20 Flashcards
a red herring
轉移注意力的事情（或想法、話題）
The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings.
警方調查了很多線索，但那都是些轉移他們視線的內容。
to spill the beans
洩漏秘密
So who spilled the beans about her affair with David?
那到底是誰把她和戴維的私情抖露出來的？
stiff upper lip
堅忍，剛毅，沉得住氣
He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip, whatever happens.
他學會無論發生甚麼事都要堅強。
get cold feet
（尤指面對結婚等重要事宜時）突然退縮，裹足不前
never look a gift horse in the mouth
不要拒絕別人的好意。
to pay the piper
To pay the consequences for self-indulgent behavior: “If you stay up late at night to watch TV, in the morning you will have to pay the piper.”
on the carpet
被上司責備，受老闆訓斥
show your hand
攤牌；表明自己的意圖
Keep the names of the team secret - don’t show your hand until the day of the game.
球隊的名稱要保密——比賽那天再宣佈。
to tilt at windmills
向風車挑戰；跟實際不存在的敵人戰鬥
to feather one’s nest
營私; 中飽私囊
He went into illegal business to feather his nest.
他做非法生意以達到營私之目的。
fair-weather friends
酒肉朋友，不能共患難的朋友
to sow wild oats
（年輕男子）過放蕩的生活
windfall
意外之財
Investors each received a windfall of £3,000.
每位投資者都獲得3000英鎊的意外之財。
wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve
流露（自己的）情感
wash dirty linen in public
在公開場合談論私密之事；家醜外揚
save face
保全面子
Though she’d lost her job, she saved face by saying she’d left it willingly.
她失去了工作, 卻說是自願離職以保全面子。
Indian summer
興旺的晚期；幸福安寧的晚年
A star of the 1960s, she’s enjoying an Indian summer with her second highly acclaimed film this year.
她本是20世紀60年代的影星，今年以其第二部獲大力讚揚的影片迎接事業的第二個春天。
take the bull by the horns
當機立斷；大膽應對困難
Why don’t you take the bull by the horns and tell him to leave?
你為甚麽不當機立斷，直接讓他離開？
the lion’s share
最大份額，大部分
Reputable charities spend the lion’s share of donations on aid and a tiny fraction on administration.
聲譽好的慈善機構將捐款的大部分都花在援助上，只有極少部分用於管理。
out of the frying pan into the fire
跳出油鍋又入火坑；才出龍潭又入虎穴
keep the pot boiling
使某事物(如兒童遊戲)快速進行；使對某事物的興趣不減
bury the hatchet
言歸於好
Can’t you two just bury the hatchet?
你們倆難道就不能言歸於好嗎？
Philadelphia lawyer
精明的律師（長於詞令，深知法界內幕，善用手段）
gild the lily
畫蛇添足，多此一舉
Should I add a scarf to this jacket or would it be gilding the lily?
穿上這件外套，我再配條圍巾好嗎？不會顯得畫蛇添足吧？
steal one’s thunder
搶先（某人）做；（尤指）搶了（某人）的成功機會（或風頭）
Sandy stole my thunder when she announced that she was pregnant two days before I’d planned to tell people about my pregnancy.
在我打算告訴大家我懷孕的消息之前兩天，桑迪搶先宣佈她懷孕了，搶了我的風頭。
woolgathering
空想,心不在焉的空想的,心不在焉的
to whitewash
掩蓋真相，粉飾
The official report on the killings has been denounced as a whitewash.
關於那些謀殺的官方報道被斥責為試圖掩蓋事實真相。
break the ice
打破冷場
Someone suggested that we play a party game to break the ice.
有人建議我們玩一個集體遊戲來打破沉默。
hear (sth) through/on the grapevine
從傳聞中聽說，透過道聽途說獲悉，聽小道消息知道
I heard through the grapevine that he was leaving - is it true?
我聽到傳聞說他要離開了——是真的嗎？
in a bee line
沿著一條直線,筆直地
the world, the flesh, and the devil
【文】一切壞事; 誘人作惡的一切事物
make bricks without straw
巧婦難為無米之炊
the upper hand
上風；有利位置
After hours of fierce negotiations, the president gained/got/had the upper hand.
經過幾個小時的激烈談判，總統最終佔了上風。
draw/pull in your horns
行為收斂；（尤指）減少開支
He’ll have to draw in his horns now he’s lost his job.
由於失業，他將不得不減少開支。
put the cart before the horse
本末倒置；前後顛倒
Aren’t you putting the cart before the horse by deciding what to wear for the wedding before you’ve even been invited to it?
還未被邀請參加婚禮，就先決定該穿甚麼，你這不是本末倒置嗎？
turn the tables on sb
扭轉局面，轉而佔（某人的）上風
She turned the tables on her rival with allegations of corruption.
她指控對手腐敗，從而扭轉了對自己不利的局面。
chip off the old block
（性格上）酷似父親（或母親）的人
under the wire
在最後關頭
They got in under the wire just before the entry requirements for the training program changed.
他們在招生要求變更前的最後時刻加入了這個培訓計劃。
to be at large
逍遙法外，尚未捉拿歸案
Twelve prisoners are at large following a series of escapes.
一連串的越獄事件發生後，12名犯人目前依然逍遙法外。
go against the grain
不正常，違反常理；與…格格不入
These days it goes against the grain to show too much respect for authority.
如今尊重權威反而不正常了。
to play possum
裝死；裝睡
I don’t think he’s really asleep. He’s playing possum.
我認為他並沒有睡，他只是在裝。
it’s an ill wind (that blows nobody any good)
天下無絕對的壞事。
behind the eight ball
【美】【俚】處境危險，無可挽回
left holding the bag
被迫獨立撐起局面，不得不承擔起（別人丟下的）責任
The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby.
其他投資者從該專案裡撤出後，我們不得不獨立撐起局面。
a lick and a promise
匆匆打掃，草草洗涮
tongue in cheek
開玩笑地；說著玩地
He said that he was a huge fan of the president, although I suspect it was tongue in cheek.
他說自己對總統極為仰慕，而我認為他是在開玩笑。
take the wind out of one’s sails
使（某人）洩氣；使（某人）不堅定
I was all ready to tell him that the relationship was over when he greeted me with a big bunch of flowers - that took the wind out of my sails.
我已經準備好要告訴他我們分手吧，可他捧著一大束花向我迎來——這令我的心又軟了下來。
two strings to one’s bow
有後備人選(或技術、資源), 有兩手準備
As both a novelist and a university lecturer, she has two strings to her bow.
她又是小說家又當大學講師, 有兩手準備。
on tenterhooks
提心吊膽的，焦慮不安的，如坐針氈的
We were on tenterhooks all morning waiting for the phone to ring.
我們整個上午都如坐針氈，一直在等電話鈴響。
fat is in the fire
事情搞糟了；闖禍了
