21 Flashcards
like Caesar’s wife
與偉人交往的人不可有穢名
plea bargain
（被告承認輕罪以避免重罪起訴的）認罪辯訴協定
in apple pie order
井然有序；整齊；井井有條
Their house is always in apple-pie order.
他們家總是收拾得井井有條。
apple polishing
拍馬屁
Draconian Code
a code of laws made by Draco. Their measures were so severe that they were said to be written in letters of blood; hence, any laws of excessive rigor.
the distaff side
（家族的）母系，女系；（群體中的）女性成員
In 1948 Joanna’s grandmother on the distaff side won the title.
1948年，瓊安娜的外祖母贏得了冠軍。
on the qui vive
【法】警惕著, 警戒著
put/get sb’s back up
惹（某人）生氣
Just ignore him - he’s only trying to put your back up.
別理他——他只是在成心惹你生氣。
bring home the bacon
養家糊口
I can’t sit around all day - someone’s got to bring home the bacon.
我不能整天坐著無所事事——家裡總得有個養家糊口的人。
come/get (down) off your high horse
別再自以為是
It’s time you came down off your high horse and admitted you were wrong.
現在該是你別再自以為是，承認自己錯誤的時候了。
of the first water
最佳品質的
The jeweller chose diamonds of the first water for the queen’s crown.
這位珠寶商為皇后的皇冠挑選一流的鑽石。
dyed-in-the-wool
固執己見的，頑固的
He’s a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist where cooking is concerned - he doesn’t allow any modern gadgets in the kitchen.
在烹飪方面他是個徹頭徹尾的傳統主義者——他不使用任何現代廚房炊具。
blue chip
（公司或投資）藍籌的，可靠的，績優股的
as broad as it is long
Used to express that it is impossible to decide between two options because they’re equal.
blow hot and cold
忽冷忽熱；反覆無常；搖擺不定
He’s been blowing hot and cold about the trip to Brazil.
他對去巴西這件事一直變來變去。
in the doldrums
不順利的；停滯的，沒有進展的
Her career was in the doldrums during those years.
那些年她的事業一直沒有什麼起色。
to strike while the iron is hot
打鐵趁熱
He doesn’t often make such offers - I’d strike while the iron is hot if I were you.
他不常主動提出這樣的提議——我要是你就打鐵趁熱。
to split hairs
糾纏於末枝細節；在雞毛蒜皮的事上爭論不休
sleep on it
把問題留在第二天解決
pull your weight
做好自己的份內事，做好本職工作
The others had complained that Sarah wasn’t pulling her weight.
其他人抱怨說莎拉工作不盡職。
to bring down the house
使觀眾或聽眾歡聲或掌聲如雷
loaded for bear
有准備的
lock, stock, and barrel
全部家當，所有東西
We had to move our things lock, stock, and barrel to the other side of the country.
我們不得不把全部家當都搬到郊外的另一個地方。
out on a limb
（意見）未得到衆人贊同的，孤立的
She’s going out on a limb in criticizing her own party leadership.
她對自己所在黨的領導提出的批評並沒有得到大多數人的贊同。
a feather in one’s cap
可引以為傲的成就
It’s a real feather in our cap to be playing in the state championship.
能夠參加州錦標賽是真正讓我們引以為豪的事。
a white elephant
昂貴而無用的東西
on the spur of the moment
（決定、行動等）一時衝動的，心血來潮的
We hadn’t planned to go away - it was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions.
我們本來沒打算走的——這是一時衝動作出的決定。
in the arms of Morpheus
sleeping
to take French leave
不告而別
a fly in the ointment
美中不足之處；令人掃興的東西（或人）
I’m looking forward to Sunday, the only fly in the ointment being the fact that I’ll have to sit next to my mother-in-law.
我期待著星期日的到來，唯一令人不快的是，到時我必須坐在岳母旁邊。
forty winks
（白天的）打盹，小睡
He usually has forty winks going home on the train.
他在返家的火車上通常要小睡一會兒。
in the lap of the gods
全靠運氣，碰運氣，聽天由命
The doctors have done everything possible for him, so his recovery now is in the lap of the gods.
醫生已爲他盡了全力，能否恢復現在就全靠運氣了。
from pillar to post
四處奔走，到處奔波
My parents were always on the move and so my childhood was spent being dragged from pillar to post.
父母總是不停地搬家，所以我的童年是在四處遷移中度過的。
cold shoulder
冷遇，冷淡對待
His wife was angry and giving him the cold shoulder.
他的妻子很生氣，對他非常冷淡。
swan song
最後的作品，告別演出
This weekend’s game was his swansong as the team’s captain.
這個週末的比賽是他擔任隊長的最後一場比賽。
without rhyme or reason
毫無道理；莫名其妙
Government money was given out to some people and not to others, apparently without rhyme or reason.
政府的錢發給一些人，而不給另外一些人，這樣做顯然毫無道理可言。
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。
ivory tower
象牙塔
Academics sitting in ivory towers have no understanding of what is important for ordinary people.
坐在象牙塔裡的學者並不了解普通人的需求。
the writing on the wall
已出現不祥之兆，已有厄運臨頭的預兆
out of your depth
無法駕馭，不能勝任
I was out of my depth in the advanced class, so I moved to the intermediate class.
由於高級班對我來說太難，我轉到了中級班。
淹沒頭頂，沒過頭頂
I’m not a strong swimmer, so I prefer not to go out of my depth.
我不諳水性，所以不會到水深超過我身高的區域。
to hit the nail on the head
說中要害
I think Mick hit the nail on the head when he said that what’s lacking in this company is a feeling of confidence.
米克說這家公司缺乏的是一種自信，我認為他說到重點了。
to take under one’s wing
呵護（某人）；庇護（某人）
I was a little bit lonely at the time and she took me under her wing.
那時我有點孤獨和厭倦，她給了我很多關照。
on the dot
準時
The plane landed at two o’clock on the dot.
飛機兩點鐘準時降落。
get down to brass tacks
討論實質問題；考慮最基本的問題
Let’s get down to brass tacks. Who’s paying for all this?
讓我們先談最基本的問題——誰為這一切付帳？
fall for sth hook, line, and sinker
完全相信（某人的謊言）
She told him she needed the money for her baby and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
她告訴他，她需要這筆錢給孩子用，他便完全相信了。
lily-livered
怯懦的，膽怯的（同 cowardly 或 coward）
to take a leaf out of someone’s book
imitate or emulate someone in a particular way
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。
to leave no stone unturned
（尤指尋找東西時）竭盡全力，不遺餘力
He left no stone unturned in his search for his natural mother.
他不遺餘力地尋找自己的親生母親。
to pull up stakes
遷居別處，搬家
This is the fourth time in five years that we’ve had to pull up stakes.
這已經是五年中我們第四次不得不搬家了。
