one’s wits end 智穷计尽
wit的意思是“颖悟力,智力,理解力”。该习语的意思是“处在智力的末端”,意即“智穷计尽”了。例如:I’m at my wit’s end with this problem. 我对这个问题真是束手无策。
A: I am at my wits’ end. 我已经智穷计尽了
B: What’s the matter? 怎么啦?
sixes and sevens 乱七八糟;意见不一
该习语一般认为源于掷色子,原为赌博行话。据说在中世纪时,色子面上的最高点数是7,如想求得13点,即一个色子6点,一个色子7点,这谈何容易,只有那些心烦意乱或处于思想混乱状态下的人才会下此赌注,一试赌赢。该习语最初表示“漫不经心地下赌注”,后来转而表示“心烦意乱”,最后又引申出“乱七八糟”、“意见不一”等意思。乔叟在爱情长诗《特罗勒斯和克丽西德》中使用过该习语。
A: You have loused up the whole business; it’s at sixes and sevens. 整个买卖让你弄得乱七八糟。
B: The dice is cast. It’s incurable. 一切都成了定局,没救了。
to square one 退回起点;从头再来
该习语源自掷色子游戏。当掷出某个特定的号码时要受罚,于是还要重新再掷。该习语即指“无所进展,退回起点”,进而“从头再来”。例如:I’m back to square one with the work.(我的工作又得从头做起。)
A: Have you finished designing that office building? 那座办公楼设计好了吗?
B: We are back to square one now. 我们正在重新设计。
to the drawing board 从头开始,失败后另起炉灶
drawing board指“画板”。该习语直议为“(退)回到画板前”,引申为“从头开始。失败后另起炉灶”。
A: How is Jim recently? 吉姆近况如何?
B: Very well. Since he was back to the drawing board, he’s been very successful. 非常好。自从他失败以后另起炉灶,就一直很成功。
park figure 近似数,大致正确的估计
ballpark一词本指“棒球场”,引申为“活动领域”,在此为形容词,表示“大致正确的,八九不离十的”。此类常用短语还有in the right ballpark“大致正确,差不多”。 Ballpark figure 指大致不错的近似数。
A: What price is this building? 这栋楼的成本是多少?
B: It’s $1,00,000, just a ballpark figure. 一百万美元,这只是个大概数。
for the buck 货真价实
buck在美国俚语中是“美元”的意思。有这样一个短语,bigger bang for a buck,它的意思是“花钱取得更大效果”。Bang原是表示巨大声响的拟声词,这里引申为“效果”。
A: Listen! It’s mid-summer now. What do we need them for? 嘿,现在已经是仲夏了,我们要这些东西干什么?
B: They may come in handy. Besides, these items can be true bang for the buck. 会有用得着它们的时候,再说这些东西是货真价实的呀。
brassed off doing 厌烦干… ,对 … 满腹牢骚
brass作名词指“黄铜”,作动词指“镀黄铜于 … ”,而brassed off是俚语,意思是“厌烦,不满,牢骚满腹”。
A: I am awfully sorry that I have kept you waiting. 真是很抱歉让您久等了。
B: To tell you the truth, I am really brassed off waiting. 说实话,我最讨厌等人。
catty 爱搬弄是非的;爱诽谤人的
英语中,cat给人的联想总是不太愉快,如cattish的意思是“狡猾的、恶意的、偷偷摸摸的”。cat在英语中可用来指“恶意伤人的女人,包藏祸心的女人”,因此catty就有了诽谤的含义。
A: I thought you would cooperate. 我原以为你会跟我合作呢。
B: Well, I’m too busy to be catty and poke my nose into things that do not matter much to me. 我可不愿意搬弄是非去管那些跟我没关系的闲事。
down in the dumps 垂头丧气,神情沮丧
the dumps在非正规的口语表达方式中的意思是“忧郁”或“沮丧”。be down in the dumps常指“闷闷不乐”或“打不起精神”,也可引申为“垂头丧气,精神沮丧”。
A: You’re down in the dumps. What’s happened? 你看上去沮丧不堪。出什么事了?
B: I had a quarrel with our boss’s secretary. She’s been on her high horse these days. 我和老板的'秘书吵了一架。这几天她总是盛气凌人。
in a jam 陷入困境
jam指“拥挤,阻塞”。该习语的字母意思为“在拥挤之中”,引申为“陷入困难的处境”。例如:She is in a bit of jam about money. (她的手头有点拮据。)
A: Mike told me that his business was in a jam and he was in urgent need of money. He wanted to borrow some money from me. 迈克告诉我他的生意陷入困境,急需用钱。他想向我借钱。
B: Don’t lend money to him. He’s always lying. 别借钱给他。他总是说慌。
in full swing 正在全力进行,处于活跃阶段
in full swing的意思是“活跃”。该习语的意思即引申为“处于(工作的)全面展开、进行阶段”。例如:The building project is in full swing.(这个建筑工程正处在全力进行之中。)
A: I hear your company in expanding its business. 我听说你们公司正在扩展生意。
B: Yeah. We’re setting up a new factory now and the work on it is in full swing. The project will be completed in three months. 是的,我们正在新建一个工厂。工程正处于全面施工阶段,三个月内就可以完工了。
in high gear 全力进行
gear指“齿轮,传动装置”,high gear的意思是汽车的“高速档”。该习语字面意思为“机器正处在高速档(快速运转)”,实际指“事物正处在全力进行当中”。
A: By the way, how is your business going? Is it proceeding smoothly? 哎,你的生意最近如何?进展还顺利吗?
B: Yes, it’s in high gear. 一切都在全力进行。
itching for a chance to do 很想找个机会试一试
形容词itching的意思是“渴望的”,be itching to do意为“渴望做某事”;for a chance指“找机会”,因此整个习语的意思即为“渴望得到机会试做某事”。
A: I am itching for a chance to cooperate with Mike. I hear he’s a very competent person. 我很想找机会和迈克合作一次。听说他特别能干。
B: Everyone who has worked with him will have a deep impression on that point. 是的。每个和他一起工作的人都对此深有体会。
of one mind 意见一致,看法相同
mind可指“头脑,心神”。该习语直译为“一个脑子想出的问题”,由此可以引申为“意见统一、看法相同”的意思。
A: What do the board think about this plan? 董事会对这项计划怎么看?
B: They are of one mind in passing it. 他们一致通过。
on a gravy train 走运,有赚钱的机会
gravy在美国口语中有“容易赚得的利润”的意思,gravy train意即“轻易发大财的工作”。该习语直译为“在一辆容易赚钱的火车上”,所以引申为“走运,有赚钱的机会”。
A: John seems to be on the gravy train these days. 约翰最近看起来很走运。
B: Yeah. He got a chance of going abroad to arrange an exhibition. 是啊。他得到了一个出国去办展览的机会。
on cloud nine 高兴得飘飘然
该习语原为美国气象用语。该习语的流行据说应归功于50年代播放的一个名叫《约翰尼·多拉尔》的广播节目。Be on cloud nine的字面意思是“坐早九重云霄之上”,引申为“高兴得不得了”或“飘飘然”。例如:He was on cloud nine after winning the competition. (他在比赛胜利后欣喜若狂。)
A: You seem to be on cloud nine these days. How is your restaurant business? 你近来有些高兴得飘飘然。餐馆的生意怎么样?
B: How is my business? It’s none of your business! 我的生意怎么样?这不关你的事。
on pins and needles 坐立不安
pins指“大头针”,needles指“针”,be on pins and needles的字面意思是“如坐在大头针和针上”,喻为“坐卧不安”或“如坐针毡”。
A: It seems you’re on pins and needles today. Anything troubling you? 你今天似乎坐立不安。有什么事吗?
B: Yeah. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me. You see, my car was stolen and the warehouse had been broken into. I can’t put my finger on the causes of this damned thing. 是的。我不知道坏事为什么总是找上我。你看,我的汽车被偷了,货仓也被盗了。我弄不明白怎么会发生这些倒霉事。
over the hump 已度过难关
hump的本义是“小丘,山脉”,over the hump直译为“越过山脉”,引申为“度过难关”。
A: The Asian financial crises have almost paralyzed Asian economy. 亚洲金融危机几乎使亚洲经济瘫痪。
B: Your company must be influenced by it deeply. 你们的公司肯定也很受影响吧
saddled with 把任务或责任强加在某人身上
saddle在这儿作动词,意为“使负担,强加”,saddle sb. with sth. 意为“为某人负重担”,因此该习语意为“把任务强加予某人”。例如:I can’t be saddled with any more responsibilities.(我再也不能承担更多的任务了。)
A: How is George recently? 最近乔治怎么样?
B: Not very good. I hear that he is saddled with debts of his company. 不太好。我听说他的公司现在债务缠身。
short of hands 缺乏人手,人手不够
short作表语时指“某物不够,缺乏某物”的意思,常与介词of搭配使用,既短语be short of something。
A: You look worried about something. What’s the matter? 你好像很着急,怎么了?
B: My computer isn’t working and I have got an important contract to type. 我的电脑坏了,可我还有一份重要合同要打出来。
supposed to 认为应该,必须;认为可以
此语用被动语态表示“被许多人相信”,如:The castle is supposed to be haunted.(人们都说那座城堡闹鬼。)此语在口语中表示“认为可以做某事”,如:None of us girls is supposed to smoke.(我们女孩子都不吸烟。)此语中的supposed是动词的过去式,supposed作为形容词,意指“假定的,被信以为真的,想象中的”。
A: The train was supposed to get to Beijing at eight o’clock. 火车该八点钟到北京。
B: Eight o’clock? It’s already eight-thirty. 八点?现在都八点半了。
too quick on the trigger 操之过急,行动过于仓促
trigger指枪的“扳机,触发器”。该习语直译为“过早地扣动扳机”,引申为“行动过于仓促,操之过急”。
A: You shouldn’t have had Bob do that job. He is still a green hand. 你不该让鲍勃做那项工作,他毕竟还是一个新手。
B: But he needs to be given a chance. 但是他也需要机会呀!
down 加倍努力
该习语本身就有“竭尽全力、加紧努力”的意思。例如:You will bear down if you expect to pass the exam. (你要是指望考试及格的话,就得加一把劲。)
A: If we can’t finish the work before deadline, we will be fined according to the contract. 如果我们不能在规定的期限内完成工作,根据合同,我们将会被罚款。
B: We are already bearing down to do the work. 我们已经在很努力地工作了。
someone at his own game 将计就计地惩罚某人
习惯用语beat someone at his own game直译为“以某人自己设计的把戏打击某人”,与汉语的“将计就计”近似
A: You seem to be worried about something. 你看上去很担心。
B: Yeah. I don’t know how to deal with that smart businessman. 是呀。我不知道该怎么对付那个狡猾的商人。
of two minds 拿不定主意
be of two minds和be in two minds的意思基本相同,均表示“左右摇摆”或“拿不定主意,下不了决心”。例如:Don’t depend on him to decide. He always seems to be of two minds on important matters.(别指望他能做出决定。在重要事情上他好像总拿不定主意。)
A: Are you ready to take the plunge and pound the pavements for new one? 你是否准备大胆采取措施,排除障碍,重新再来?
B: I’m still of two minds. But I do seem to like to quit my present job. 我依然犹疑不决。我确实想放弃现在的工作。