21

Question 1

like Caesar’s wife

Answer 1

與偉人交往的人不可有穢名

Question 2

plea bargain

Answer 2

（被告承認輕罪以避免重罪起訴的）認罪辯訴協定

Question 3

in apple pie order

Answer 3

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。

Question 4

apple polishing

Answer 4

拍馬屁

Question 5

Draconian Code

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

the distaff side

Answer 6

（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。

Question 7

on the qui vive

Answer 7

【法】警惕著, 警戒著

Question 8

put/get sb’s back up

Answer 8

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。

Question 9

bring home the bacon

Answer 9

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。

Question 10

come/get (down) off your high horse

Answer 10

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。

Question 11

of the first water

Answer 11

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。

Question 12

dyed-in-the-wool

Answer 12

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。

Question 13

blue chip

Answer 13

（公司或投資）藍籌的，可靠的，績優股的

Question 14

as broad as it is long

Answer 14

Used to express that it is impossible to decide between two options because they’re equal.

Question 15

blow hot and cold

Answer 15

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。

Question 16

in the doldrums

Answer 16

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。

Question 17

to strike while the iron is hot

Answer 17

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。

Question 18

to split hairs

Answer 18

糾纏於末枝細節；在雞毛蒜皮的事上爭論不休

Question 19

sleep on it

Answer 19

把問題留在第二天解決

Question 20

pull your weight

Answer 20

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。

Question 21

to bring down the house

Answer 21

使觀眾或聽眾歡聲或掌聲如雷

Question 22

loaded for bear

Answer 22

有准備的

Question 23

lock, stock, and barrel

Answer 23

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。

Question 24

out on a limb

Answer 24

（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。

Question 25

a feather in one’s cap

Answer 25

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。

Question 26

a white elephant

Answer 26

昂貴而無用的東西

Question 27

on the spur of the moment

Answer 27

（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。

Question 28

in the arms of Morpheus

Answer 28

sleeping

Question 29

to take French leave

Answer 29

不告而別

Question 30

a fly in the ointment

Answer 30

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。

Question 31

forty winks

Answer 31

（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。

Question 32

in the lap of the gods

Answer 32

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。

Question 33

from pillar to post

Answer 33

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。

Question 34

cold shoulder

Answer 34

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。

Question 35

swan song

Answer 35

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。

Question 36

without rhyme or reason

Answer 36

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。

Question 37

to feather one’s nest

Answer 37

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。

Question 38

ivory tower

Answer 38

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。

Question 39

the writing on the wall

Answer 39

已出現不祥之兆，已有厄運臨頭的預兆

Question 40

out of your depth

Answer 40

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。

Question 41

to hit the nail on the head

Answer 41

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。

Question 42

to take under one’s wing

Answer 42

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。

Question 43

on the dot

Answer 43

準時
The plane landed at two o’clock on the dot.
飛機兩點鐘準時降落。

Question 44

get down to brass tacks

Answer 44

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？

Question 45

fall for sth hook, line, and sinker

Answer 45

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。

Question 46

lily-livered

Answer 46

怯懦的，膽怯的（同 cowardly 或 coward）

Question 47

to take a leaf out of someone’s book

Answer 47

imitate or emulate someone in a particular way

Question 48

tongue in cheek

Answer 48

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。

Question 49

to leave no stone unturned

Answer 49

（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。

Question 50

to pull up stakes

Answer 50

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。