29)bite off more than one can chew 贪多嚼不烂;心有余而力不足;不自量力;力不从心
Model:
--I hear you’ve been taking an advanced physics course this semester. How’s it going? (我听说这学期你在上高等物理课。这门课怎么样?)
--I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. (我是心有余而力不足啊。)
30)break new ground 创新
Model:
--His architectural design broke new ground in the field. (他的建筑设计是这个领域里的创新。)
31)do the trick 做成功;达到理想的结果
Model:
--I’ve been trying to get the furnace started, but I can’t find the right switch. (我尽力想让炉子燃起来,可不知道该按哪个键。)
--Here, I believe this one in the back will do the trick. (这里,我相信后面按这个键,可以让炉子燃起来。)
32)drag one’s feet 行动缓慢;磨磨蹭蹭不情愿
Model:
--How’s Bob coming along on his dissertation proposal? (Bob的论文计划进展地怎么样了?)
--He’s really been dragging his feet. (他很磨蹭的。)
33)draw the line 拒绝,拒不容忍
Model:
--Paul expects me to clean the room every week. (Paul想让我每周打扫房间。)
--That’s where I draw the line. (可是我绝对不会答应的。
34)feel down in the dumps 心情不好;情绪低落
Model:
--Kate was really feeling down in the dumps about her latest chemistry assignment. (Kate为最近的化学作业成绩感到很沮丧。)
35)few and far between 不多;少而分散的;不常碰到或发现的;稀少的
Model:
--Steve is really a terrific guy. (Steve真是不简单。)
--He sure is. Ones like him are few and far between. (当然。像他那样的人可不多见。)
36)fit as a fiddle 身体很健康
Model:
-- Harry! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages. (Harry,你好吗?好久没看见你了。)
--I’m fit as a fiddle. This exercise program I’m following is terrific. (我身体好极了。我正进行的这个锻炼计划太棒了。)
37)grin and bear 任劳任怨;毫无怨言地忍受
Model:
--Carla,I can’t take this job any longer. (Carla,我不能再做这份工作了。)
--If you need the money, you’ll just have to grin and bear it. ( 如果你需要钱,你就得忍耐。)
38)hit the spot (特指吃了食物,喝了饮料之后)精神完全恢复过来或感到满足;恢复精力;提精神
Model:
--This Lemonade sure hits the spot.(柠檬汁太提神了。)
--And how! (当然了!)
39)keep between the two of us 不让第三者知道,保密
Model:
--What I’m going to say is rather personal, so let’s keep between the two of us. (我要讲的纯属私事,所以希望你能保密。)
40)know a thing or two about 略知一二
Model:
--Do you think Andy could help us plan the camping trip to West Virginia? (你认为Andy会帮我们计划去西弗吉尼亚州野营吗?)
--Well, since he spends every summer there, he might know a thing or two about it. (可能吧。他每个夏天都去那儿,应该知道一些事儿。)
41)leave no stone unturned 不遗余力;全力以赴
Model:
--Lynn left no stone unturned in her research, and handed in an excellent paper. (Lynn全力以赴做她的研究,交了一篇优秀的论文。)
42)on cloud nine 沉浸在幸福之中;非常高兴
Model:
--Marcia looks like she’s on cloud nine. Do you know what made her so happy? (Marcia好象沉浸在幸福之中。你知道她为什么这么高兴吗?)
--She just had a paper accepted for publication. (她有一篇文章要发表了。)
43)on the tip of one’s tongue 一时想不起来,话到嘴边又忘记
Model:
--Are you sure you can’t remember the name of that record? (你肯定记不起来那张唱片的名字吗?)
--It’s just on the tip of my tongue! (我就是一时想不起来了。
44)reach the bottom of the barrel 用完,弹尽粮绝
Model:
--Don’t you have any other clean shirts? (你还有其它干净衬衫吗?)
--I guess I’ve reached the bottom of the barrel. (我想我已经用完了。)
45)rub sb. the wrong way 使(某人)有点恼火;惹怒;引起反感;烦扰,打搅
Model:
--What do you think of our new economics instructor? (你觉得新经济学老师怎么样?)
--I don’t know. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. (不知怎么的,他有点让我反感。)
46)scratch the surface 只懂皮毛,很不了解(通常和限制性副词如only, hardly等词连用)
Model:
--You’ve certainly done a lot of research for your project. (你显然对你的课题做了不少研究。)
--It seems like a lot, but actually I’ve only scratched the surface. (看上去不少,但事实上我只懂一些毛皮。)
47)up in the air 尚未决定的;捉摸不定的;悬而未决的
Model:
--Her plans for the weekend are still up in the air. (她尚未决定如何度过这个周末。)
48)wear and tear 磨损;消耗
Model:
--Why do you always put on slippers when you go into your apartment? (为什么你老是一进公寓就穿上拖鞋?)
--It saves wear and tear on the carpet. (拖鞋不磨损地毯。)
49)with flying colors 大获全胜;胜利地
Model:
--How did Ellen do on her Ancient History exam? (Ellen古代史考得怎么样?)
--She passed with flying colors. (她考得好极了。)
50)get off on the wrong foot 开始就不顺利;一开始就犯了个错误
Model: [1995.5.]
--I hate to get off on the wrong foot. (我讨厌一开始就犯错误。)
51)get on someone’s nerves 使人不安,使人心烦
Model: [1996.8.]
--Why did you come to the meeting late? I left a message with your roommate about the time change. (为什么你开会迟到?我让你的同屋告诉你改时间的事了。)
--She has a very short memory and it really gets on my nerves sometimes. (她记性不好,有时真让我心烦。)
52)give someone a break 不要去管,饶了某人吧
Model: [1994.5.]
--Give me a break. I’m nervous enough as it is. (不要管我,我已经够紧张了。)
53)head and shoulders above (在…方面)强于某人
Model: [1991.10.]
--In computer programming, Susan is head and shoulders above the rest of us.(在计算机编程上,Susan比我们强。)
54)in the red 赤字,负债
Model: [1996.5.]
--So far the clubs are about three hundred dollars in the red, and we still have four months to go before membership renewal. ( 到目前为止,俱乐部有300元赤字,然而还有4个月才到交会员费的时间。)
--Well, we may have to raise our dues.(那么,我们必须提高会员费了。)
55)in the dark 一无所知;不了解情况
Model: [1994.1.]
--Do you have any idea what this notice is about? (你知道这通知讲的是什么吗?)
--I’m as in the dark as you are. (我也跟你一样不了解情况。)