九乡新闻网齐齐哈尔招聘人才网:美国习惯用语(96-121)
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第一百二十一讲(2007.10.15)
1. to make hay尽量利用有利可图的时机来赚钱
If you ask me, some oil companies are really making hay out of the Gulf crisis. They keep raising the price of a gallon of gas, even though the experts say there's enough gas to go around if people don't get greedy.
I tell you, the smart thing is to buy as much stock as you can afford. You want to make hay before everybody hears about it and the stock doubles in price.
2. to go haywire 非常生气,以致难以控制自己
Usually my brother is the calmest man I know. But when he saw this kid trying to steal his new car, he really went haywire. He chased the kid down the street, tackled him and sat on him until the police showed up. He's lucky the kid didn't have a knife!
I tell you I was so mad when I saw what the dog had done. I'm afraid I went haywire: I rolled up a newspaper to swat him with and chased him all over the house.
第一百二十讲(2007.10.14)
1. spring chicken 年轻的少女
See that woman sitting over there -- the one wearing the flashy red dress and too much lipstick and eye shadow? She is flirting with that good-looking young man across from her. Well, she's certainly no spring chicken; that man looks young enough to be her son!
I'm over forty, so I'm not a spring chicken any more. But I can still play a good game of tennis. In fact, I can take my 20 year old son out to the tennis court and beat him any day of the week.
2. goose bumps鸡皮疙瘩
I know that most snakes are harmless, but I can't help it -- every time I see a snake, even in a zoo, I get goose bumps all over!
Do you know, I have seen every movie with Madonna in it at least five times. Just seeing her picture in a magazine gives me goose bumps -- she's such a beauful woman!
第一百一十九讲(2007.10.13)
1. chicken out 临阵退缩
Today I was sure I could work up my courage and dive off the ten-meter board at the pool. I walked right out to the edge, but then I chickened out -- it looked like a long way down to the water!
My friend Joe was planning to get married for the fourth time. But at the last moment he chickened out because his first three marriages ended in divorce and he was afraid to take another chance.
2. chicken feed 很少量的钱
I turned down the job at the hamburger restaurant. They only pay chicken feed -- not even enough money to pay my rent.
My grandfather says that 50 years ago a salary of $5,000 a year meant you could live very comfortably. But these days $5,000 is just chicken feed; you'd have a tough time just surviving on it.
第一百一十八讲(2007.10.12)
1. sitting duck 很容易上当受害的人
Sure. My friend Joe is a sitting duck for any phony offer that promises to make him rich in a hurry. Anytime a fast-talking salesman comes along with a promise to make Joe a millionaire overnight, Joe will hand over his money. And, of course, he'll never see it again.
It was early on a Sunday morning and the Americans had no warning. So the battleships and destroyers were sitting ducks when the Japanese bombers swept in from the sea.
2. dead duck 没有任何希望的事或物
If I were you, I wouldn't put any more money into the restaurant. It's simply in the wrong part of town. Honey, I'm afraid it's already a dead duck -- there isn't any way to save it.
The President's proposal looks like a dead duck -- some congressmen in his own party are against it, so I'm afraid he won't get enough votes to get it passed through the Congress.
第一百一十七讲(2007.10.11)
1. where-is-the-beef 实质性的东西在哪里
Where's the beef,Mr. President -- where's the beef?
Our history teacher is a good talker but there isn't much real meat about history in what he says. I'd like to ask him, 'Where's the beef?' because we sure don't learn much from him.
2. turkey farm指的是政府或私营机构专门安排那些工作无能，又不能开除的人聚集的地方
The man is so incompetent we'd like to fire him. But he has good political connections so we sent him to our turkey farm out in Denver where he can't cause much damage.
There is a secretary in my office who tries to do as little as possible. I have warned her several times. If she continues to behave that way, one day I am going to send her to the turkey farm.
第一百一十六讲(2007.10.10)
1. to break the ice 缓和紧张气氛
He started the meeting with a couple of jokes to get people to relax. Then he went around the table and asked everybody to stand up and tell a little about themselves and that broke the ice in a hurry.
It's hard to break the ice at a party for adults where everybody is a stranger. But you put a bunch of young kids together and the noise tells you they break the ice in five minutes.
2. iceberg 指那种冷漠无情的人
My boss is the smartest man I know. But he's a real iceberg: he acts like he has no feelings for other people. In fact you can almost feel the chill when he walks into the office.
We thought our neighbor next door was a real iceberg, cold and aloof(孤零的, 冷淡的) to us all. But at his daughter's wedding he wore a big smile and was so friendly I couldn't believe he was the same man.
第一百一十五讲(2007.10.09)
1. snowball 形容某一样东西很快就变得越来越大，就像滚雪球那样
Sally's happy about how her new seafood restaurant is doing. Business was slow at first but it's really snowballed the last couple of months: now you have to wait in line to get a table.
The latest polls show that public opinion is starting to snowball in favor of our opponent. We need to find some more good things to say about our candidate and find them quick.
2. snow job 用欺骗手段来说服别人
This guy kept telling me how much I'd save with his company. But when I read the policy he was selling, I realized he was giving me a snow job. So I told him thanks but no thanks.
That new man who's running for Congress makes a lot of promises what he'll do for the people. But I keep having this uneasy feeling that he's only giving us a snow job.
第一百一十四讲(2007.10.08)
1. beefy 形容一些人身体很强壮
These two guys were pushing me around until my brother, who's a beefy football player on the school team, came out and asked me if I needed help. You should have seen those two guys run!
You expect a big, beefy man to have a deep, deep voice. But my beefy neighbor who must weigh 120 kilos has a high-pitched squeaky voice like a man half his size.
2. to beef up 增加力量
A general beefs up his forces before a battle by adding more tanks and artillery. A college can beef up its educational level by hiring highly-qualified professors.
I am happy to tell you that our sales increased almost 25 percent in the last six months after we beefed up our sales force by hiring 50 more sales people in California and Texas.
第一百一十三讲(2007.10.07)
1. turkey 指人不聪明、笨头笨脑
I wouldn't go out on a date with Mary if she was the last woman in the world. She's such a turkey with that boring personality and stupid grin.
This man came with a good recommendation from his last job,but it turns out he's just a turkey who simply can't do anything right!
2. cold turkey 立即停止长期养成的习惯
You know, for 25 years I smoked two packs a day. But the day a good friend of mine died of lung cancer, I decided to go cold turkey and never light up another cigarette.It was tough, but it was the smartest thing I ever did in my life.
I needed to lose weight quick, so I gave up ice cream, cake and other rich foods cold turkey. And do you know I lost ten pounds in just a little over a month!
第一百一十二讲(2007.10.06)
1. to smell fishy 觉得不太对头
Somebody offered to sell me some beach property in Florida at a good cheap price. But the deal smelled fishy so I went down to take a look. Sure enough, every time the tide came in, the land was under three feet of water.
It appeared to be a real bargain, but I smelled something fishy because the man was in such a hurry to sell it. I was right--later on I found out the car was stolen.
2. to fish for compliments 设法让别人赞扬你, 用一种巧妙的方法来让别人恭维你、赞扬你
Do you notice how Dora always fishes for compliments? She keeps asking the men in the office what they think of her new hairdo, or whether they think her new dress is the right color for her.
I hope you don't think I'm fishing for a compliment, but have you had a chance to read my new book? The reviews are good, but I'd like to hear what you think about it.
第一百一十一讲(2007.10.05)
1. shrimp 身材矮小的人
Basketball is a game for tall people. But once in a while a player like Mugsy Bogues comes along. Mugsy is a real shrimp--only 1.6 meters tall. But he's so quick and clever he can play on equal terms with all those giants.
The great French leader Napoleon was shorter than everybody around him, so you'd have to call him a little shrimp. But for a shrimp, he certainly made the rest of Europe tremble.
2. crab性情暴燥的人
I don't like any of my teachers much, but the one I hate the most is Missus Gray. She's such an old crab, always scolding us for making noise, chewing gum, not doing our homework.
My neighbor is such an old crab. He practically does not allow me to listen to music and watch TV. Whenever I turn on my radio or television set, he knocks on my door and angrily orders me to stop.
第一百一十讲(2007.10.04)
1. to rub elbow 和别人交往或接触 (elbow 肘)
I like Mister Lewis. He's one of the richest, most powerful men in New York, but he's not stuck-up at all. In fact he really enjoys getting out and rubbing elbows with all us ordinary people.
If you travel across America by bus, you rub elbows with all sorts of people. You'll meet older retired people, young students and others who ride the bus because it's cheaper than flying.
2. albow room 一个人可施展的地方或空间
My husband and I are looking for a bigger house to move into. We have six children and a seventh on the way, and we need a lot more elbow room than we have now.
I can think of one person who has more elbow room than she needs--the Queen of England. They say that Windsor Castle has more than a thousand rooms. Now that's real elbow room.
第一百零九讲(2007.10.03)
1. to call up 打电话、钩起回忆、征集预备役军人
Every time I look at that black and gold lacquer box on my desk, it calls up memories of our trip to Bangkok last year.
After the hurricane hit the Florida coast, the governor called up the National Guard to help with the rescue work.
2. to call it a day 结束一天的工作
I worked on my term paper until about ten o'clock last night, but got so sleepy I decided to call it a day. I'll finish it this afternoon when I come back from class.
We've got so much news to handle today that I didn't even have time to have lunch. Now I am going to call it a day and go home to have a good rest.
第一百零八讲(2007.10.02)
1. call the shots (原意: 军官下令部队开枪) 引申为：下命令、做最后决定
The three partners who own our company are supposed to have equal say in running it. But one of them, old Mister Johns, is the one who calls the shots and tells us what to do.
Some men in the office thought no woman could be strong enough to be boss. But a week after Miss Smith took charge, they learned she was going to call the shots and they'd better listen.
2. call one’s bluff 揭露某人虚张声势的做法
Sometimes you can scare the other players out of the game with a bluff and 'steal' the pot with a worthless hand. But it can be very expensive if another player calls your bluff.
One of our salesmen asked for a raise in salary today, and said he'd have to leave if we didn't give him a raise. But I called his bluff--I told him no, and wished him good luck. Then he said he'd stay on with us because he liked working here so much.
第一百零七讲(2007.10.01)
1. munch 吃零食
One of the real pleasure of life for me is to sit and munch on hot buttered popcorn while I watch a good movie.
No wonder Betty has trouble keeping her weight down. Between meals she munches all day long on potato chips, salted peanuts and candy.
2. hors d’oeuvres 招待会或晚餐前吃的小点心
Last year our company had a great New Year's party with a fine sit-down dinner. But this year, with business so bad, we only had a stand-up reception with a few hors d'oeuvres like cheese on crackers and some cheap wine.
You should have been at the French Embassy reception last night. The hors d'oeuvres were so tasty I filled up on them and didn't eat any dinner when I got home.
第一百零六讲(2007.09.30)
1. to grab a bite 由于没有时间吃饭或其他原因在饭前先吃点东西填补一下
Honey, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! I was so busy at work today. I didn't even have time to run out and grab a bite at that Kentucky Fried Chicken place across the street.
We need to hurry if we want to see the 7:30 movie. Let's just stop off and grab a bite to eat at that hamburger joint near the theater.
2. grubstake 为开创一个企业提供的资金或贷款
My husband and I have worked hard to make our new restaurant a success, but most of all I thank my father for giving us the grubstake to open it.
I want to quit my job and open a sporting goods shop for myself. But I'm having trouble finding anybody to put up a grubstake to help me get started.
第一百零五讲(2007.09.29)
1. brainstorm （动词）大家群策群力,(名词) 好主意
I'm sorry to tell you our client has turned down（不喜欢） the ads we did for him. Let's meet at 2 o'clock and brainstorm ideas.
Say, I just had a brainstorm! In our ads for these new cars, why don't we talk about their safety features and not how fast they go. A lot of people are worried about safety these days.
2. egghead 书生气很足的知识分子
Sure, all the eggheads love Stevenson. But how many eggheads do you think there are?
I have to tell you that since he went off to college, Bill has turned into a real egghead. He'd rather read a book on physics than see a movie or a good football game on TV.
第一百零四讲(2007.09.28)
1． Ghost writer 黑笔杆,为别人写作的人
Writers like to see their names on books. But ghost writers have to be invisible like real ghosts. But don't feel to sorry for them: they get very well paid for writing under somebody else's name.
Shakespeare died almost four hundred years ago but there are still a few people who believe Francis Bacon or somebody else was the ghost writer who really wrote all the plays which have shakespeare's name on them.
2． Spooky 感到阴森森，好像有鬼似的让人感到害怕，幽灵般的, 怪异的
I don't believe in ghosts. But you know something? I get this spooky feeling every time I walk by this old, deserted house at night where that woman was chopped to death 30 years ago.
Every time I pass by funeral homes or cemetries, even in broad daylight , I always have that kind of spooky feeling as if ghosts will appear.
第一百零三讲(2007.09.27)
1． To give up the ghost 指人死了
My poor old aunt was in bed with cancer for six months before she finally gave up the ghost.
I need money to buy a new car. My old one is twelve years old and I'm afraid it's ready to give up the ghost（完蛋了）.
2． Ghost town 被遗弃的城镇
These old ghost towns can give you a scary feeling, with the buildings falling apart and the only sound is the moaning of the wind blowing through the deserted streets.
I come from a city in Illinois which used to have three big steel plants. But these factories closed twenty years ago and the city has almost become a ghost town with most of the people gone and most of the stores and houses boarded up like a mining town out West.
第一百零二讲(2007.09.26)
1. brainchild 指某人想出来的主意
The electric light bulb is the brainchild of Thomas Edison, the telephone is the brainchild of Alexander Graham Bell, two 19th-century American inventors.
To set up a foundation in our college to help poor students was the brainchild of our sociology professor.
2. to pick one’s brain 徵求别人的看法，或听取专家的意见
I don't understand all this scientific language. I'd better go see Doctor Rogers at the medical school and pick his brain; maybe he can make it clear to me.
People all say that Mary is very smart. Yes, she is. But you have to know the reason why she is smart is because she always picks other people's brains.
第一百零一讲(2007.09.25)
1. to get one’s back up 生气
One thing really gets my back up -- the way my husband leaves his clothes on the bed or on the floor so I have to pick them up all the time.
And there's one thing that really gets my back up: my wife nagging at me to hang my clothes up as soon as I walk in the house at night after a hard day at the office.
2. to scratch one’s back 指某人帮了一下忙，帮忙的人也期待对方下回帮他的忙，投桃报李
This senator from the 11th district scratched my back when he voted for my bill to cut state income taxes, so it's my turn to do him a favor and vote for that bill for more money for roads in his district.
In my business it's important to scratch each other's back. Say a customer does me a favor by giving me an extra big order. The next time he's in town I might take him out to dinner and a broadway show.
第一百讲(2007.09.24)
1. nag 没完没了地唠叨，让人听起来很烦燥
I like my boss except for one thing - he's always nagging me about getting to work on time. I'm never more than five minutes late, and that's only when the bus doesn't show up on time.
My wife is such a nag about my smoking - she keeps after me all day long to stop it. You know, I've been smoking twenty years now and giving up my four packs a day is hard to do.
2. to get off one’s back 别再纠缠不清, 取消一些对人起限制作用的规章、条例或机构
I'm telling you, if that guy doesn't stop nagging me about working faster, I'm going to tell him to get off my back or I'll walk right off the job and let him see how hard it is to find a good mechanic these days.
Do you know what would help pick up the economy? Just get the government off our backs with all these useless rules and regulations that keep us filling out forms and showing inspectors around.
第九十九讲(2007.09.23)
1. to turn one’s back on someone 指根本不理会某人，或不肯给那个有困难的人任何帮助
I won't ever forgive my older brother--he turned his back on me and refused to lend me any money when I lost my job.
My father deserted my mother and me when I was five years old. But I can't turn my back on him now that he's old and sick. So I'm paying the rent for him on a little apartment in Los Angeles.
2. to get on someone’s back 指对某人唠唠叨叨没完
I really don't like to get on Henry's back all the time. But after twenty years, you would think he'd learn to pick up his clothes and hang them in the closet to help me keep the house neat.
Helen is always on my back to make me pick up my clothes when I leave them lying around the house. She's right, of course, but I wish she wouldn't get on my back so much.
第九十八讲(2007.09.22)
1. to put on the back burner 先搁置在一边
Joe, I know you're working on the Anderson contract, but let's put it on the back burner for now. We need your help on the new Jones contract--it's worth more than five million dollars.
Honey, the boss told me today he can't give me that pay raise I was expecting.I'm afraid that means we'll have to put our plans to buy a bigger house on the back burner until next year.
2. to drag one’s feet 拖拖拉拉
Billy and Sally always drag their feet when I tell them it's bedtime. They love to watch TV after dinner and they'd stay up till midnight if I didn't chase them off to bed.
The union is dragging its feet on agreeing to a settlement. They think the company is getting desperate to get people back to work because Christmas is coming and that's our busiest time of year.
第九十七讲(2007.09.21)
1. smart (as intelligence) 聪明
I hate to admit this, but my kid sister is smarter than I am. I barely passed algebra and geometry, but here she's head of her class in both.
What makes my brother think he's so smart? Sure he did a lot better than I did in college. But if he's all that smart, how come I have a better job and make more money?
2. smart (as fashionable) 时髦或者衣服穿得很漂亮
The thing I like about Harry is that he's such a smart dresser. He probably doesn't spend any more money on his clothes than I do, but somehow he manages to look so stylish.
I'd love to go to this party; it's the smartest social affair this year. But I can't afford to buy a new gown, and everybody else there will be so smartly dressed.
第九十六讲(2007.09.20)
1. basket case 指毫无能力和希望，或指那些老是亏钱，即将倒闭的企业
I'm really worried - our company is losing so much money these days that if things don't get better in the next two months we'll be a basket case and have to go out of business.
They made me wait so long for the interview that I was a basket case by the time I finally got called in. I've never been so nervous! I stammered(结结巴巴), I stuttered(口吃，结结巴巴)--I almost couldn't remember my own name.
2. all washed up 彻底完蛋
Did you hear that Gloria's marriage is all washed up? She found her husband was seeing another woman, so she packed up, took the kids and moved out. Now she's suing for divorce.
That man over there used to be one of the best players in baseball. But then he started drinking, turned into an alcoholic, and just two years later he was all washed up.