成语教你用-2

19、the same… as 同….一样
A：Jim, is this the bike you lost?
B：Let me see. No, mine has a special symbol on it.
A：This is the same bike as yours, I think. I can’t tell the difference.
B：If you were the owner, you could.
甲：吉姆，这是你丢的那辆自行车吗？
乙：让我看看。不是，我的车上面有个特别的标记。
甲：我想这辆车和你的很像。我看不出有什么区别。
乙：如果你是车主，你就能看出区别了。
20、the benefit of doubt (在证据不足情况下)假定某人无辜
A：Who did it?
B：Don’t be so angry, Henry?
A：It must be Robert.
B：Maybe Robert did it, maybe he didn’t. If I were you, I would give him the benefit of the doubt. It’s not so important anyway.
甲：这是谁干的？
乙：亨利，别发那么大的火好不好？
甲：准是罗伯特干的。
乙：也许是罗伯特干的，也许不是。如果我是你，我就先假定不是他干的。不管怎么说这件事也没什么大不了的。
21、right up one’s alley 正合某人的心意或技能
A：David is good at tennis.
B：Speaking of tennis, Daniel is the best.
A：That’s for sure. All sports are right up his alley. Actually, nobody can get a better hand over him yet.
B：He’ll make a successful sportsman, I think.
甲：大卫很擅长网球。
乙：谈到网球，丹尼尔是最棒的了。
甲：那是肯定的。所有运动他都擅长。事实上，还没人能胜过他。
乙：我想他会成为一个成功的运动员的。
22、school of hard knocks 艰苦的磨练
A：My boss is such a shrewd businessman everyone admires him.
B：Which university did he graduate from?
A：He never went to high school. He was educated in the school of hard knocks.
B：That’s incredible.
甲：我的老板是个非常精明的生意人，每个人都很欣赏他。
乙：他是从哪所大学毕业的？
甲：连高中都没上过。他是受了艰苦的磨练而成长起来的。
乙：真是难以置信。
23、something the matter with 出问题
A：Hey, Richard! What’re you doing right here?
B：My recorder has something the matter with its speaker; I want to have it fixed.
A：It broke down again? You really need a new one.
甲：嘿，里查德！你在这儿干什么呢？
乙：我录音机的喇叭坏了。我想找人把它修好。
甲：又坏了？你真该买个新的了。

24、under age 未成年
A：Why not take me to the party, Mom?
B：You’re too young, dear.
A：Oh, I’m really as tall as you.
B：Oh, you’re still under age.
甲：为什么不带我去参加晚会，妈妈？
乙：你还未成年，亲爱的。
甲：不，我都快和您一般高了。
乙：但你还是没长大啊。
25、the matter 麻烦
A：Is the anything matter?
B：I’ve been watching the game on TV. One of our athletes is seriously injured.
A：My goodness! Has she been sent to hospital?
B：Yes, poor girl. She’s only your age.
甲：出什么事了吗？
乙：我一直在看电视上的比赛，我们的一个队员严重受伤了。
甲：天哪！她被送往医院了吗？
乙：送了。可怜孩子，她只有你这么大。
26、rat race 激烈的竞争
A：America is a rich country. Many people are dreaming of going there but you came back.
B：To tell you the truth, I’m very happy with my modest job here and the peaceful life.
A：New York is exciting, isn’t it?
B：Yes, but I have no desire to take part in the rat race there.
甲：美国是个富裕的国读。很多人都梦想去那儿，但你却回来了。
乙：坦白地说，我很满意自己在这里的普通工作和平静生活。
甲：纽约很令人兴奋，不是吗？
乙：是的。但我却无心卷入那种你死我活的竞争。
27、take someone’s mind off something 使某人忘记某事
A：I need a week’s vacation so that I can take my mind of my troubles.
B：Yeah, maybe things will changes for the better.
A：I am hoping so.
甲：我需要一周的假期，这样我可以忘记我的烦恼。
乙：是啊，也许事情会有转机。
甲：我正希望如此。

28、think twice about 仔细考虑
A：You’re a native of the city and you have lived here for many years. How do you like it?
B：Well, I’d have to think twice about that.
A：It’s familiar to you, isn’t it?
B：Well, I think it’s beautiful. I especially like the weather here.
甲：你是本市人，在这儿呆了很多年，你觉得这座城市怎么样？
乙：恩，我得好好想一想。
甲：你不陌生吧？
乙：恩，我想，这儿很美，我特别喜欢这儿的天气。
下列这些英语惯用语或成语，可以望文生义，而且几乎都和中文的意思一样。
A bad egg:一个坏蛋
Behind the times:过时的
Sooner or later:迟早
To pour oil on fire:火上加油
save one’s face:保留面子
To turn over a new leaf:翻开新的一页
Experience is the best teacher.经验是良师
Barking dogs seldom bite:吠狗不咬人
但是下列这些惯用语就不同了，切忌囫囵吞枣，以表层意思误以为是深层真义：
A busy-body :多嘴爱管闲事的人（不是“忙人”a busy man）
At the eleventh hour:最最后时刻（不是“在十一点时”）
What a shame 多可惜（不是“多可耻”）
To be taken in受骗（不是“被接纳”）
To pull up one’s socks加紧努力（不是“拉扯袜子”）
To bring the house down 全场喝彩（不是“把房子推倒”）
To think too much of oneself 自视太高（不是“自己在胡思乱想”）
To eat one’s words承认说错话（不是“食言”或“失信”）
To draw up a plan拟订计划（不是“画好计划蓝图”）
John is only too glad to let you go.很乐意让你去（不是“太高兴了，不肯让你去”）
One can’t be too careful to do this kind of works.做这种工作应该越小心越好（不是“….不应该过分仔细”）
The importance of productivity cannot be over-emphasized:必须极力强调生产力的重要性（不是“不可过分强调…”）
最后，有些英语习语，其含义和中文可能有些差异。例如：bookworm, to swim with the tide, to wash one’s hands of…. , in the same boat。
在英语里，bookworm是个“爱读书者”，是褒义；但中文的“书呆子”却略带贬义。
“To swim with the tide”是①顺应潮流；②随波逐流，可贬可不贬，但中文里多取贬义。
“To wash one’s hands of..”会有①洗手不干；②断绝关系；③不再承担责任，这三个意思。然而，中文只取“洗手不干”一意，范围比英语窄得多。
“In the same boat”的意识是“处于同样不幸的境地”，如：“Alice stopped schooling because of financial difficulties. Allen stopped schooling for the same reason. Allen and Alice were in the same boat.”可是这句惯用语的中文表面义是“同舟共济”，有褒无贬，迥然不同。
形容词+名词=名词惯用语
1. A mixed blessing 忧喜参半的事
例：Working in a big city is a mixed blessing. It is so convenient and comfortable there, but noise pollution and traffic congestion are two big headaches.
2. A narrow escape 九死一生
例：The residents ran out of the burning building in time, but it was a narrow escape.
3. A nasty piece of work 讨厌的家伙
例：Beware of Tom! He looks nice at first sight, but finally you will find him a nasty piece of work.
4. A necessary evil 讨厌但不得不做的事
例：David is tired of administrative work, but, as the chief administrator of the department , he has to regard it as a necessary evil.
5. An odd man out 难以和他人相处者
例：At school, Bob was an odd man out; he seldom mingled with his peers.
6. An open book 尽人皆知的事
例：David’s daily life is an open book; he is a nice person to work with.
7. Plain sailing 一帆风顺
例：With the major obstacles removed, all should experience plain sailing from now on.
8. a plum job 薪酬优厚的好差使
例：Teaching can be considered a plum job here, but fewer and fewer young people regard it as a good career.
9. A put-up job. 预先布置的勾当；骗局
例：There is much publicity on foreign investment, but is may be a put-up job.
10. A safe bet. 必胜的事情
例：For many housewives, putting money in a good bank is a safe bet.
11. Second nature. 第二天性
例：Wearing a seat belt is second nature to every motorist here.
12. One’s sixth sense. 一个人的第六感
例：When the policeman saw a parcel near a building, his sixth sense told him that it could be time bomb.
13. Small talk. 不重要的闲谈
例：As is often the case with staff meeting, it started off with small talk and then got down to business.
14. A snap decision. 急速的决定
例：The radical change of ruling or public housing came as a snap decision from the public housing authorities.
15. A soft option. 比较容易或有利的选择
例：Helen considered staying with her mother a soft option because she did not have to worry about house-keeping.
16. A stepping stone. 踏脚石
例：A good degree from a good university serves as a stepping stone towards a person’s career.
17. A sure-fire method/solution 绝对可靠的方法/解决办法
例：To link good performance with better remuneration is a sure-fire method to increase productivity.
18. Teething troubles.暂时的困难
例：Shortage of experienced staff and inefficient use of office equipment are teething troubles of any new company.
19. A wet blanket. 扫兴者
例：Don’t be a wet blanket by prohibiting people from doing this or that.
20. Wishful thinking. 如意算盘
例：Buying a big car? No, it is only wishful thinking, since I don’t have the means to do so.
29、Take the turning 拐弯
A：Could you tell me how to get to the bank?
B：Let me think. Well, take the second turning on the right and it’s opposite the supermarket.
A：I see. Is it far?
B：No, not really, only a few minutes.
A：Oh, good, thank your very much.
A：请告诉去银行怎么走，好吗？
B：让我想想，恩，在第二个路口向右拐，就在超市的对面。
A：我明白了，很远吗？
B：不太远，只有几分钟的路程。
A：非常感谢。
30、search me (非正式)不知道
A：Where’s Annie?
B：In the house.
A：In the house? Where is she?
B：Search me, I don’t know where she is now.
A：安妮呢？
B：在屋里。
A：在屋里？在哪儿呢？
B：不知道，我也搞不清。
31、have it in one 有能力（做某事）
A：Harry was elected monitor at the class meeting yesterday.
B：Do you think he has it in him to be a good monitor?
A：He’s a good student as far as his achievement is concerned. But I really can’t tell whether he’ll make a good monitor.
A：昨天哈里在班会上被选为班长。
B：你认为他有能力成为一名好班长吗？
A：就他的成绩来说他是一名好学生。但他是不是能当个好班长，我也说不好。

32、have it over 比…..好些；胜过
A：It’s pity that I haven’t been to many countries.
B：But I think you have it over me. I’ve never been out of China.
A：Never?
B：Never. I am not joking.
A：真遗憾很多国家我都没去过。
B：但我想你总比我要好。我从来都没出过中国。
A：从来都没出去过？
B：从来都没有。我没有开玩笑。
开门见山说分手：
1. I want to break up. 我要分手。
2. It’s over. 我们结束了。
3. Don’t call me anymore. 别再打电话给我。
4. There’s someone else. 我有了别人。
5. We’re not meant for each other. 我们命中注定不适合。
旁敲侧击说分手：
1. I need some time alone. 我需要一个人过一阵子。
2. It’s not you; it’s me.问题不在你，是我的问题。
3. We’re too good for you.我们做朋友比较好。
4. We’re better off as friends.我配不上你。
5. You deserve a better man/women. 一应该找个更好的对象。
33、Have had enough 对…..发腻；厌烦
A：What do you think of the Prof. Smith lecture?
B：I’ve have had enough of that kind of stuff.
A：So have I. I decided not to go next time.
A：你认为史密斯教授的课上得怎么样？
B：我对他讲的课已经厌烦了。
A：我也是。我决定下节课不去了。
34、serve somebody right 自作自受
A：Would you please find me another job, Dad?
B：What’s wrong with your job?
A：I’ve lost it.
B：I once told you to work hard, but you always turned a deaf ears to me. It serves you right.
A：爸爸，能请您为我另找份工作吗？
B：你的工作怎么了？
A：我丢了这份工作。
B：以前我告诉过你要努力工作，但你总是当耳边风，你这是自作自受。