. Your head is in the clouds. 你真是有点云里雾里。

　　1767. Clavin edged out other applicants for the job. 克莱文战胜了其他求职者获得了这个岗位。比较make the cut: He made the cut out of 15 applicants for the job.

　　1768. down-low 低调，谨慎，沉默，Keep this stuff on the down low for now. 此时此刻不要再提这件事了。Man I gotta tell ya something but u gotta keep it on the down low. 老兄，我得告诉你些事，但你得保证不告诉别人。

　　1769. He is keeping mum on his position on this controversial issue. 他在这个富有争议的问题上保持沉默。

　　1770. It always gets worse before it gets better. 你遇到情况不妙时，你就可以这样来鼓励或安慰自己：好运来临前一刻总是最倒霉。

　　1771. peep 有两个基本的意思：
　　a) 动词的意思是“偷窥，偷偷瞧一眼”，peeping Tom 有偷窥癖的人。
　　b) 名词的口语意思是，小声。你跟人断交时就说，You won’t hear a peep out of me. 你休想再听到我的任何消息。I dont want to hear a peep out of you. 我再也不想理你了。You wouldnt have heard a peep from Obama. 奥巴马从此绝不会再提此事。peep 作名词时，一般用于否定句。

　　1772. All the hand wringing over me shows a serious case of double standards. 对我如此刁难清楚地说明这带有严重的双重标准。double standard 双重标准：The American media has an enormous double standard on the human rights issue. 对于人权问题，美国的媒体有着严重的双重标准。

　　1773. throwaway cups 一次性的纸杯，throwaway 用完即扔的东西。显然这个词就是throw away 衍生。throw away 扔掉，浪费，throwaway children living on the streets 街头流浪儿She threw away the chance of a brilliant career when she got married. 她结婚后便放弃了前程似锦的职业。Let’s throw away the rule book. 让我们打破这些条条框框吧。

　　1774. beat a dead horse, 做无用功，白费力气，重提已定了性的问题。"Id like to talk with you again about what happened." Reply: "Oh, come on. Lets not beat a dead horse." “我想跟再谈谈发生的这事情。”“得了吧，我们不要再提此事了好不好！”Don’t mention it anymore, and you are just beating a dead horse. 不要再提这事了，你只是徒费口舌。这个成语中最早的用法是flog a dead horse, 鞭打死马。

　　1775. I am so hungry I can eat a horse. 我饿得不得了，就是一头马我也能吃了。不过要注意，马以前在欧美是像牛猪肉一样为食物，但是最近欧美越来越视马为宠物（pet），是宠物就不能吃，例如，欧美人无法想象东方人为什么会吃狗。最近，美国国会立法，不允许屠宰场杀马，也不许将马作为食品出口到墨西哥去屠宰。所以现在这句话改成了I am so hungry that I can eat like a horse.

　　1776. straight from the horse’s mouth, 最可靠的消息。赛马前，人们千方百计地打听那个马的胜算最高，一般来说，小道消息的可靠来源是那些喂马的人等等，但是如果你能从马嘴里直接套到消息，那岂不最权威？

　　1777. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 对任何礼物都当感谢，对任何帮助都当感恩。对礼物不要挑剔。从马的牙齿人们可以很容易判断马的年龄，如果别人送你一匹马，你却去查这马是不是还可以去干活，这说明你是个不懂感恩的人。

　　1778. Don’t put the cart before the horse. 不要本末倒置。（不要把车放在马前面。）

　　1779. Iron horse，火车头，也就是 the locomotive。现在Iron horse 已经成为很多商标的名称。

　　1780. dark horse，underdog, 都是黑马的意思。注意，a black horse, 那就是真正的黑颜色的马。


　　1781. The report was not crying wolf. It was spot on. 这个报告并不是在喊狼来了。而是有的放矢。She is just like the boy who cried "wolf." 她不过就是那个喊狼来了的孩子。

　　1782. So lets set the record straight. 立存此照，以正视听。

　　1783. It can ward off illness. 这能预防疾病。这比用prevent 来得口语化。

　　1784. Russian intelligence has a long history of staging such sex stings, or honey-traps. honey-trap 美人计，美男计，温柔陷阱。俄国特工设美人计的历史非常悠久。She works as a honey trap earning £300 a night testing mens fidelity. 她的职业就是300英镑一晚，设美人计，考验男人是否忠诚。

　　1785. 现在全国到处都是各种各样的“吧”，“吧”是从bar音译而来。这个词很小，但蛮有用。
　　a) 酒吧
　　b) a bar of soap 一块肥皂
　　c) The "Browning Automatic Rifle" 布朗宁步枪，缩写为BAR，The suppression team raked the bunker with BAR fire to keep the Germans heads down, while the attack team moved in for the kill. 火力分队对敌人的碉堡用布朗宁步枪进行了猛烈的射击，打得德军抬不起头来，保护了进攻分队的挺进，最终把敌人一举歼灭。
　　d) 阻碍，The obstacle bars us from reaching the goal. 障碍物挡住了我们无法达到目标。
　　e) He has set the bar very high. 他给大家树立了一个崇高的榜样。
　　f) 视而不见，忽视，I saw you at the shops this morning, but you fully barred me. 上午我在商店看见你了，但你理都没理我。Why did you bar me the other night? 那天晚上你为什么不和我说话？
　　g) behind the bar He is behind the bar. 他在坐牢。The accused person stood at the bar. 被告站在被告席上。
　　h) It is best for people to bar sellers from selling illegal substances.对大众而言，最好的办法是禁止毒品买卖。
　　i) He tried to kiss Janey but she barred him. He got nothing.他想吻季妮一下，但她躲开了，他是一无所获。

　　1786. He was briefly flummoxed. 他有那么片刻感到不知所措。

　　1787. I just got hoodwinked out of $20. 我刚被骗了20美元。hoodwink 蒙混，欺骗。hoodwinker, 骗子。He says he didn’t feel hoodwinked. 他说，他并没有上当受骗的感觉。He was hoodwinked into buying the useless mnemonics. 他受骗买了毫无用处的记忆法。

　　1788. Nothing would exist in the end; time will get rid of our pain, our glory, and us ourselves. 最终一切都会烟消云散，时间会抹去我们的痛苦，我们的光荣，以及我们每一个人。当有人想不开时，或许你可以用这样的句子去安慰她/他。

　　1789. First he flipped, then he flopped, then he flipped again. 他先是改变了立场，后来又改回来，再又改了过去。flip flop 也可以连起来用，就是一个人的立场变来变去，一个人拿不定主意。flip flop 又作拖鞋解释：I hate flip flops and crocs. 我不喜欢拖鞋和凉鞋。

　　1790. That wonderful opportunity completely ducked out of my life. 我生命中失去了那次美好的机会。 Are you trying to duck out of your responsibility? 你是不是想逃避责任呀？duck out 逃避，失去。

    1791. It takes a steely-eyed shopper to avoid the temptations and find the real savings. 只有备有金钢火眼的消费者才能避免消费陷阱，找到合算的东西。

　　1792. 有个电视剧，名为Same drama, different day.还有首歌，名为Same thing, different day. 表达的都是一个意思：日子不同，生活老套！同样的有：Same Old Stuff Different Day. 缩写为SOSDD. 有人问，你好吗？你发牢骚说：Same old stuff, just a different day… Still here, still bored. 只是换了一天，一切照常，还吊在这里，仍旧无聊。根据这个句型，有人收到了许多垃圾邮件时说：Same junk mail, different day.

　　1793. a perpetual student 一个老是毕不了业的学生，要么是不能按时毕业，要么是毕了业找不到工作而赖在学校。That guy is a perpetual student. 那个老兄老是赖在学校。

　　1794. diploma mill 文凭公司，最新的丑闻是一个小学老师一年发表了八篇全国一等奖的论文，一问，都是网上花80元买来的。这些卖文凭的公司英文就是diploma mill. That so-called college is fake, and a diploma mill. 那个大学是个假的，是个文凭公司。diploma mill 也叫degree mill 学位公司。 （1792-1794）

　　1795. 我们天天写电子邮件，有个栏目为BCC 和CC，CC 是carbon-copy, 复写，复写本，副本，Jane wears the same T-shirt as her classmate. She is trying to carbon copy her. 简妮穿了件班上同学一模一样的T衫，她就是想模仿她。He is a carbon-copy of his brother. 他长得跟他哥哥像，简直就是一个模子里出来的。Be yourself, don’t just be a carbon copy of another person. 活出真我，不要一味去模仿别人。blind carbon-copy 隐蔽群发，简写为BCC, 如果是CC，收到邮件的人会知道还有谁在群发单上。Please CC me on any replies. 请将所有的回复都给我送一个抄本。

　　1796. copy-cat, 一个小孩学着另一个小孩说话，就叫copy-cat. Don’t be a copy-cat. 不要去抄袭别人的东西。香港尖沙咀很多印度人手拿一个表喊着说，Copy, Rolex. 劳力士，复制表。

　　1797. 赝品可以说是fake, 也可以说是replica，又译为复制品。西安卖的兵马俑都是replica. 如果你花了大价钱买了replica，就是买了赝品，如果你只花了一点点钱，就是买了复制品，得看上下文。

　　1798. The Olympic Games are a force for good. They are a catalyst for change, not a panacea for all ills. 奥林匹克运动会是一股推动善的力量，是改革的催化剂，而不是解决一切社会问题的万能药。

　　1799. You don’t need to take him too seriously. 你大可不必把他当回事。

　　1800. You never, ever want to do that again. 绝对、绝对不要再干这事了。将never, ever 一起连用，表示强调。You should never, ever use these passwords. 这些密码你绝对不能用（例如生日等数字）。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 19:00 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-07-19　10:40:33　 回复  

　　1801. How do we weather today’s financial storm and avoid the the mistakes most traders make? 我们如何躲避金融风暴及避开那些大部分行家都会犯的错误？weather 作动词，意思是躲避风暴。It is not easy to weather a downturn. 要想躲避下滑很不容易。They adopted a new approach designed to allow the company to weather a period of slow growth in the computer industry. 他们采取了一个新的路线，可以让公司避开电脑行业一段时期的缓慢增长。
　　
　　1802 The state-run companies tend to fancy themselves as immune to broader economic turmoil. 国营企业总是幻想着自己对更深更大的经济困境有免疫力。immune to 对。。。有免疫力
　　
　　1803 There are numerous pitfalls in your life and achieving success requires avoiding them. 你人生中充满了陷阱，要想成功就得避开陷阱。
　　
　　1804 How is your portfolio in this rocky market‏? 你的投资策略在这险恶的市场表现如何？rockey 又可用shaky来替代。
　　
　　1805 Bear with bear markets. 在熊市中坚持下去。第一个bear是忍受，第二个bear是熊，bear market 熊市，相反是bull market。
　　
　　1806 Bear markets usually occur when the economy is in a recession and unemployment is high, or when inflation is rising quickly. 熊市通常在这几个状况下发生：经济衰退；失业率严重以及通货膨胀迅速攀升。
　　
　　1807 A bear market is when the stock market falls for a prolonged period of time, usually by twenty percent or more. It is the opposite of the bull market. 熊市的特征是股票市场长时期下跌，通常跌过了20%或更多。是牛市的反义词。for a prolonged period of time, 很长一段时间（prolonged 是 longer than long）
　　
　　1808 prolonged的一个同义词是extended, Bull market is an extended period of rising prices for stockes. 牛市就是股市价格在较长的一段时间里不断上扬。
　　
　　1809 Wall Street has fallen on its side,and stocks have gone sideways for well over two years now. 华尔街摔得都起不来了，股票也一蹶不振。 fall on its side, 摔倒了，go sideways, 搞砸了，我们学过的一些同义词有：belly-up, go bust, go haywire, all botched up,还有一个词：tits-up，等等。
　　
　　1810 The market is going south. 市场一路看跌。“向南”在地图上就是向下的方向，也就是跌。也可以说 go down the tubes。

　　1811. At the airport checkpoints, they are asked to show their ID. 在飞机场安检处，他们被要求出示身份证。checkpoint 安检，也可以说：inspection booth。整个的案件区域为Inspection Area. No Photo In Inspection Area. 安检区内禁止拍照。

　　1812. is a kind of a wait-and-see game. 除开等着瞧也别无他法。There has been exponential increase in wait times. 大家得花更多的时间去排队等候了。wait times 等候的时间，Wait times for the appointments typically exceed 3 to 4 weeks. 预约一般得提前三到四周的时间。这里的wait times 也可以换成waiting times。

　　1813. I can sell it for anywhere between 200 Yuan and 500 Yuan. 这个产品我至少可以在200元到500元间卖了。anywhere between 在。。。之间。It costs anything between 100 Yuan and 200 Yuan.

　　1814. The state-run companies have the unfair edge over the private companies. 国有企业比私营企业有着很不公平的优势。unfair edge 不公平的竞争优势

　　1815. He tackles this problem head-on. 他正积极着手处理这个问题。The two cars collided head-on.那两辆小车迎头相撞。head-on 迎头。

　　1816. These companies are in big trouble. 注意，trouble 是不可数名词，所以不用a 或者 the；a lot of/ much trouble。

　　1817. These problems have serious ramifications for investors. 这些问题会对投资者产生严重的后果。You will find it useful to understand the ramifications of this problem. 了解这个问题所引发的潜在后果会对你有很大的帮助。ramification 本意是，分流，分支。

　　1818. Even tap water invariably contains a variety of poisons such as chlorine, chloramine, asbestos, pesticides, fluoride, copper, mercury, and lead. The best way to remove all these contaminants is by distilling. 就是自来水也必定含有各种有害物质，如氯、氯胺、石棉、杀虫剂、氟化物、铜、铅等。消除这些有毒物质的最佳方法就是把水进行蒸馏。

　　1819. It has fewer calories, and fat, along with much less sodium. 这道菜只有少许卡路里、脂肪，钠也不多。

　　1820. This food/ This restaurant has zero grams of trans fat per serving. 这食品/餐厅每一道菜都没有任何反式脂肪。

　　1821. course, 课，轨迹
　　a) When we do things well we say we are "on course." 如果我们干得不错，我们就说我们“上正轨”了。on course, 走上正轨。British rowers are on course to win World Cup hat-trick. 英国划船选手迈向了第三次夺得世界杯的道路。hat-trick 帽子戏法，第三次。
　　b) steer a course，
　　c) stay the course 保持原方向，实行原政策，
　　d) change the course, 改变方向
　　e) navigate a course 沿着方向走
　　f) chart a course 制定方向
　　g) Policy as "stay the course." is not a stay-the-course policy. “按既定方针办”实际上并不是如此。
　　h) reverse its own course 完全改变方向，180度的改变，His instruction has reversed the course by 180 degree. 他的指示带来了一个180度的转变。

　　1822. After the Bell is an after-school program for elementary school students. “课余补习”是专为小学生放学后所设的一个计划。after the bell 指下班铃声，特别是指华尔街的最后的铃声，表示收市。又可称为closing bell.

　　1823. yield 屈服，投降 Our nation will never yield to the imperialist pressure. 我们民族绝不屈服帝国主义的压力。yield还有好些其他的意思，这里只介绍“屈服”一意。

　　1824. KowTow 此词是少数几个进入了英文的中文词汇，就是“磕头”，英文中Kowtou只有一个意思，就是向邪恶势力退步，既是可数也是不可数名词。It is a shame that the democratic countries will KowTow to dictators. 民主国家向独裁者磕头真是无耻。This is not unusual for famous academic or knowledgeable scholars to kowtow powerful dictators. 赫赫有名的学界或博学的学者向权倾一时的独裁者磕头也不是什么新鲜事。

　　1825. The disciples of Confucianism believe that we should not cave in to outside influences. 儒家弟子认为我们不能向外来文化让步。cave in to 让步，屈服

　　1826. They are bowing to the political pressure. 他们在政治压力下屈服让步。

　　1827. We are not going to give in to pressure. 我们不会向压力屈服。Why do teenagers give in to peer pressure? 为什么青少年都会往往屈从同伴的压力？give in to 也可以说是 give up to。

　　1828. surrender 投降，让步 He surrendered to pressure. 在压力下，他作出了让步。

　　1829. succumb 这是个书面语味道较浓的词，屈服，让步。Tony succumbed to greed. 图尼为贪婪所困。Bob let his true self succumb to the expectations of others. 巴博为了满足 他人的期望，不得不收敛自我。

　　1830. capitulate 认输，屈服，投降I will be conquered; I will not capitulate to pressure. 我可以被征服，但绝不屈服于压力。

　　1831. The present is the product of the past, while the future is the fantasy of the present. 现在是过去的产物，未来是现在的幻想。

　　1832. All it often takes for a business to come grinding to a halt is for one of those components to malfunction. 一个企业停产的原因可以很简单，只要众多的组成部分有一个出差错就会停工了。

　　1833. But in practical terms their business is reduced to a standstill. 讲实话，他们的业务已陷于停顿。

　　1834. This administration fee is driving another nail in the coffin of her business. 这项行政费用成了毁掉她生意的严重打击。

　　1835. A decision to temporarily shut down the market came as a bolt from the blue for the vendors. 临时关闭市场的决定犹如晴天霹雳，让商贩们不能接受。shut down 关闭，将两词合用，就是名词了：the shutdown of the last three restaurants 关闭了这最后三家餐厅。

　　1836. They have to close off the stores. 他们不得已只能关闭掉这些商店。

　　1837. If they run low on cash, the game is over. 如果他们的现金流通不畅的话，他们就会玩完了。

　　1838. sight 是个常用的词，如果将与sight相关的几个词一起记忆的话，会很有帮助。
　　a) Becoming mentally self-sufficient would, for each of us, vastly improve the quality of foresight. 心理上自信能使我们更清楚地看到未来远景。foresight 看到未来，远见。
　　b) Hindsight may be clearer, less distorted, but unfortunately hindsight can only show us where we’ve been...not where we are going. 做马后诸葛亮或许能更清楚无碍地看发生过的问题，但不幸地是，马后诸葛亮只能告诉我们以往我们所走过的道路，而不能指示我们将要走的道路。 hindsight后视镜，后见之明
　　c) His thought is filled with remarkable insights. 他的思想充满了真知卓见。This will provide enough insight to why we do what we do to. 这将让我们深入地知道我们现在行动的理由。
　　d) short-sighted, 近视，也可以说near-sighted, 正式的名称是myopia，political short-sightness, political myopia 都是“政治上近视眼”的意思。也可以这么说，short sighted political solution 短视的政治解决方案
　　e) farsighted, 远视，We have large goals that required farsighted policies. 我们的目标宏大，所以需要前瞻性的政策。
　　f) long sighted, 与far-sighted 同义，正式名词是hyperopia 远视眼，这个词不太像far-sighted有寓意的成分。
　　g) oversight 监督，疏忽 Oversight and monitoring in government research have long been recognized as essential. 监督追踪政府的研究一直以来都被视为必不可少的部分。 By an oversight, I forgot to mail your letter. 因为疏忽，我忘记了寄你的信。

　　1839. She tugs at the hearts of two men. 她夹在两位男士中间不知道要选哪一位才好。

　　1840. She falls for Steven. 她爱上了司提反。是fall in love with 的简略说法。

　　1841. Your plan is under the microscope. 正在对你的计划进行仔细研究。microscope 显微镜。The boss is putting every applicant under the microscope. 老板对来报名的人进行严格挑选。

　　1842. He is the full-throated opponent of the plan. 他是这个方案的强烈反对者。full-throated, 大声呼喊，完全的，强烈的，He is a full-throated conservative. 他是个铁杆保守派。比较深喉 deep throated。

　　1843. The Party members infighting dogs the plan for democracy. 党内成员的内斗使得实行民主的计划一波三折。

　　1844. In the current climate, we fear doctors will stop short of saving our lives. 在目前的大环境下，我们很担心医生会不尽全力来抢救我们的生命。

　　1845. Yet those kinds of changes take time, several years or even the better part of a decade. 这类似的改变是需要时间的，需要数年甚至七八年。

　　1846. After several days together, they have found out that they have little common ground. 他们在一起呆了几天后，发现他们共同点太少了。common ground 共同点。

　　1847. It has long been gossip fodder. 这成了街头闲话的机器。These relationships become fodder for the gossip mill. 这些关系成了流言蜚语的最好原材料。

　　1848. Don’t shut the barn door after the horse is stolen. 亡羊而补牢无甚用也。也可以说成：Don’t close the barn door after the horse runs away. 以前学过的一句：Your barn door is open. 有谁记得？

　　1849. He is a very easygoing kind of person. 他是个极为容易相处的人。

　　1850. 有时候，名词+ to 后面接动名词，而不是不定式：
　　a) We need to continue our dedication to serving the less fortunate. 我们应该继续全力以赴地服事那些不幸的群体。
　　b) Face reality and tackle each hurdle to changing your life one step and one day at a time. 你得面对现实，采取行动，一天一步地来解决你生命中的难题。
　　c) I am looking forward to seeing you. 期待你的到来。

　　1851. As with so many things in life, you can’t just look at the surface of something, but to truly understand it you must dig deeper. 就如同生活中的许多事一样，你不能只看表面现象，如果你想真正明白，你就得进行较深入地了解。

　　1852. Don’t get sucked in by what you see and read. 不要因你看到了、读到的就去轻信。

　　1853. Certain ideas have stuck around for decades like old wives’ tales. 有些谣传可以数十年经久不衰。old wives’ tales, 老妇人的传说，谣传，迷信。

　　1854. A. Do you know that savvy travel shoppers can fly for less than $10 on budget airlines? B. Never, Only when pigs fly. 甲：你有没有听说精明的旅游淘家可以买到10美元不到一张的廉价机票？乙：绝无可能，除非猪张翅膀飞起来。budget airlines 廉价航空公司。

　　1855. I don’t know how people could even fall for this scandal, it’s so outrageous, but many thousands of people have. 我真不知道这些人是怎样掉入这个骗局，这太令人不可思议，但的确成千上万的人陷进去了。

　　1856. This is a fable from simpler times. 这是来自遥远单纯岁月遗传下来的童话。simpler times 很久以前，

　　1857. Poppycock! 胡说八道！

　　1858. You can trust him. He knows what he is talking about. 你可以信他，他很在行的。否定说法就是：He can’t trust him. He doesn’t know what he is talking about. 你不能信他，他完全是在胡说。

　　1859. The worldwide slump has thrown all such generalities out the window. 全球经济萧条已让这些规矩烟消云散了。

　　1860. It is not difficult at all to debunk all these myths about communism. 要解开这些有关共产主义的迷信并不难。Debunk the myths of the costly hospital, 解开医院天价之谜。debunk myths, 解开谜团。myth 又叫folklore, rumors, or misinformation。

　　1861. There is no new thing under the sun. ( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ) 太阳底下无新事。当你看到什么你不以为然的事时，特别是一些不好的事时，可以说的一句话。

　　1862. Period. 就这样，我要讲的都讲了，无需再讲。period的意思是句号，也就是我讲完这句话后，不再解释。You have to pay me back. Period! 你得还我的钱，就这样。

　　1863. You are the man! 非你莫属！He is the man! 就是他了。

　　1864. I signed on in stealth mode so no one could tell I was logged on. 我是以隐身方式登录，所以没有人可以看出我在线。

　　1865. bean bag 豆袋，懒人沙发，引申为闲聊。Our meeting is not bean bag. 我们的会议可不是闲聊。

　　1866. “踢毽子”的英文是hacky sack, They are playing hacky sack. 他们在踢毽子。

　　1867. An old hand vs a green hand 老手PK新手。

　　1868. They may not be Einsteins, but they are smart. 虽然他们不是天才，不过也蛮聪明了。

　　1869. He is among the students at the head of the class. 他名列班上前几名。

　　1870. They are at the top of their game. 他们都是这一行业的佼佼者。比较这句：She cracked the top 10. 她进入了前十名。

　　1871. My heart today is burst with gratitude. 今天我心里只有感激之情。

　　1872. My heart still skips a beat when I see him. 我看见他时，心脏仍旧会要激烈跳动一下。直译是，“我见他时，心竟然有一刻停止了跳动”。Every time he smiles at me my heart skips a beat. 每次他对我一笑，我就感到销魂。也有用boom的说法：My heart skips a boom.

　　1873. borderline 边界线，界限，The borderline between love and hate is often thin. 爱与恨常常只有一线之隔。borderline poverty 贫困线边缘。He is a borderline nuts. 他有点神里神经 。

　　1874. She was rhapsodizing about her awesome boyfriend. 一谈到她那酷得不得了的男朋友，她就眉飞色舞。rhapsodize, 讲话时很激动的样子，注意：h不发音，像rhetoric一词一样。Sam and Sue rhapsodize over the results of the experiment. 萨姆和苏怡谈起实验结果就激动万分。

　　1875. Actually she was dating a dirt bag. 其实她那个男友不过是垃圾。a dirt bag, 垃圾袋

　　1876. tramp 第三者，指女性，水性杨花的主，Did you hear that Laura messing around with like, three guys? She’s a total tramp. 你有没有听说罗娜同时跟三个男人混，真是个臭不要脸的。类似的词还有skank, slut, 等。

　　1877. You need to soak up all the great times you have together. 你就尽情地享受这一起到时光吧。soak up 享受，soak up the sun, 晒太阳。

　　1878. When he talks to me, my world seems to click into place for a few seconds. Those feelings are great. 他跟我说话时，有那么片刻，我的世界顿时美好起来。那种感觉妙极了。click into place, 喀嚓一下就装上了，例如，打印机的油墨合，你套就套上了，就叫click into place。

　　1879. clunker, 旧车Cash for clunkers. 旧车换新车。破旧车也叫a rattletrap car；junk car 指基本上报废了的车；vintage cars, 古董车 （上个世纪20年代30年代的车。）

　　1880. The brakes are squishy. 刹车有点不灵了。My car drives shaky. 我的车开起来有点晃动。

　　美国人，不管是民主党人还是共和党人，至今对Ronald Reagan依然敬佩，所以你如果能背几句里根的语录，你会立即赢得美国人的友谊。今天的句子都是出自这位已故总统的口。

　　1881. Government is not the answer to our problems, government is the problem. 政府不是问题的答案，政府本身就是问题。许多人一遇见问题，就把政府拖出来提供答案，政府要解决的问题越多，政府就会越庞大，也就不可避免地滑向专制。类似的里根句子有：The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much. 问题不是公民纳税太少，而是政府花费太多。

　　1882. Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born. 堕胎的推手都是那些自己已经出生了的人。

　　1883. All great change in America begins at the dinner table. 美国所有伟大的改变都开始与餐桌。这句话的意思是，大的改变都是始于老百姓。

　　1884. How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin. 你如何判断一个人是不是共产主义者？答案是他是一个读马列书的人。你如何判断一个人是不是反共人士？答案是他是一个懂马列的人。

　　1885. Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.人们普遍相信，政治是第二个最为古老的职业，我发现，政治与第一个最古老的职业非常相似。第一个最古老的职业是妓女。政治与妓女这一行当相似，因为都要出卖自己，一个出卖自己的肉体，一个出卖自己的灵魂。

　　1886. The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. 政府对经济的策略可以用简单的几句话来概括：如果它动，就让它纳税；如果它动不停，就立法限制它，如果它不动了，就给它补贴。it指企业。

　　1887. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I’m from the government and I’m here to help.英语里九个令人生畏的词是：我是官员，让我来帮你。这句话的意思是，如果让政府部门来干预私人生活领域，情况只会越来越糟。

　　1888. If the Soviet Union let another political party come into existence, they would still be a one-party state, because everybody would join the other party. 如果苏联允许第二个政党成立的话，苏联仍旧是一个一党制的国家，因为人们都去跑去加入第二个党了。这话是讽刺第一个党的腐败无能。

　　1889. There are no easy answers’ but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. 答案不易，但答案简单，那就是我们必须有勇气来从事我们确信道德上正确的事业。

　　1890. Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. 在圣经封面下你可以找到人类所遇到问题的全部答案。

　　1891. American people are not the problem, American people are the answer. 美国人民不是问题，美国人民是答案。这是奥巴马的话，但有着里根的痕迹。(在中国，人是问题，所以要把人消灭于萌芽状态。)

　　1892. Teacher X’s political view often causes a stir. 信老师的政治观点常常引起风波。也有用commotion来替代的：The dog ran through the church and caused quite a commotion. 那条狗在教会横冲直撞，大家一时惊慌失措。

　　1893. He is good at diverting focus of talks. 他很擅长转移话题。divert attention 转移注意力。Ruling government is frantically trying to divert the focus on the massacre to other directions, for obvious reason. 因为显而易见的原因，现政府正拼命试图转移人们关注大屠杀的视线而去扯其他问题。

　　1894. Their attempts to sweep the scandal under the rug were not very successful. 他们企图遮盖丑闻，但并不成功。They are trying to sweep the real issue under the rug. 他们试图掩盖真实的问题。

　　1895. He is good at the attorney’s rhetoric, which masks the real issue. 他熟悉律师的那套辞令，就是把真正的问题掩盖过去。

　　1896. We are in a full-court press trying to get more cash. 我们正全力以赴争取更多的现金。Obama is doing full court press with the Health Care. 奥巴马全力以赴要让医疗改革过关。 a full-court press, 是篮球防守术语，一般含义是“全力以赴地去做”。

　　1897. Rents: " How is University?"
　　You: " It is full on, I have 2 assignments due tomorrow and a 4 hour lab this evening, exams next week, a cold coming on, no money, no food in the house and everything is just full on!" Rents: 大学生活怎样啊？你：一言难尽，明天要交两门作业，今晚四个小时的实验，下周几门考试，又患了感冒，身无一文，家里揭不开锅，什么事都被我遇上了。full on 全有，尽全力。She was a full-on platinum blonde by 20. 她20岁时最向往的就是一头淡金色头发。

　　1898. full name 全名，英美人的全名一般有三个词，first name 名, middle name 中间名, last name 姓，例如布什总统的全名是：George Walker Bush，你称呼一个人时，要不然就直接说出名（第一名字），要不然就在姓前加个抬头，很少称呼人的中间名，如果有人把一个人的名字-中间名-姓一同称呼出来，那就是警告的口吻说话了，中文有时也有这样的味道。John William Smith, you get your butt down here this instant! 约翰威廉史密斯，你马上给我滚过来。Lily Ann Williams, what do you think you are doing young lady? 莉莉安威廉，你到底在干什么，我的姑奶奶！
　　
　　Person A: I gotta go, my Mum just used my full name Person B: Ouch, hope you aren't grounded for long. A：我得走了，我老妈刚喊我全名了。B：那不得了，但愿你不被罚站太久。be grounded 受罚关在房间不许出来，罚站。

　　1899. These are the core values I hold: integrity first, service before self, excellence in all I do. 这是我坚守的核心价值观：诚信第一；先人后己；任何事都要干得出色。

　　1900. Our school has three pillars: character development, academics and athletics. 我们学校办学有三大原则：品格培养，学习及体育。

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 19:08 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-08-18　21:25:06　 回复  
　　
　　1901. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 神说要有光就有光。（创世纪1：3）
　　a) Light provides the energy necessary for life. 光生命提供了必要的能量。
　　b) Star Trek fans longing to travel at warp factor 9, faster than light(FTL). 星球大战的影迷们幻想能以超光速的速度去周游宇宙。
　　c) In light of what you have told us, I think we must abandon the project. 根据你给我们提供的情况，我觉得我们必须放弃这个项目。In light of the clerk’s rudeness, we didn’t return to that shop. 因为有个营业员粗鲁无礼，我们不再光顾那家商店。
　　d) I see the situation in a different light.我对这个局面有不同的看法。
　　e) Can you throw some light on the question? 能不能就这个问题给点提示？
　　f) This journalist is brave and he brought the Sanlu scandal to light. 这个记者很猛，他把三鹿丑闻爆了光。
　　g) light 打火机；Please pass the light to me. 请把打火机递给我一下。
　　h) After a 12-hour shift, nurse Trudy came home and she was out like a light in no time at all. 值班12个小时后，楚蒂一回到家倒在床上就大睡起来。（她入睡速度如同光速。）

　　1902. Yaoming is basking in the national spotlight as the best player. 姚明是最佳球员，红遍全国。

　　1903. He studied this subject for ten years, and finally it gets its moment in the limelight. 他潜心研究这个题目十年了，终于成果引起了轰动。

　　1904. We should respect the dignity in the twilight of life.我们应该维护老年人的尊严。

　　1905. The company is highlighting its unique service and its own comprehensive system. 这家公司特别向大众展示出其独特的服务，以及他们完善的售后系统。One of my highlights during my recent trip to Suzhou is to have visited the grave of Linzhao, a saint in my heart. 我最近去苏州之行的一个亮点是去吊唁圣女林昭的墓。

　　1906. 几种颜色的灯光
　　a) green light, 绿灯；We have got the green light from the authority. 当局已经批准我们的方案。
　　b) red light That’s the red light district. I wonder why Mayor is hanging out down there? 那里不是红灯区吗？市长跑到那里干嘛呢？另外red light house, 就是妓院，现在很多地方的发廊晚上也是亮着红灯，想必也是此意。
　　c) flashlight, 手电筒。前面学过the light at the end of the tunnel, 去复习一下。

　　1907. If you don’t want to be in the public eye, you should not be an official. 如果你想逃避公众的监督，你就不应该当官员。

　　1908. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. 该做就得做。该出手时就出手。

　　1909. If you don’t use your rights, then you lose your rights. 如果你不使用你的权利，你就会失去这些权利。当涉及到人权范畴内的权利时，一般用复数rights。civil rights 公民权利。

　　1910. This email address will be going away soon. Pls use my new one. 这个电子邮件地址很快就会停止使用，请用我新的地址。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-08-19　09:13:18　 回复  
　　改正：　　
　　a) 光给生命提供了必要的能量。
　　b) Star Trek fans long to travel
　　　　a) Light provides the energy necessary for life. 光生命提供了必要的能量。
　　　　b) Star Trek fans longing to travel at warp factor 9, faster than light(FTL). 星球大战的影迷们幻想能以超光速的速度去周游宇宙。

　　1911. It is one of those days. 人总有倒霉的一天。你要宣布不好的消息时说的一句话。

　　1912. I didn’t understand everything in the article, but I got the gist. 这篇文章我不能全明白，不过主要的内容还是搞懂了。If you go and look at our website, you will get the gist of what our school is like. 你去看看我们的网站，你就会大致明白我们学校的概况。

　　1913. My handwriting has gone down with using the computer so much.用电脑太多，我的字写得不成体统了。

　　1914. If you don’t use your English regularly, it will get rusty. 你如果不常用英语，就会生疏。My English is rusty now. 我的英语都生锈了。也可以说：I’ve gotten a bit rusty.

　　1915. You should stop trying to be everything to everybody. You should play to your strengths. 你不要面面俱到，你要发挥自己的特长。

　　1916. Math is my weak spot. 数学是我的弱项。

　　1917. It is lonely at the top. 高处不胜寒。位高无朋友。

　　1918. When it comes to loneliness, it’s not just how many friends you have, but also how supported you feel. You can have a lot of people around you and still feel lonely.说道孤独，并不是说你有许多的朋友就不孤独了，而是你从这些人中能得到多少支持，你周围或许会有好些人，但你仍旧感到孤独。

　　1919. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 暂别更生爱慕。距离更生情爱。很多人翻译此句为“小别胜新婚”，当然可以，但是，说这句话时，很多时候，相恋的人并没有结婚，说小别胜新婚就有点不合适了。这句话也可以这么说，Absence makes thy heart grow fonder.因为用了thy（尔，君），让这话听起来更典雅。

　　1920. Be good and you will be lonely. 行善者必孤行。这是马克吐温说的一句话。


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-08-25　14:29:21　 回复  

　　A North Korean citizen is walking on the streets, cursing Kim Jong-il’s regime and the poverty that ravages the nation...
　　North Korean citizen: "We have no food, we have no warm water, we have nothing!"
　　Of course, as it happens in North Korea, a group of policemen quickly arrest him and bring him into an interrogation room. They beat him up, they make him sit on a chair and fire with fake bullets towards him just to scare him with the noise.
　　After he’s terrified enough, they let him go, thinking that he is too scared to do it again...
　　After leaving, the guy starts talking by himself again, as he’s walking home..
　　North Korean citizen: "We have no bullets, we have nothing!"
　　
　　有位北朝鲜人在大街上行走，边走边骂金正日独裁政权，骂全国陷入一片饥荒。
　　这个北朝鲜人骂着说：“我们没有吃，没有温水，什么也没有。”
　　可想而知，在北朝鲜必发生的一幕，警察迅速地逮捕了他，把他带到了审讯室。他们对他拳打脚踢，然后让他坐在椅子上，把枪对准他，用假子弹对他一阵猛射，想以此来吓唬他。
　　他的确吓得不轻，警察便放了他，觉得经这么一折腾，他肯定是不会再。。。
　　获得释放后，这家伙一个人开始走回家。
　　这个北朝鲜人又开始骂着说：“我们没有子弹，什么也没有！”

　　1921. Two Americans are talking. One asks: "What’s the difference between capitalism and communism?" "That’s easy" says the other one. "In capitalism man exploits man! In communism it is the other way around!" 两个美国人在聊天，一个人问，资本主义与共产主义有何区别？另一个人回答，“那还不简单，资本主义社会是人剥削人，共产主义社会是倒过来的。”

　　1922. 1st Eskimo: Where did your mother come from? 第一个爱斯其摩人问，你妈妈什么地方人呢?
　　2nd Eskimo: Alaska 第二个人回答，阿拉斯加，(但是他发这个音时，听起来像了a’l ask her. 我去问问她)
　　1st Eskimo: Don’t bother, I’ll ask her myself! 所以第一个人就说：不用麻烦了，我自己去问她吧

　　1923. An English teacher wrote these words on the whiteboard: "woman without her man is nothing The teacher then asked the students to punctuate the words correctly.
　　The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."
　　The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing." ".
　　 一个英语老师在黑板上写下了这些词，woman without her man is nothing ，然后叫大家正确断句，男生都这么写的：女人，没有男人的话，就一钱不值。女生都这么写的，女人！没有她，男人就一钱不值。

　　1924. I don’t know how to be around people. 我不懂如何与人打交道。He is pleasant to be around. 他很有人缘。

　　1925. Do you bring your brown bag lunch to the company? 你带便当到公司吗？These are "brown bag" events; audience members are encouraged to bring a lunch and enjoy it during the event. 这次演讲会是自备餐形式，所以听众可自带午餐，会议中有用餐时间。另一个类似的词组是，lunch box。

　　1926. You need to know that the great opportunity is ahead of you, not behind you. 你应该知道，好的机会就在你身前，而不是在你身后。

　　1927. feel and feelings, In Lijiang, you can get a feel for the country’s past and future. 在丽江，你可以感受到这个国家的历史与未来。Do you understand my feelings for you? 你能明白我对你的感情吗？

　　1928. Down Under = Australia, 对于北半球的人来说，澳大利亚是在下面。There are many good golf players from Down Under. 澳大利亚有不少高尔夫球好手。

　　1929. worth one’s salt, 货真价实，物有所值，We decided that you are worth your salt, and you can stay on as office clerk. 我们认为你还是有点真本事，你可以留下继续做办公室秘书。You’re not worth your salt. Pack up!你简直就是滥竽充数，打包走路吧。I will pay you only if you are worth your salt. 你真有两把刷子，我肯定会付钱给你。

　　1930. A：Hunteryellow starts the same thread every day, ranting and raving about the same tired stuff. 黄心译每天都在那里顶自己的贴，反复唠叨一些无聊的东西。
　　B：Ya, Hunteryellow, get a blog. 是啊，黄心译，去开一个自己的博客吧。去开自己的博客，其真实的意思是，不要再在这里瞎掰了。所以一个人就是有自己的博客，你也可以说这句话。

　　1931. “追求梦想”的几个说话:
　　a) Keep chasing your dream no matter when. 任何时候都要不断追求你自己的梦。
　　b) Grab your dreams.抓住你的梦想。
　　c) Go after your dream. Never give up. 去追求你梦想吧，绝不言放弃。这里的after也可以换成for, go for your dream. 或者说run after your dreams.
　　d) Get your dreams off the shelf! Put your goals in front of you, and follow them. 不要将梦想束之高阁！把目标要清楚地放在眼前，然后猛追。
　　e) Follow your dream. It is the meaning of your life. 追求你的梦想吧，这是你生命的意义所在。
　　f) Don’t abandon your individual dreams. Pursue them. 不要放弃那些具体的梦想，要去追求！
　　g) May your dream come true. 愿你梦想成真。
　　
　　1932. the pursuit of happiness 追求幸福，美国人把“追求幸福”视为最基本的人权，美国独立宣言（the United States Declaration of Independence）开篇说，“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”。《独立宣言》说的是“生命、自由、与追求幸福”的权利。最近有部很好看的电影，Will Smith主演，片名就是The Pursuit of Happiness. 绝大部分人都采纳了“当幸福来敲门”的中文片名，但这是很蹩脚的翻译，因为“追求”是你主动的，要付代价的，要做出牺牲的，而“来敲门”则有“馅饼从天而降”的味道。中国人普遍不懂“追求幸福”是基本的人权，更不懂权利只有靠争才能得到，权利绝不可能从天上自己掉下来（不会自己来敲你的门的），你可能可以中彩，但独裁者绝不会把权利让给你。

　　1933. Don’t trust that guy. He is juggling multiple women. 不要相信那个家伙，他同时在和好几个女人好。

　　1934. You mean the world to me. 你就是我的全世界！

　　1935. I locked myself out. Can you jimmy a lock? 我把自己锁在门外了，你能开锁吗？

　　1936. Get over yourself! 想开点吧！不要老是纠缠这事了！

　　1937. Is that dang hard? 这事就那么难吗？这里的dang是用来代替粗鲁词damn。

　　1938. God forbid you get hit. 小心！不要伤着了！

　　1939. They treat us just exactly like excrement. 他们把我们简直就是当狗屎。用“shit”很多时候不好听，就采用书面的词excrement.

　　1940. The economy appeared to be "leveling out." 经济似乎开始平稳起来。The road leveled out after a while and driving was easier. 过了一会，公路开始平缓起来，车也好开起来。

　　1941. 牛皮哄哄的，牛皮十足，虚的多，实的少，像黄心译这类的人，写的的文章没任何实的，英文的说法是：Big hat, no cattle. 或者All hat, no cattle. 由此衍化出的类似的句子还不少：All bark and no bite. All foam, no beer. All shot, no power. All talk and no action. 牛皮也叫fish story，钓鱼迷钓了一条两寸的鱼往往会说自己钓了一条两尺长的鱼，所以叫fish story。

　　1942. You are doing that again. Just because you have a loud voice it doesn’t mean you are right. It only proves you are a loose cannon. 你又是这一套，不会因为你声音大，就意味着你是对的。这只证明你喜欢乱轰大炮而已。

　　1943. They fall into the trap of thinking that if they shout it loud enough, then they will intimidate people into swallowing their lies. 他们落入了一个陷阱，以为只要喊得声音够大，就可以恐吓人民来接受他们的谎言。

　　1944. Democracy will lead to chaos. These are just scare tactics by the government propaganda. 民主会引起混乱，这不过是政府宣传所采取的恐吓伎俩 We should reject fear-mongering. 我们应该拒绝恐惧症。

　　1945. bone的一些用法
　　a) The Party is totally corrupt, all the way to the bones. 这个党完全腐败了，里面都腐败透了。
　　b) She isn’t fat, she is just big boned. 她不胖，只是体型魁梧而已。这句话是说人胖的委婉语。
　　c) It is bone-chilling cold. 寒风刺骨。chilled/frozen to the bone, 刺骨地冷。
　　d) I feel it in my very bones. 我彻骨地体会到了这点。
　　e) He is bone idle. 他无所事事。He never did any work at all and was sacked for being bone idle.他什么活都不干，懒得要命，因此被赶走了。
　　f) lazy bones 懒骨头
　　g) She is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. 她是我骨中的骨，肉中的肉。（这是男人表示爱自己妻子的说法。）

　　1946. spineless 没有脊梁，没有骨气，Those so-called eight Democratic Parties are totally spineless. 这八个民主党都没有脊梁骨。这话也可以这么表述：These eight Democratic Parties have had their spines surgically removed. 这八个民主党都做了手术，把脊梁骨给除掉了。

　　1947. Her hair is jacked up. 她的头发都竖起来了。

　　1948. Man, Jeremy’s losing a lot of weight. You think he’s riding the white horse? 真是啊，杰米瘦了好多，他是不是在用白粉呀？ride the white horse, 是吸毒的意思，不要联想到白马王子。

　　1949. One thing I cannot understand is that why Chinese people enjoy the government to run their life. 有件事我就搞不明白，为什么中国人喜欢让政府来管理他们的生活呢？

　　1950. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the tanks in the TianAnMen square was to run, run as fast as I could. Man, you cannot fight tanks just with your flesh. 我在天安门看到坦克时，首先想到的就是逃命，逃得越快越好。老兄呀，你不可能用自己的血肉之躯去跟坦克干吧。the first thing that comes to one’s mind, 首先想到的


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-09-05　12:24:04　 回复  

　　A classic Brain-teaser
　　
　　The Bixby Boys
　　
　　It was the first day of class and Mrs. Feldman had two identical-looking pupils, Ben and Chris Bixby, sitting together in the first row.
　　"You two are twins, I take it?" she asked.
　　"No," they replied in unison.
　　But a check of their records showed that they had the same parents and were born on the same day. How could this be?
　　
　　brain-teaser 脑筋急转弯
　　the first day of class 开学第一天
　　identical-looking 长相一样的
　　in unison 齐声
　　a check of their records 查他们的档案


作者：englishstudent　回复日期：2009-09-06　08:54:02　 回复  

　　三、四、五、六、七、八胞胎中的两个。（目前为止最多好像是八胞胎）
　　请问，多胞胎怎么说？


作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-09-06　16:55:16　 回复  

　　higher multiples, multiplets, multiple gestation,


　　1951. A guy named 尴尬者 is a showy type of person. He writes well but he enjoys making sensational statements and pseudoscientific claims. He wants to promote himself by putting down others. To me, he is suffering from low self esteem. 有个名叫“尴尬者”的家伙是个喜欢作秀的人，他能写，但是他喜欢发表一些耸人听闻和伪科学的言辞。他透过踩别人来抬举自己，在我看来，他自尊心很低。Look at what he said: 全中国人异口同声地撒了一个自欺欺人的大谎！When only a small handful of people are studying English, how could you say that every Chinese is lying? 你看他造的句子，全中国人撒谎，但只有为数不多的人在读英文，你如何扯到全中国人在撒谎呢？Sensationalism is a good way for attention grabbing. 搞噱头总是引人注目的好办法。

　　1952. So many things popped up recently, and I am out of pocket. Sorry for that. 最近发生了好多事，我跟大家失去联络了，对不起。out of pocket, 失去联络，外出。Can you cover for me? I’m gonna be out of pocket for a while. 你能顶我一会儿吗？我要出去一下。

　　1953. After a guy is told that he has swine flu, a lot of questions zip through his mind.当一个人得知他患了猪流感后，他脑海里就会翻滚出一系列问题。

　　1954. When I am sick, I have a dulled appetite. 病了后，我吃什么都没有胃口。

　　1955. This disease is life-threatening. 这个疾病能致命。

　　1956. After he dumped her, she has locked up her heart, convinced that no one would love her anymore. 他把她甩了后，她就一直封闭了心门，不再相信还会有人会爱上她。If the computer is locked up, you can start it again. 如果电脑死机了，你可以重新启动。

　　1957. Everyone who knows John knows of the torch he carries for Ashley. 认识约翰的人都知道他对艾斯丽怀着单相思。

　　1958. Do you mind if I tag along? 我跟你一起去好吗？（口语一点的翻译：我作你的跟屁虫好吗？）tag along, 一种累赘性质地跟着。

　　1959. Do not approach her, you have no chance. Don’t even get your hopes up, there is no way she’d even consider it. She is a Touch-Me-Not. 休得打她的主意，你不会得逞的。你想都不要想，她根本不会考虑（嫁给你）的，她是个冷美人。get your hopes up, 燃起希望，touch-me-not 那种拒人于千里之外的人。

　　1960. 比较make a life and make a living: We girls nowadays want to make a life for ourselves. 我们现代的女孩要独立创造生活。It is rather difficult to make a living with only minimum wage. 最低工资很难维持生活。

　　1961. What then? 后来呢？

　　1962. So what? 那有怎样？You are not happy. So what? 你不高兴，那又怎样？

　　1963. A guy named 尴尬者 has tried to trivialize Teacher X’s work, but Teacher X’s post has got the most readers. What can he do? 有个名叫“尴尬者”的人想着法子要贬低信老师的文章，但是信老师的帖读者最多，他又能怎样呢？

　　1964. How come? 怎么会这样？When you disagree with Beijing authorities, how come they act like it is our problem? They say you are the problem. 如果大家与北京当局的看法不一样，怎么他们会觉得是我们的不是？他们说，人民才是问题。

　　1965. Don’t steal. The government hates competition. 切莫偷窃，政府最恨的是竞争。（这句话的意思是讽刺政府才是最大的偷盗者。）

　　1966. Grumbling and strong social critique are two different things. The former is someone’s personal dissatisfaction with a social issue while the latter offers insights into the root of social problems.抱怨与对社会的强有力的批判是两回不同的事。前者是出于个人对社会某个问题的不满，而后者则是对社会问题在根源上提出深入的探讨。

　　1967. This robot can self-sustain, reproduce and learn from experience. That is scary. It means it can control us humans someday. 这个机器人能独立生存、繁衍后代，并且不断从经验中学习。这真是太可怕了，这意味着这机器人有天会控制我们人类。

　　1968. Hi, did I catch you at a bad time? 喂，现在给你电话不方便吗？

　　1969. 前面介绍了一个说“胖女人”的委婉语：She isn’t fat, she is just big boned. 她不胖，只是体型魁梧而已。另两个“胖”的委婉的说法是full figured：She is a full figured woman. 她是个十分丰满的女人。还可以说plus size，大号，实际上这是指超大号。Where can you find some plus size women clothing? 你在哪里可以找到超大号女士衣服？千万不要说某女人很fat,或big，小心她杀了你。

　　1970. Be serious. This is no laughing matter. 严肃一点，这可不是闹着玩的。

　　有时候在大学区的网吧上网，看到里面是通宵玩游戏的学生，真是为他们感到心痛，现在不好好学习，以后如何找好的工作？今天的几句话都是围绕“时间”展开。
　　
　　1971. Time is life. If you waste your time, you waste your life. You waste others’ time, you waste others’ life. When you give someone your time, you are giving them your life. 时间就是生命，你浪费自己的时间就是浪费自己的生命。你浪费别人的时间，就是浪费别人的生命。你为谁舍时间，就是为谁舍命。

　　1972. “One of these days” really means “none of these days”. “日后有一天”实际意思是“不会有这一天”。人们常说的一句话是：One of these days, I will do…日后总有一天我会去做。。。这样的话都是给自己今天不行动找借口。 “Tomorrow” is Satan’s favorite word.“ 明天”是魔鬼的口头禅。

　　1973. Do first things first. 先完成重要的事。或者说，Set your priority straight. 孰重孰轻，先要弄清。

　　1974. The summer vacation is winding down now. Get serious with your study. Don’t read newspaper. Glance at the headlines or listen to the radio to keep up on news. 暑假很快就要过去了，要认真读书了，不要阅读报纸，看看标题即可，或者听下收音机，大致了解一下新闻即可。

　　1975. Eliminate television entirely from your home. You will be amazed at how much more time you suddenly have and how little you miss it. 把电视机从家里扔出去，你会惊讶你的时间忽然充裕，而且你也不会留恋看电视。

　　1976. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful ones is that the successful ones do the jobs the unsuccessful ones don’t like to do. 成功者与失败者的区别就在于失败者不愿干的活，成功者都愿意去干。

　　1977. To win you have stay in the game. 要赢就得不退场。

　　1978. Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back. 时间是免费的，但它又是无价的。人不能拥有时间，但却能使用它。人不能保存时间，但却能花费它。时间一旦失去，便一去不复返。

　　1979. You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future. 你不能改变过去，但你却可以因过度忧虑未来而毁了现在的生活。

　　1980. Time goes, you say? Ah no!
　　Alas, Time stays, we go. 你说，时间在消逝？根本不是！时间永存，我们在消逝！
　　（人们常说，Time flies! 时间飞逝！实际上，这是错觉，是我们的生命在飞逝。）

　　记忆一些脑筋急转弯(Brain-teaser)对练习口语有帮助。你可以拿些脑筋急转弯作消遣，避免与人在一起时没有话题的尴尬。这里录十个常见的。
　　1981. 　　The Bixby Boys
　　　　It was the first day of class and Mrs. Feldman had two identical-looking pupils, Ben and Chris Bixby, sitting together in the first row.
　　　　"You two are twins, I take it?" she asked.
　　　　"No," they replied in unison.
　　　　But a check of their records showed that they had the same parents and were born on the same day. How could this be?
　　　　the first day of class 开学第一天
　　　　identical-looking 长相一样的
　　　　in unison 齐声
　　　　a check of their records 查他们的档案

　　1982. What month has 28 days?

　　1983. What city has no people? What table can you eat?

　　1984. There were two ducks in front of a duck and two ducks behind a duck, and one duck in the middle. How many ducks were there in total?

　　1985. What flowers do you always wear?

　　1986. A doctor is about to operate on a little boy. “This boy is my son,” exclaims the doctor. The doctor is correct, yet the doctor isn’t the boy’s father. What’s going on?

　　1987. Which is correct: “Nine and seven is fifteen” or “Nine and seven are fifteen?”

　　1988. Two men play five games of checkers, and each wins the same number of games. There are no ties. How can this be?

　　1989. A rope ladder hangs over the side of a ship. The ladder is twelve feet long, and the rungs are one foot apart, with the lowest rung resting on the surface of the ocean. The tide is rising at six inches an hour. How long will it take before the first three rungs of the ladder are underwater?

　　1990. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, and has a bed but never sleeps?

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-09-20　11:11:38　 回复  

　　有没有人可以把答案给整出来呀？大家都跟信老师一样笨吗？

作者：englishstudent　回复日期：2009-09-20　12:16:06　 回复  

　　1.multiplets
　　2.every month
　　3.electricity;vegetable
　　4.three
　　5.two lips
　　6.
　　7.both wrong
　　8.they are partners in the game
　　9.never
　　10.river

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-09-20　19:52:24　 回复  
　　这个englishstudent端的厉害，可以升级做老师了。

作者：信天优　回复日期：2009-09-20　19:57:48　 回复  

　　两年，两千句，谢谢大家都鼓励。　　
　　
　　1991. One mayor once said: “Parks are the breathing lungs and beating hearts for all great cities.” But we don’t have any park in our city. 有位市长曾说过：公园对于所有辉煌的城市就是呼吸的肺、跳动的心脏。但是我们城市却没有公园。

　　1992. Part of our knowledge we obtain direct, and part by argument. by Keynes.有部分知识是我们直接获得，有部分是透过辩论获得。（这是为什么辩论十分重要。）

　　1993. Don’t believe everything you hear, and only half of what you see. 不能全信所听，只能信一半所见。

　　1994. No man will work for your interests unless they are his. 除非你的利益也是他的利益，否则没有人会为你的利益去做事。（David Seabury）

　　1995. People ask for criticism, but they only want praise. 人们都征询批评，但只接受赞美。

　　1996. Give without remembering. Take without forgetting. 奉献无需记忆，受惠不能忘却。你帮助别人了，就及时地忘记，不要老说，你欠了我，但是别人对你的帮助，却不要忘记，中文也说，滴水之恩当涌泉相报，大概也是这个境界。

　　1997. When we do good, no one remembers. When we do bad, no one forgets 行善之时无人记得，失误之时无人忘怀。相当于“好事不出门，坏事传千里”之意。注意，在这个结构里，good后面省略了things。You talk crazy.也是如此结构。有位英语翻译黄心译觉得crazy是主语的表语，这是不正确的理解。如果crazy是主语的表语的话，这句话就要翻译成：你这疯子在说话。

　　1998. Within any important issue, there are always aspects no one wishes to discuss. (George Orwell) 任何重要的问题都会含有我们不愿面对的局面。

　　1999. A man’s treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character-- how he makes it and how he spends it. （James Moffatt）对一个人最大的考验莫过于他如何处理金钱：他如何去赚，他如何去花。

　　2000. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。(约翰福音3：16)

[ 本帖最后由 yindingzhenger 于 30-11-2011 19:40 编辑 ]

yindingzhenger

8行了，8搬了。
介个英语搬运工当的，搬运搬到眼疼手疼胳臂酸。
刚看了下末页，那个楼主今天还有更新。贡献直指3000句。

声明下哈：
俺是地地道道的英语盲，上面搬运过来的2000句叽咕的啥，俺一个字都8懂哦。
谢绝喝茶。

jcassar

粗略看了前边几个，挺地道的

周星星1832

楼主精神可嘉

香山红叶

楼主加油！

cyly