1. The hotels were all full，so we had to pig it in an old hut for the night.
旅社均已客满，我们不得不挤在一个又脏又旧的棚屋里过夜。
2. Let sleeping dogs lie. Why, these people are kittle cattle to shoe.
别惹是生非。哎，这些人都是难对付的人
Be kittle cattle to shoe: 难以对付的人
3. The bandits seemed to have got away with no trouble at all, the police had jam on their faces this time.
匪徒们似乎很顺利地逃脱了，警察部门这次可丢脸了。
If you say that someone has jam on their face, they appear to be caught, embarrassed or found guilty.
lie on one's face 脸朝下躺下...
4. Just put your John Henry on that Check and then take it to the bank.
请你在支票上签个名，然后把它拿到银行去。
5. Money makes the mare go. You can secure your ends with one hundred pounds.
有钱能使鬼推磨，用100英镑你就能达到目的。
Secure one’s position:稳住阵脚
6. The accused knew that he had to bite the bullet until he was proved innocent.
被告知道在
证明
住所证明下载场所使用证明下载诊断证明下载住所证明下载爱问住所证明下载爱问
他是无辜的以前，他只得咬紧牙关忍受。
bite the bullet：原意：咬住子弹 引伸义：咬紧牙关挺过去
7. When he entered our college four years ago，he was as poor as Job, but now he has become a millionaire.
当他4年前进我们学院时，他穷得家徒四壁，可现在成了百万富翁。
As poor as Job:一贫如洗，家徒四壁。
8. Two may keep counsel when the third's away.
没有不泄露的秘密；没有不透风的墙（有意无意的被流传开去，也有意无意的伤了人）。
9. He is a real Jekyll and Hyde：at home he's kind and loving，but in business he's completely without principles.
他是个真的具有双重人格的人；在家和蔼可亲，可在生意场上，他却完全不讲道义。
10. That was not asking much, and yet .…he could not help thinking it was like asking for the moon.
这样要求本来并不过分，可是……他们却不由得想，这简直是异想天开。
Ask for the moon: to want something that you cannot reach or have; to try for the impossible，异想天开
11. He has good reason to believe in you, for you are as kind a man as the sun shines on.
他完全有理由相信你，因为你是世上少有的好心人（或打起灯笼也找不到的好心人）。
12. Sir, I am only just getting well of a fever, and I am as weak as water.
先生，我髙烧才好，身体非常虚弱。
As weak as water:浑身没劲儿
to be in hot water/in deep water：陷入困境
water over the dam：木已成舟，既成事实
as weak as water：身体非常虚弱；意志薄弱；性格懦弱
fish in troubled/muddy waters：混水摸鱼；趁火打劫
in rough / troubled water：灾难深重
spend like water：挥霍无度
13. He was a man not yet forty years of age，with still much of the salt of youth about him.
他不到40岁，仍有着不少青年人的朝气。
the salt of youth:青年人的热情
Try translating the following into English
1. 袖手旁观，守株待兔。
Standing by with folded arms and waiting for gains without pains
2. 失之东隅，得之桑榆。
What you lose on the swings you get back on the roundabouts.
英译lose at sunrise and gain at sunset我觉得一些看上去很健康的女孩子施以浓妆，实在是多此一举。
I always feel that it would simply be to gild the lily for some health-looking young girls to make up their faced so heavily.
3. 妈妈说我最好离开厨房，因为她不需要我帮忙。我在那儿碰这撞那，反而碍事。
Mum said that I’d best/had better leave the kitchen because she didn't need my help and I was like a bull in a china shop there.
4. 月满则亏，水满则溢。
The moon waxes only to wane, water brims only to overflow.
月满则亏，说明：月亮圆了，接着就会慢慢的变成月牙。水满则溢，说明：盛水的容易内水满了，再注水就会溢出来啦。比喻做什么事情到了极点都会慢慢衰退的。
The Origins
Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde源于苏格兰作家R. L.史蒂文森1886年发表的作品《化身博士》（Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde),该作品所描写的是一个具有双重对立人格的人：一是善良的Dr Jekyll，一是邪恶的Mr Hyde。结合起来就是一个具有双 重对立人格的人。汉译时，译着“两面派，具有善恶双重人格的人”
Sword of Damocles
Sword of Damocles出自古代希腊的一则历史故事。精通古希腊历史、文 学的罗马杰出作家与政论家西塞罗（106BC-43BC)在其
论文
政研论文下载论文大学下载论文大学下载关于长拳的论文浙大论文封面下载
《图斯库拉的话》 屮写道：“公元前4世纪的西西里岛上叙拉克的统治者狄奥尼修斯一世(406BC -367BC)有个亲信的名字叫达摩克里斯，他很羡慕帝王的柰华生活，常说: “君王是人世间最幸福的人。”狄奥尼修斯为了教训这个想得君位者，在一次宴会上，要他坐在国土的宝座上。当他猛然抬头，只见头顶上有一把用头发悬着 的宝剑，随时都有刺到头顶的危险。他吓得战战兢兢，如坐针毡，时刻提心吊 胆，惶惶不安。由于该成语用来比喻临头的危险或情况的危急，因此可汉译为 “千钧一发"，但也可译为“达摩克里斯的宝剑”
Burn one’s boats
(bridges为美国人使用）源于一则历史故事0 古罗马朱力斯•凯撒大军乘船越过Rubicon后就把船烧了，以此向士兵指明后 路已断不可能后退。现借用来比喻“不留后路，下定决心干到底”。可汉译为 “破釜沉舟"。
Homer sometimes nods.
此语可译为“智者千虑，必有一失”。用来比喻 “伟人有时也会出错”。源自古罗马著名诗人贺拉斯（65BC4BC)写的《诗艺》： “我认为居然可敬的荷马也打瞌睡（Even Homer sometimes nods)o这是羞愧的 事，但在如此长久的写作中，睡意袭来时，打一下瞌睡未尝不可/这里同时值 得一提的是荷马（Homer)这位曾得到马克思极高
评价
LEC评价法下载LEC评价法下载评价量规免费下载学院评价表文档下载学院评价表文档下载
的古希腊的伟大诗人，他 曾写过两部性界著名的史诗：《伊亚特》与《奥德赛》。这两部史诗无论从艺术 技巧或者从历史、地理、考古学和民俗学方面讲都有很大的艺术价值，有“永久 的魅力”，是“一种规范和高不可及的范本”。
Hobson's choice
此语可译为“毫无选择的余地。”源自英国《观察家》杂 志H12年第509期。Hobson是6世纪英国剑桥地区驿站老板。按规定驿站都 向顾客出租马匹，他因喜欢自己的马匹而坚持按固定的顺序轮流将马出租。顾 客到马厩去牵马时，不论该马如何即牵即走，无商量的余地。如顾客不服从, 就只得自认倒霉。Hobson毫不徇私情，非叫顾客用该马不可，否则就别想有马 骑。因而，老板的这种怪癖叫人不敢和他讨价还价了。
6
1. I went on a bat in his room, and we smoked and drank till three.
我到他的房间里去狂欢，我们在那里又抽烟又喝酒，一直到清晨三点。
go on a bat 纵酒取乐，酗酒胡闹
go out on a bat 酗酒胡闹
go to bat [美国俚语]被判入狱，判刑
on one's own bat [俚语] 通过自己的努力；靠自己的力量
blind as a bat [口语] 近乎全盲的；视力很差的，眼力不行的；鼠目寸光的；完全看不见东西的
like a bat out of hell [俚语] 如飞地，飞速地；不顾一切地，鲁莽地，胡来地
2. Are you running with the hare and hunting with the hounds? You’re either for us or against us. Which is it?
你两面讨好吗？你要么赞成我们，要么反对我们。究竟是哪一种态度？
Hare也叫jackrabbit或jack rabbit，不打洞（burrow/warren），而是在地面坑（depression）里或窝（form）。出生带毛（furred），眼睛睁开。Rabbit是住在洞里的，出生没毛，不能睁眼；家养的通常住在小木屋（hutch）中。Hare比rabbit体型大，耳朵更长，有黑色斑点（marking），不群居，没有被人类驯化（domesticated），所以可以叫‘野兔’。一岁以下的hare叫leveret。一群叫drove。Rabbit可以翻译为‘家兔’，但有的也叫hare，因为长相接近，但实际上还是rabbit，如Belgian Hare.
“兔”在中国人心中可谓形象复杂，有好的一面，如“形如脱兔”（比喻动作快捷）；也有差的一面，如“狡兔三窟、兔子尾巴长不了”。对外国人来说，rabbit的形象可不美。a rabbit意为a person who plays a game badly（蹩脚的运动员———尤指网球运动员）；在俚语中，hare指坐车不买票的人。
run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
hunt是“追捕、猎杀”的意思，hound指“猎狗”，它的拼写是h-o-u-n-d，字面意思就是“和兔子一起奔跑的同时派猎狗追赶”，既想得到兔子的信任又想猎杀兔子，也就是“两面讨好”。
这个“两面讨好”和我们汉语里讲的“两面派”（two-faced）意思可不一样，我们来看一个例子：
They want to keep the peace and have everyone happy. For this reason they learn very quickly to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds; to side with whoever is nearest in a relentless quest to avoid rows.
他们希望保持平稳并且让大家都高兴，所以很快了学会讨好的方法。为了避免冲突他们就站在不断提要求的人那边。
大家体会出这两个说法的不同了吗？two-faced一般指当面一套，背地又一套的伎俩，而run with the hare and hunt with the hounds 则指人两面讨好，不得罪任何一方的做法。
3. In ancient times if a man’s eye was put out by his enemy, he might get his revenge by paying him backing his own coin.
古时候某人的眼睛若被敌人挖出，他一定要挖出敌人的眼睛作为报复。这就是以其人之道还治其人之身。
pay sb back in his own coin
eye for eye
tooth for tooth
4. He went on throwing open doors, and peeping in. Everything was in apple pie order, ready for immediate occupation.
他继续将各扇门打开朝里窥视：一切井井有条，马上就可住进去。
in apple pie order 有条不紊，井然有序
这个习语的由来尚有争论。在美国，有人认为它产生在新大陆移民时期。那时，家庭主妇要烤苹果派时，需将苹果一片片切成同样的大小，这样烘烤出来的苹果派才会香酥可口。所以这个习语用来形容东西摆放得整整齐齐，井然有序。
Her room is always in apple pie order. 他的房间总是整整齐齐的。
apple of love 爱情的苹果
这个习语源于殖民时期的南美洲。当时在秘鲁的丛林中，生长着一种叫“狼桃”的水果。这种水果色泽光亮、鲜艳，形状和苹果十分相似。但人们认为这种水果是一种毒果，没人敢吃，只把它作为观赏植物加以栽培。后来有人冒着生命危险，勇敢地品尝并证实了它的美味。到了16世纪，英国有一位公爵游历到了秘鲁，非常喜欢这种水果，于是，他把它们带回英国皇宫，作为珍贵的礼品献给他心目中的爱人——当时的英国女王伊丽莎白。这种水果，实际上就是西红柿。从那以后，西红柿在异国他乡的土地上得到广泛种植，被人们称为“爱情的苹果”。如今，这一短语可喻指“爱情的信物”。
例：Hey, don't touch that bike. It's my apple of love.嗨，别动那辆自行车。它可是我的爱情信物
as American as apple pie 典型的美国人的性格
美国人向来喜欢吃苹果馅饼（apple pie），也就是我们常说的“苹果派”。这是一种用烤箱制作的甜点，外面裹着一层面粉，里面包着苹果做的馅儿。美国人喜爱吃苹果派的嗜好始于他们刚从欧洲移居到美洲来的时候。那时每个家庭主妇都经常自己动手做苹果派。为了说明苹果派是美国生活方式的一个特点，人们常说：as American as apple pie。这个习语的意思是：就像苹果派一样具有美国特色。
例句：Japanese sushi and Vietnamese spring rolls have become as American as apple pie.
日本寿司和越南春卷都已经变成像苹果派一样的美国食品了
5. “Why didn't the chap come? …Can't kick my heels here for ever," thought John.
那家伙怎么没来？我可不能老在这儿等下去了。”约翰想
kick your heels： (British) to be forced to wait for a period of time (usually in continuous tenses)
Wait impatiently to be summoned.
Origin：The kicking of heels alludes to the toe shuffling and foot tapping that people resort to when they are impatient at having to wait for something. It is an 18th century phrase and is first cited in a work by the appropriately named Samuel Foot - The Minor, 1760: "To let your uncle kick his heels in your hall."
人们大概都看到过一匹年轻的俊马在宽阔的草原上兴高彩烈地奔跑的情景吧！这是一幅很美丽的图象。马的前腿往前伸展，后腿很有节奏地往上踢。美国有一个俗语就是建筑在这一形像之上的。这个俗语就是：to kick up one's heels。
To kick up one's heels，从字面上来解释就是：把后脚往上踢。但是，实际上to kick up one's heels是用来形容人们到外面去寻欢作乐，就像马在草原上奔跑一样。比如说，有两个人在办公室里说话：
例句-1: How about coming out with us Wednesday night? We're all going to take Bill Glover out to dinner. Then later we'll drop into a few night spots. It's Bill's last chance to kick up his heels, you know--he's getting married the next morning.
这人说：“星期三晚上跟我们一起出去玩，怎么样？我们大家一起请比尔格洛弗出去吃晚饭。然后，我们再到几个像夜总会那样的地方去玩。这是比尔到外面去寻欢作乐的最后一次机会了，你知道，他第二天上午就要结婚了。”
To kick up one's heels并不一定是年轻人的事，上了年纪的人有时也想到外面去轻松轻松。下面的例子就很能说明问
题
快递公司问题件快递公司问题件货款处理关于圆的周长面积重点题型关于解方程组的题及答案关于南海问题
：
例句-2: My mother and dad are over sixty, but they still like to go out once in a while to have dinner and do a little dancing and kick up their heels. Of course, they go home a lot earlier than they used to.
这个人说：“我的爸爸和妈妈已经六十多了，但是他们有时还是喜欢到外面去吃晚饭、跳跳舞，高兴高兴。当然罗，他们现在回家的时间要比以前早多了。”
******
下面我们还要给大家介绍一个和kick这个字有关的美国俗语。这个俗语是：to kick off。
To kick off的意思是一项活动，或一个
计划
项目进度计划表范例计划下载计划下载计划下载课程教学计划下载
的开始。To kick off原来是用在足球比赛的。每次比赛开始都是由一个球队把球踢到对方球队去。可是现在这个俗语几乎可以用在任何方面，表示：开始。美国人经常用to kick off来表示竞选活动的开始。有的时候，你可以从电台上听到这样的报道：
例句-3: Last night Michael Smith kicked off his campaign for the U.S. Senate with a speech here promising lower taxes and a bigger budget for schools and more help to the farmers.
这则消息说：“昨晚，迈克尔斯密斯在这儿发表讲话，作为他竞选美国参议员竞选活动的开始。他在讲话中向选民们保证降低税收，增加学校经费，并给予农民更多的帮助。”
下面这个例子是一个学生在准备他的暑期活动。他说：
例句-4: Now that my exams are all finished, I'm going to kick off the summer vacation by going down to Ocean City for a week to get some sun, some surf and a chance to look at the girls.
这个学生说：“现在考试已经全部结束，我要先到欧欣城去玩一个星期，去晒晒太阳，在海上玩冲浪，还可以看看那里的姑娘们。这就作为我暑假的开始。”
6. Jaws/Beards/China/Tongues are wagging that he knocked the Jesus out of her and escaped being punished.
人们议论纷纷，说他把她打得半死，却逃脱了惩罚。
chins (或 beards, jaws, tongues) are wagging人们议论纷纷，有人在说闲话
knock the Jesus out of把某人打得昏头昏脑
7. Sam had been quite a playboy and did nothing at all in his salad days.
山姆在年轻时代是个十足的花花公子
"Salad days" is an idiomatic expression, referring to a youthful time, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, or indiscretion that one associates with a young person. More modern use, especially in the United States, refers to a person's heyday when somebody was at the peak of his/her abilities—not necessarily in that person's youth.
8. It is too late to husband when all is spent.
(谚语）囊空而后节俭，为时已晚。
A good husband makes a good wife
husband：节俭或节省地使用；保存：
husband one's energy.
WIFE：
The shoemaker's wife often goes in ragged shoes. [谚]鞋匠的老婆没鞋穿。
There is one good wife in the country, and every man thinks he has her. [谚]老婆还是自己的好
9. I am no dog in the manger － but I will not carry coals neither.
我根本就不是那种占着茅坑不拉屎的人，但我也不会干那种低三下四之活。
To carry coals, to bear indignities tamely, a phrase used by early dramatists, perhaps from the mean nature of the occupation. --Halliwell.
10. After trying in vain to control the unruly class, the young man and inexperienced instructor had to admit that he was at the end of his tether.
试图控制这个难弄的班级而不奏效后，这个缺乏经验的年轻教师不得不承认他已无计可施。
tether是“绳索”或“索链”，因此和rope基本上是同义的。at the end of one’s tether/rope字面上表示“到了绳索的末端”，也就是说绳子已放尽，无法再放长，这个情景生动地比喻了“山穷水尽、智穷力竭”的困迫境地。可以表示“穷尽”所有力量、办法、耐心、财力、资源等等：
He tried every restaurant in the town, but no one wanted to hire a helping hand. When night fell, he felt he was at the end of his tether.
镇上每一家饭店他都去试了，但没有人要雇帮工，夜色降临，他感到山穷水尽、走投无路。
I feel I’m at the end of my rope and if I do not stop to have a holiday, I’ll really break down.
我感到筋疲力尽，如果再不停下来去休假，我可真的要垮下来不可。
11. If I worked late every night of the weekday I would earn a lot of money，but the higher taxes that I would have to pay would rather take the gilt off the gingerbread
如果我周日的每个晚上都工作到深夜，那么我就会赚很多的钱，但我就相应地会要缴纳更高的税金，这样就令人扫兴了。
take the gilt off the gingerbread：除去诱人的外表，使幻想落空，令人扫兴
12. English and American hands were as scarce as hen's teeth in this unhealthy place
在这种有害健康的地方，英美籍的工人非常罕见。
be as scarce as hen's teeth (American & Australian) ：to be very difficult or impossible to find 罕见
13. He is always buying you expensive gifts, I am afraid they are Greek gifts for you and you'd better mind your P’s and Q’s.
他总是为您买贵重礼物，我担心这是黄鼠狼给鸡拜年不安好心。你最好小心行事。
Greek gift(s)直译是“希腊人的礼物”，出自荷马史诗《奥德赛》以及古罗马杰出诗人维吉尔（Publius Virgilius Maro,公元前70-前19年）的史诗《伊尼特》(Aeneis)中关于特洛伊城陷落经过的叙述。
据《奥德赛》卷8记述：许多特洛伊人对如何处置希腊人留下的大木马展开了辩论，“他们有三种主张：有的主张用铜矛刺透中空的木马；有的主张把它仍到岩石上；有的主张让它留在那里作为景观，来取悦天神”。结果是后一说占优势，他们把那匹木马拖进城里，而终于遭到了亡国之灾。
维吉尔的史诗《伊尼特》，写的是特洛伊被希腊攻陷后，王子伊尼斯从混乱中携家属出走，经由西西里、迦太基到达意大利，在各地漂泊流亡的情况。史诗第2卷便是伊尼斯关于特洛伊城陷落经过的叙述，其中情节除了模拟荷马史诗的描述外，还做了更详细的补充。当特洛伊人要把大木马拖进城的时候，祭司拉奥孔(Laocoon)劝说不要接受希腊人留下的东西。他说：“我怕希腊人，即使他们来送礼。”这句话后来成了一句拉丁谚语:"Timeo Danaos,et dona ferenteso."（原文的达奈人Danaos，即泛指希腊各部族人）译成英语就是：I fear the Greeks, even when bringing gifts. 其简化形式就是Greek gifts.可惜特洛伊人不听拉奥孔的警告，把木马作为战利品拖进城里。木马里藏着希腊的精锐部队，给特洛伊人带来了屠杀和灭亡。
由此，Greek gift成为一个成语，表示a gift with some sinister purposes of the enemy; one given with intent to harm; a gift sent inorder to murder sb等意思，按其形象意义，这个成语相当与另一句谚语：When the fox preaches, take care of your geese；也与汉语“黄鼠狼给鸡拜年——不安好心”十分类似。
来看两个例子：
He is always buying you expensive clothes, I'm afraid they are Greek gifts for you. 他总给你买很贵的衣服，我怀疑他没安好心。
Be on guard against the Greek gifts! 小心黄鼠狼给鸡拜年！
14. I told Tim we couldn't use him on the project, but if he's willing to work for nothing, then that’s a horse of a completely different color.
我对蒂姆说，我们不能聘用他参加这项事业，但如果他自愿工作，那就完全是两码事啦。
a horse of a different color/horse of another color：another matter另当别论
It’s true that I love vegetables. But it’s a horse of a completely different color if I have to eat vegetables every day without anything else. 我是爱吃蔬菜。但如果每天都要吃青菜而没有别的东西就是另一回事了。
15. He could not think that he had played a handsome part. Those who knew the story gave him the cold shoulder.
他可不能认为自己扮演了漂亮的角色。凡是知其底细者，都跟他断绝了往来了
After he double-crossed his best friend, everyone gave him the cold shoulder.在他出卖了最好的朋友后,每个人待他十分冷淡。
16. This film star is a nine days’ wonder; I doubt whether anyone will remember her in a year's time.
这个电影明星只不过是昙花一现的人物而已，我怀疑一年后还有没有 人记得她的名字（或芳名）。
A nine days' wonder means person or thing that attracts attention for a short time but is soon forgotten，昙花一现的人或事物。
Wonder, one that arouses awe, astonishment, surprise, or admiration; a marvel，惊奇或诧异引起敬畏、惊异、惊奇或羡慕的原因；奇异之事。
这里的nine days形容时间很短，并非表示“九天”这一具体的时间。
17. “Well, do exactly what the doctor says. A cousin of mine ended up losing the sight of an eye over an infection like that.” “Thanks very much! You're a proper Job's comforter, aren't you?
“嗯，照医生嘱咐的办吧。我有个堂兄就是因为这种感染最后落得一只 眼睛失明。”“真是感激不尽！你真是个在表而上安慰我实际上增加我的痛苦的人，对吗？
Job's comforter：要安慰人反而使人痛苦的人
Origin: Poor Job. He's the biblical character who endures extraordinary afflictions in a test of his piety. He loses his possessions, his children, and his health. And then, to make matters worse, three friends show up to "comfort" him. These friends turn out to be no comfort at all. Instead, they say that the things that have been happening to him happen to all sinners -- and point out a number of his faults. In the mid-18th century, English speakers began using the phrase "Job's comforter" for anyone who offers similarly unhelpful consolation
18. You will certainly be present at the meeting, but she'll attend it when two (或 three) Sundays come together.
你肯定会参加会议，但是要等她参加会议，除非太阳从西边升起。
when two (或 three) Sundays come together:永不会有那一天
Try translating the following into English:
1. 他是个很缺德的人，总以揭别人的疮疤为乐。
He is a wicked person, always enjoying cutting others to the quick.
Cut to the quick: 触及痛处
2. 一旦踏入社会，你就会发现自己是初出茅庐，稚嫩得很，还有许多东西要学。
Once you step into society, you will find you are still wet behind the ears and there are quite a lot of things you have got to learn yet.
wet behind the ears (as green as grass; lacking experience of the world of life; young and inexperienced)
Wet behind the ears如果直译: 耳朵背后是潮的。这个习惯用语流行至今差不多有一个世纪了。它可能来自这样的说法: 小马、小牛刚生下来的时候全身湿漉漉的；别的地方很快会干，但是耳朵背后却还是湿的。所以说某人耳朵背后是潮的，是把这人比作刚生下不久的婴儿了。
换句话说就是他简直像新生儿一般幼稚无知。我们来看个例子。这回是一位电脑软件专家在对上级说他不能使用他们专为一个重要项目雇佣的那名新员工，因为那人毫无工作经验。
I'm telling you, Ed, this guy is still wet behind the ears - he has no idea of how to even start the job. Why, my nine-year old daughter knows more about computers than he does!
他说：我跟你说，Ed，这个人简直乳臭未干，他甚至连这工作怎么着手干都不知道。嘿，我九岁女儿对电脑的了解都比他要多。
这里的wet behind the ears，相当于中文里的“乳臭未干的，” 用来形容某人幼稚无知
3. 在那个国家，很多人感到60年代初的种族隔离是件棘手之事。
In that country, many people found racial segregation a hot potato in the early '60s.
美国人很喜欢吃土豆，特别是刚从烤箱里拿出来的一个个热气腾腾的土豆。下面我们要介绍的一个俗语是hot potato。大家都知道hot的意思是热或烫，potato就是土豆。热的土豆固然好吃，但是它会烫你的手，你会想法马上甩掉的。 Hot potato作为俗语，它的意思就是一个争论很激烈的问题，没有一个人愿意为它承担责任。例如：
The question of whether to raise taxes to cut the budget deficit is a real hot potato for a lot of politicians. 是否用增加税收的方法来减少预算赤字的问题对于许多政客来说是一个棘手的问题。
下面这个例子是一位律师在给另一位律师提供建议：
If I were you, I'd drop that client like a hot potato; he's always suing somebody for something, but he usually loses and he doesn't pay his lawyer's bills. 要是我是你的话，我就把你那个顾客马上甩掉。他老是为了什么事去告别人，可是他总是输给别人，他还往往不付律师费。
英语potato一词特别有意思。不仅因为sweet potato（甜土豆）即是“白薯（山芋）”，这样的命名特别有趣，而且potato常可用以指人，例如small potatoes原意是“鸡毛蒜皮等微不足道的东西”，但更多用以指“小人物”“微不足道的人”（类似上海方言“萝卜头”）。“He is a small potato.”也常被学生作为口头禅，拿来互相取笑。
Hot potato可指“麻烦的事”、“棘手的问题”或“难对付的人”，类似中文 “烫手的山芋”，例如The subject of police brutality is a hot potato.（警察暴行的话题是一个棘手的问题。）
短语the clean potato指“最正确、最适当的事物”，也可以指“正派的人”、“规矩的好人”。而反过来，not the clean potato则意为“形迹可疑的人”。
作为一种常见的食品，potato在美国俚语里也有很多体现。比如，potato常指“头”或“难看的脸”；potato-trap指“嘴”；potato-head则指“傻瓜”（土豆是没有脑子的）；而potato digger则指“古板守旧、不受欢迎的人”（大概是由在地里掘土豆的农民形象转化而来的）。
上世纪90年代初出现了一个新的短语couch potato，专指“吃饱饭后成天窝在沙发上看电视的人”，非常形象。（顺便提一下，英美人很少用sofa一词，长沙发叫couch ，单人沙发则叫armchair。）
随着电脑的普及，近来一个与potato有关的新短语流行开来，即mouse potato（这里的mouse不是“老鼠”，而是“鼠标”），专门指“整天坐在电脑前的电脑迷”。这一词条已被正式收录在2006年版的《韦氏大学词典》（Webster Collegiate Dictionary）的100个新词语中。笔者相信，今后还会有更多“新土豆”的出现。
4. 他同意独自完成这项工程，简直是蛇吞象。
He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to finish this project alone
He bit off more than he could chew.
他说得多，做得少。
他承诺太多他办不到的事情。
用意译：“思想的巨人，行动的矮子！”
5. 我只是告诉你，和他打交道的惟一方法就是与他面对面展开斗争。
I simply wanted to tell you that the only way to do business with him was to beard the lion in his den.
beard the lion in his den：入虎穴取子(老虎头上捉虱, 太岁头上动土)
6. 对于诗我读得不多。要读的时候，我总是宁可选择过去的佳作，而不要当代的次品。
. Of poetry I don't read much and when I do I choose the dead lion in preference to the living dog.
A living dog is better than a dead lion．(下贱而活着比高贵而死了的强。) 将对应的两个成分拆开并在句中重作安排，分别喻指“过去的佳作”(死狮)和“当代的次品”(活狗)，形成强烈对比，表现力强。
7. 现在最好不要向老板讲，因为你没有遵守限期，他正在气头上哪。
Better not try to talk to the boss now, He's as mad as a wet hen because you didn't meet your deadline.
as mad as a wet hen:非常生气
8. 有些人在上火车的时候，不等乘客下车就一拥而入，这种行为真叫我生气。
It gets me goat the way some people push onto a train before the passengers on board can get off
When someone says the phrase “something or other really gets my goat,” they mean that they are extremely irritated. A wide variety of things could contribute to irritation, ranging from someone else's actions to a series of events, but, despite the turn of phrase, goats are not usually involved. Like many colorful idioms in the English language, the origins of “get my goat” are murky, difficult to pin down, and actually rather fascinating, for people who enjoy exploring language.
9. 我们公司规定的试用阶段，目的在于区分能够胜任工作和不能胜任工作的人。
The purpose of our company^ trial employment period is to separate the wheat (the sheep) from the chaff (the goats).
separate the sheep from the goats (British, American & Australian) also sort (out) the sheep from the goats (British & Australian)
to choose the people or things of high quality from a group of mixed quality I'll look through the application forms and separate the sheep from the goats.
10. 他是个胆小鬼，他不可能临危不惧于关键时刻。
He is a chicken and it is impossible for him to face the music at the critical moment.
11. 这不是任何人的错误，责任完全在我们自己身上。我们不自量力，结果把自己搞得完蛋了
It was nobody's fault but our own. We cooked our own goose by trying to bite off more than we could chew.
Cook one’s goose: ruin your chances; make impossible to succeed
Explanation: Used when speaking about a person or thing that makes success impossible.
Examples: Well, I cooked my goose by asking the wrong questions on the interview. - You'd better be careful when speaking to her, you don't want to cook your goose by saying something insensitive.
12. 她对家谱很感兴趣。所谓自己无学问，莫把祖宗夸；我认为对一个人的评价源于其本身所为，而非其祖先。
She's showed great interest in genealogy [,dʒi:ni'ælədʒi] (family tree). But mules boast much that their ancestors were horses; I think a person's value derives from what he does, not from what one of his ancestors might have been
13. 与过去相比，小康之家逐渐多了起来。
Compared with the past, there is an increasing number of well-to-do families.
Say something about the origins of t
浙公网安备 33021202002483