英语日常口语、习惯语（高级） [复制链接]

502. This caused some tie-ups.事情会有些耽搁。 Get ready for some traffic tie-ups. 做好塞车的准备吧。 Tie-up不顺利，拥挤，堵塞，塞车。
503. It costs a dollar a mile now to drive a big rig. 开货柜车的成本是一美元一英里。Rig这里的意思是“大型货柜车、卡车”，还可以做“海上油井”解释。
504. Finally he got his wish. 终于他如愿以偿。
505. Give it a good push/pull.用力拉（推）一下。（例如关门时）good有时候的意思是表示程度，有“很”的意思。I rode my bike from Gongzhufen to Bawangfen. That is a good ride.我从公主坟骑车骑到了八王坟。那骑了不少路呀。
506. Don’t push me, OK?不要强迫我做这事，好不好？She is pushing me around, I really doesn’t like that. 她老是对我指手划脚地，我很不爽。
507. You know what. 你知道吗。这是口语里常用的句子，主要是一种“过渡语气”。
508. We are well-positioned for the challenge in the near future. 我们为即将到来的挑战已经作好了充分准备。He is the best positioned for this job. 他是这个职位的最好人选。
509. Fuel prices fatten up airfares again. Fatten 使 肥胖，这里是“加价”的意思。My friends all call me a walking stick, I want to be fattened up.我的朋友们都称我瘦如竹竿，我得增加点体重了。
510. He naively put his hopes in an imperfect vessel. 他把所有的希望都投入到这个残缺的计划之中，真是十分幼稚
511. The rewards have come in spades.回报无疑十分丰厚。 in spades 毫无疑问地，大量的，They are having money problems, in spades. 毫无疑问，他们遭遇到了巨大的财务困难。
512. They had words. 他们吵架了。注意word在这里要用复数，就像name在call someone names时要用复数一样。
513. in name 名义上a democracy in name, a police state in fact 名义上是民主国家，实际上是个警察国家。There are 70 million Communist Party members in this country, but majority of them are communist believers in name only. 这个国家号称有七千万党员，但绝大多数多不过是名义上的共产主义分子。
514. make hay：利用，大做文章，The candidate's opponents made hay of the scandal. 反对该候选人的势力在这个丑闻上大做文章。Farmers are making hay out of trash, a contribution to pollution prevention.农民将垃圾废物利用，对控制污染是个很大的贡献。
515. Some people believe that education is cure-all for social problems. 有人以为教育是包治一切社会问题的灵丹妙药。Cure-all 包治一切
516. confess与admit：中国学生常常搞不清楚这两个词的区别，其实区别很简单，confess是“承认罪或错误”，而admit只是“承认一个事实”，而这个事实通常并不是“罪或错”。He sheepishly admits that he doesn’t know the name of Shanghai mayor. 他不好意思地承认，他不知道谁是上海市市长。（讲老实话，我也不知道。）He confessed his sins before God.他在神面前认罪悔改。
517. We can dig it out some place. 我们总会找到这东西的。（有人在找东西总也找不到，这时你可以说这句话。）
518. He got hooked on the stamps. 他以前集邮很上瘾。
519. After his retirement, he devoted his time to relic hunting. Relic hunting 收藏古董。古董收藏家：relic hunter，或relic collector
520. The school is tightening its belt. I've had to tighten my belt since I stopped working full time. to tighten one’s belt, 勒紧裤带，表示要减少开支。也有人用形容词结构：A tight belt is no fun. I paid my credit card bill and boy I have about nothing left. It is very scary for me as I almost always have a cushion of some sort. 口袋里没有钱真不是滋味。我付了信用卡账单后，老天，我是所剩无几了。真是吓人，因为我以前口袋里总是有些备用钱的。a cushion of some sort, 软垫，可起缓冲用途。
521. My hope is that common people such as myself will reject the red herring excuses of the government and stop shooting themselves in the foot. 我希望像我这样的普通人会拒绝政府的这些障眼法，不再做这些于己无益的事。red herring 转移目标，声东击西，障眼法。shoot oneself in the foot 干伤害自己利益的事
522. I am busy today, and I have a bunch of odds and ends that I have to do before noon. 我有好些零碎活要赶，得在中午前做完，因此忙得很。
523. When you bring up these hot-bottom issues, tempers are already frayed. Hot-bottom 引起争议性的，热点。
524. She just doesn't have enough straws left to clutch. 她剩下的救命稻草不多了。They are grasping at straws. 他们在捞救命稻草。Straw还有一个常用的词组是：The last straw breaks the camel’s back. 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。This is the absolute last straw for me. I'm done with this ridiculous, pandering, untruthful dope.我绝对是无法再忍受他了，我完全放弃了这个荒唐透顶、拉政治皮条、谎话连篇的小丑。有人不用straw, 而用feather, 是一个意思。
525. A lot of people plunked 300 Yuan down to reserve the Olympic tickets. 很多人毫不犹豫地掏出300元定奥林匹克的票。He plunked onto the couch with a sigh of relief. 他倒在沙发上，舒适地出了口气。
526. They showed guts, intelligence, and sheer elbow grease on issues that mean a lot to ordinary people.对于这些民众所关心的事物，他们展现出来了勇气、智慧以及实干精神。Sheer elbow grease，直译是“满手臂都是油垢”，意思是不是那种“光说不练”的人。
527. My small business operates on a razor-thin profit margin. 我的生意属小本经营，利润微薄。
528. But more important than head-of-a-pin arguments over patriotism, we need to focus on the real issues such as human rights. Head-of-a-pin arguments 钻牛角尖的辩论。不要去就爱国主义进行钻牛角尖一样的辩了，我们更应该关注像人权一样的实质性问题。
529. anybody’s guess 结果无法预料 How it will turn out is anybody’s guess.结果最后如何实在难以预料。
530. Recovery from inflation is nowhere in sight. 根本就看不到近期有可能从通货膨胀中恢复过来。The end is nowhere in sight.根本就看不到头。
531. plop down 把….放在一个地方，坐下。A lot of parents will plop down their children in front of the TV so that they can finish their task. 很多父母要赶着做些事，就把小孩往电视机前一扔了事。He plopped down on the bed and went straight to sleep.他往床上一倒便睡了。
532. We are just laboratory rats in the national reform in education system. 在这场全国教育体制改革中，我们了实验品。laboratory rats 或简称lab rats
533. be deep knee in 直译是“深到膝盖”，转意为“太深了，太多了”，I'm knee-deep in work at the moment, so I'm not stopping for lunch. 我现在忙得不可开交，就不去吃中饭了。
534. Joining the family business is a tall order. 投入到家族的生意是件很难得决定。a tall order 很难的，艰巨的挑战。To finish the task in time was a tall order but we did it. 要按时完成这项工作是个艰巨的挑战，但是我们完成了。To stop corruption is a tall order for the communist Party.
535. Freud is unwelcome in most intellectual parlors these days. 当今弗洛伊德在知识界并不受追捧。parlor 客厅，会客室，转义为阶层。It is just the subject of an intellectual parlor game. 这不过是知识界所喜爱的一个话题。
536. initiative 这是一个最近很流行的词，意思大概与“movement”差不多，与movement不同的是，可以指较小规模的运动，或一个领域内的努力。They have embarked on a green initiative that includes replacing old bulbs with new ones. 他们投入到了环保运动的行列，他们做的是将旧灯泡都换成了新的。Initiatives For China 中国公民运动

537. Watch out, he has something up his sleeve. 小心，他在玩障眼法。见21句。
538. His family is poor, so he has to settle for a third tier college instead of Beijing University. 他家境贫寒，所以他只能选择了一所三流的大学，而放弃了北大。 a third tier 第三流的
539. frills 中看不中用的东西，附加物。no frills 不要那些不实惠的东西（这样价格就会要便宜许多，例如飞机上的用餐，汽车内的音箱等等。）We prefer low price over frills.只要价格便宜，没有那些设施也很好。什么都没有的毛胚车叫“car with no frills”或者叫“stripped car”.
540. I am on the last lap for this project. 这个项目我很快就要攻克下来了。the last lap 赛跑比赛时最后一圈，意思是快要接近尾声了，快要完了。
541. bite the dust 直译是“啃泥土”，转义是“死了”。He made his enemies bite the dust.他让敌人甘拜下风。 I think that my computer has finally bitten the dust.我想我的电脑已经寿终正寝了。 His car bit the dust after 200,000 miles!他的车跑了20万英里后报废了。这个俚语的另一个说法是“kick the bucket”。
542. He feels he gets the short end of the stick. 他觉得他吃亏了。get the short end of the stick, 吃亏。The people who get the short end of the stick are those whose income is just too high to qualify for help from the government. （在这个制度里）吃亏的人往往是那些收入刚刚高过能接受政府补助门槛的人群。
543. Tell me about it. 注意，这句话的意思不是真的要别人告诉他什么，而是“你说对了。我完全同意你”看这句话：“You must have gotten into a lot of trouble.” He said. “Tell me about it.”
544. Jealousy is a negative trait. trait 性格
545. I didn’t sleep much last night, so I was tired and groggy. groggy 站都站不稳的样子。
546. They are forced to go hat in hand to special interests that typically expect a return on their investment. 见上级或有权势的人时，人们往往会把戴的帽子取下，拿在手中，以示对上级的毕恭毕敬。“他们必须卑躬屈膝地面对那些索要回报的利益集团。” He came back the next day, hat in hand, to correct the problem he left behind. 他第二天回了来，老老实实地把头天扔下的问题给解决了。
547. He has free rein to destroy fragile ecosystems, flout our laws and trample on the rights of ordinary citizens. free rein可以随心所欲地，“他可以随意来破坏脆弱的生态，蔑视我们的法律以及践踏普通公民的权利。” Some foreigners believe Chinese bloggers get free rein as earthquake slows censors. 有些外国人以为因为地震网络管制放松了，所以中国人写博客可以有了较大的空间。
548. These scientists are in fact nut heads, they are going through a bi-polar personality disorder.这些科学家实际上都十分迂腐，他们表现出两级人格分裂症。
549. The TV is the mainstay of his free time. mainstay 主要依靠，主要来源。“他主要靠电视来打发他空余的时间。”
550. I'm such a goodie goodie. I don’t even smoke.我可是老好人，连烟都不抽。 goodie goodie 原来指小礼品，如铅笔，糖果之类，现也指老好人，什么错都不犯的人。
551. It is obvious that someone made a big boo-boo. a big boo-boo = a big mistake. I made a big boo-boo on my taxes. 我报税时犯了一个大错。
552. rag: 报纸，可读性不是很高的地方报纸，You know People’s Daily is just a rag.你知道人民日报不过是一份烂报。 I started my career in journalism by working at a small newspaper. It was a rag, but the editors gave me some good advice. 我最开始做记者时是在一份地方小报工作，但是那里的编辑给了我很好的指导。如果是女性说：I am on the rag.意思是“我来例假了。”I cannot swim, I am on the rag.
553. weigh in 就一件事表达强烈的意见。Pro-democracy leaders weigh in on meaning of nationalist pride.就这种民族主义傲慢，民运领袖表述了他们的看法。They have weighed in and the job is back.他们强烈抗议后，工作又回来了。They weigh in on key issues.他们就关键性的问题发表了看法。I fully expect you to weigh in with your own opinions. 我完全可以料到你会就此发表高论的。
554. zero 的意思很简单，为“零”但zero可以做动词用。zero in 靠近(相当于现在流行的一个词汇：零距离)；集中火力瞄准目标 If you just condemn a few corrupt officials, that is OK, but when you zero in on the corrupt system, you will be in jail. 如果你只是谴责一下几个贪官，那没有什么，但是如果你想动一下腐败的制度的话，那你就得坐牢了。The children zeroed in on the display of the toys. 孩子们挤着靠前看玩具展览。Hackers zero in on online bank accounts. 骇客在瞄准网上银行账户。
555. She is not expecting an easy ride. She is not easily intimidated. 她做好了准备，知道事情不会是一帆风顺的，因此她不会轻易妥协的。An easy ride 一帆风顺。或者说：But I knew it would be a tough road. 但是我知道这件事会很不容易。
556. Let us put our heads together. I am sure we can come up with a better design. 我们大家都来想想，我相信我们一定能拿出一个更好的方案。
557. He will lose his shot for this job if he is ill prepared for the interview. 如果他不好好准备，他会得不到这个工作的。 lose the shot for 失去机会
558. It goes against the grain for William to admit that he's wrong. 威廉通常是不会认错的。I don't think she likes to praise men. It goes against the grain. go against the grain 通常情况是。
559. for the purposes of window-dressing 粉饰太平，装模作样，搞宣传。He did that just for the purpose of window-dressing. The communist party is very good at window-dressing.粉饰太平中共最拿手。
560. This is the thumbnail overview of the case. thumbnail大拇指指甲，现在电脑词汇的意思是“缩略图”，因为“缩略图”大概就是大拇指指甲那么大，所以这句话的意思是：这是这个案例的大致内容。类似的有snapshot, this is the most comprehensive snapshot.
561. mindset 心态，口语里代替mentality。He has a good mind-set. 他的心态比较好。
562. backdrop 背景，口语里代替background，It is with this backdrop that he once again asks for his right. 因着这种环境，他再次提出了要实现自己的权利。
563. I am with you. Are you with me? 我明白你说的，我说的你明白吗？
564. Hope this will get you thinking.但愿这能让你好好想想。Hope you will think it through. 但愿你把这件事想通。
565. I am just thinking aloud. 我在动脑筋；我在费心想办法。
566. To begin with, I don’t like that guy much. 首先，我根本就不喜欢那个家伙。
567. You look wiped out. 你看上去精疲力尽了。I am totally wiped out. 我累死了。wipe out 一般作“消灭”解释。
568. We have come a long way but we have a long way to go. 我们已经取得了不小的成绩，但要作的努力仍然巨大。(我们已经走过了很长的路，但要走的路仍旧很长。成绩不小，但革命尚未成功。)
569. This is a good place to relax and unwind. Wind上紧发条，unwind松发条，就是“放松”的意思。
570. Nonsense! 胡说！这是最常用的词汇。表示“荒谬”还有好几种说法：That is a cockeyed idea. cockeyed, absurd, ridiculous, 都是同义词。ludicrous 荒唐得令人发笑。If you ask a nonsensical question, you will get a nonsensical answer. 如果你问无聊的问题，就只会得到无聊的答案。preposterous 也是“荒谬”之意，是书面语：It is a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history. 想开历史的倒车门都没有。

571. 现在流行的一个词是“拐点”，英文为the tipping point。We have passed that tipping point. Have we reached a tipping point? We now see housing bears everywhere. 已到拐点了吗？现在到处都是房价下跌。又可以说breaking point.
572. I think the pendulum has shifted. This policy is under review now. 我认为现在形势发生了变化，这项政策也在检讨之中了。 pendulum 钟摆。
573. wind vane 风向标 This is the wind vane for mobile market. 这是汽车市场的风向标。He is just a political wind vane and can never be a political compass. 政治上他不过是个见风使舵的人，不可能提供政治上的出路。compass 指南针 He has a well-oiled wind vane.他最擅长见风使舵。
574. The only thing politicians like to do is to puff up their chests and talk. They won’t stick their neck out for the other guys. stick one’s neck out for 为朋友两肋插刀puff up chest, 表现勇敢之意。政治家热衷做的事就是拍胸脯，夸夸其谈，但要他们为别人承担风险，那是不可能的事。
575. You are on the radar of the National Security now, be careful. 国家安全局已经在注意你了，你得小心。“上了雷达”，意味着引起了某人的注意。也可以说on the radar screen。You are right below the radar. 不会有人注意你的。
576. The first time I met him, my antenna was up because I knew his political background. 我第一次见到他时，我就本能地警惕，因为我已经听说了他的政治背景。Antenna天线，一个人的天线竖起了，就是“提高警惕”的意思。类似的说法还有raise the red flag
577. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is not universally accepted as the right yardstick for recession. We need to take an additional yardstick to our leaders and measure their total value.我们得另找标准来衡量我们的领导，权衡他们的整体价值。
578. barometer, 气压计The Olympics is a global power barometer now. 奥运成了全球权力较量的晴雨表。
579. a wake-up call 强烈提醒，唤醒。If this can happen to me, it can happen to everyone. For all of us, this should be a wake-up call. 如果我会遭遇到这样的事，每个人就都会有同样的遭遇，所以这对我们大家而言真是敲了一次警钟。
580. “我很高兴”，最简单的说法就是I am so glad to…一个稍微更正式的说法是：I am heartened that you have spoken out on my behalf. 你为我仗义执言，我大感欣慰。His effort met with hearty applause from everyone. 他的努力得到了大家由衷的赞赏。
581. road map 地图，指南。It has been a road map for the investment in China. The "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 和平路线图是旨在解决以色列与巴勒斯坦冲突的一揽子计划。
582. That will help you identify landmines. 这会帮助你发现麻烦。（直译，找到地雷。办公室内地雷最多。）There are many landmines in my company.
583. lens: The communist party tends to see everything through a political lens. 共产党习惯于用政治标准来衡量一切。He is talking about modern democracy through a historical lens. 注意，虽然Lens用的是复数，前面要用a。
584. The new secretary started today so I spent most of the morning showing her the ropes. show someone the ropes 给某人做出详细的解释。与ropes有关的口语有：Good managers know the ropes. They have skills and experience. 优秀的经理都很在行，他们具备技能与经验。He wants to learn the ropes, to learn how to speak English.他想学些最基本的东西，学会英语口语。
585. 有人喜欢说：“人渣！”英文是：riffraff. 一般来说gangs; drunks; prostitutes; drug dealers; miss-fits; winos都是riffraff。
586. signature: 大家都知道，此词的意思是“签名”，因为每人的笔迹不一样，所以，这个词又转义为“独特的，此家独有”，“You will be served with our signature sandwich.”我们会给你上独家三明治。
587. I am a bit of a food person. 我是一个对食品有点挑剔的人，或可以译为“我是个好吃鬼。”还一个说法：I am a dedicated foodie. 注意第50句中的goodie一词。
588. Push the envelope努力、勉强。If you are going to lead this industry, you must push the envelope. 如果你想在这个行业执牛耳的话，你就得努力创新。Don’t push the envelope. 不要太过分了。We are pushing the envelope of free speech. 我们在尽全力来争取言论自由。
589. You know that the People’s Daily is the most important outlet for communist propaganda. outlet 出口 Factory outlet厂价直销。
590. big 放在名词前表示“特别”：Kunming is a big bike city. 昆明这个城市，自行车特别流行。He has a job that requires big-time traveling. 他的工作要求他常常出差。
591. Those actors and actresses vie for attention in a crowded media landscape. 太多的人想在媒体抛头露面，这些男女演员也为此使出浑身解数。media landscape 媒体领域
592. We have achieved our goals, but there are clouds on the horizon. The government is going to cancel our funding. 我们已经完成了既定目标，不过前面好像困难不小，政府即将取消对我们的财政支持。on the horizon 前面。More demonstrations are on the horizon.即将发生更多的游行示威。Travel, read, discuss - expand your horizons! 旅游，阅读，讨论-扩展你的视野！
593. It is only one month from their hookup to their breakup. 他们从相好到分手仅仅过了一个月。
594. This is a terrible letdown. 这太令人失望了。口语里letdown代替disappointment。I promise I won’t let you down. 我保证我不会让你失望的。
595. That is where I went off course. 这是我出错的地方。注意off course与of course意思是不同的。
596. The trade deficit has gone off the chart. 贸易赤字大得都已经是无法想象了。off the chart 超于寻常，This basket player’s income is off the chart. 这个篮球运动员的收入令人惊讶。
597. off the wall 奇怪，荒唐 He did something totally off the wall. 他做的事简直是荒唐透顶。The idea of a free election in China is totally off the wall. 想在中国举行自由选举真是荒唐。
598. off the record, 不公开，私下What he was about to say, he told the reporters, was strictly off the record. 他给记者打招呼说，他下面要说的绝对不要见报。
599. off the beaten path, 又作off the beaten track, 人烟稀少的地方 I like to travel to regions off the beaten path. 我喜欢去常人少去的那些地方。
600. far-flung, 相当于remote, in a far-flung village, 在一个偏远的村庄。In the far-flung future, human beings are going to immigrate to Mars. 在遥远的将来，人类会要移民到火星。（比较：in the near future, 在不久的将来）far-flung adventure 到偏远的地方冒险。
601. His home is in the middle of nowhere. 搞不清他的家在哪里（或者说，他的家在很偏远的一个地方。）。相反的说法是，in the middle of everything, 靠一切都很近，很方便。We are right in the middle of everything. 我们的位置非常便利。
602. On the business battlefield, the power of marketing can be blown to bits by happenstance. 在生意战场上，市场营销的力量在细节上体现出来。
603. My life is at a crossroads. 我的人生正处在一个十字路口。注意，如同a lens一样，复数前用a。
604. You don't have to give me your decision now. Sleep on it, and let me know tomorrow. sleep on it, 不要急于回答或做决定，可以等一天或几天。

605. Kick基本含义是“踢”，与kick有关的几个口语：I got a big kick out of it. 这事让我乐了好一阵。 She is trying to help him and she feels she is kicked in the teeth. 她在尽力地要帮助他，但她觉得他根本就不领情，还给她白眼。（不能直译，翻译成把谁的牙齿给踢掉了。）kickback 回扣。It is against law to get kickbacks in USA. 在美国拿回扣是违法行为。Tianjin is just a sidekick to Beijing. 天津不过是北京的一个陪衬城市。He is just a sidekick of the boss, he cannot make any decision. 他不过是老板的陪衬，作不了决定。His letter kicked off the investigation. 他的信促使了有关人开始了调查。kick off 开始。When they kicked in gear to save the old buildings, most of them had been demolished. 就在他们要努力拯救那些老式建筑时，很多已经被扒掉了。kick in gear，开始作努力。
606. They are throwing me kind of a going-away party. throw a party 开舞会、聚会；throw a going-away party 开欢送会 = farewell party
607. She cried her eyes out. 她眼都哭肿了。
608. Forget about it. You are making too much out of it. 得了吧，你不要为这事大惊小怪好不好。这样的事不值得这样小题大作。
609. He is an under-miner. 他是个拖后腿的人。
610. play dumb, 装傻。Playing dumb is being smart. 大智若愚。
611. play dirty 玩鬼。Even if his opponents cheat and lie, Pat won't play dirty. 尽管对手故意犯规，Pat也不玩鬼。
612. He's been playing games with us. We can't believe what he says. play games with: 耍心眼，搞鬼计。他不过是在跟我们闹着玩，我们信不了他说的话。
613. She doesn’t want to come across as a party pooper. come across as 以什么样的形象出现。“她不想让大家觉得她是个扫大家兴的人” He came across as a dull-witted manager incapable of running the department. 他这个人呆头呆脑，无法管理这个部门。
614. comfort zone: 舒适带，（自己习惯了的窝）You have to get out of your comfort zone if you really want to challenge yourself. 如果你要向自己挑战的话，你就得从自己的安乐窝里走出来。（激励自己或他人一句很有用的话。）
615. You have to go beyond your own borders to better understand how others perceive you. 你得走出自己的小圈子，这样才能更好地理解别人对你看法。 go beyond your own borders, 走出自己的圈子
616. That is what we know all along. 这些事我们一直以来都知道。（虽然从来没有证实。）all along一直以来。
617. 美国人喜欢用这个句型开玩笑。There is a theory that there are two kinds of people in this world: people…; people…. 有种说法，这个世界上只有两类人，一类是…，另一类是…。例如：I believe there are only two kinds of people in the business world, fast people and dead people. 我相信在生意场上，只有两类人，一类是行动快的人，一类是死人。（言下之意就是如果你动作慢了，就会被淘汰。）有个移民说：There are only two kinds of people in the world: people who are living in America, people who want to live in America. 如果你是自我优越感强的北京人，你就可以套这个句型了。There are two kinds of women in this world: women who love to put on makeup, and women who don’t want to put it off. 这个世界上只有两类女人，一是喜欢化妆的女人，一是不愿卸妆的女人。There are two kinds of people in this world: those who ride Harley-Davidsons and those who wish they did. 世界上只有两类人，一是骑哈雷族，一是但愿自己属哈雷族。（这是哈雷的广告词。）我上次套这个句型说了这样一句话，把周围人逗乐了：There are only two kinds of communist bureaucrats: the corrupted ones and the ones yet to be corrupted. 只有两类共产党官员，一类是已经腐败了，一类是就要腐败了。记住，这个句型的诀窍是，表面上看是在说有两类人，实际上只有一类人。有哪位朋友想试一下这个句型？
618. If the Olympics are not your bag, don’t sweat it. 如果你并不热衷奥运，就不要去凑热闹了。
619. Most athletes in China don’t have a well-rounded life. 中国的运动员大部分发展都不均衡。You need to develop a well-round life. 你的人生应该全面发展才好。
620. The overall workload is too much for young students in China. 中国青少年学生每天学习任务都太重。The job is tough, but overall, I enjoy it. 这工作不容做，但总的来说，我还是蛮喜欢的。To suffer is part of your overall experience. overall是个常用的口语词汇。　
621. “（学生）进步了”，我们大概都会说，The students made progress. 也可以说：All students made gains/improvements/good scores on this year’s exams. 今年考试，所有的学生都有较大的进步。注意：progress为不可数名词。
622. I know you are bursting your buttons as a proud papa. 我知道作为一个骄傲的爸爸，你喜得在手舞足蹈了。一个人得意洋洋时，会把胸挺起，结果把衬衣的纽扣都挣断了。
623. Although I am not a stellar student in his class by any stretch of the imagination, Professor Zhou really takes good care of me. 虽然我从来算不上一个优秀的学生，不过周教授真的挺照顾我。by any stretch of the imagination, 无论如何想象（用于否定句。）
624. He is making a name for himself in this field. 他正在这个领域崭露头角。另一个类似的说法：He is casting his own shadow. 他正在成为一个有影响力的人。He has cast a long shadow as president of the college. 他是学院院长，影响力深厚。She is trying to escape his father’s shadow and be independent.
625. When your fate is in our hands, it won’t go out of hand. 把你的命运交在我们的手中，你的命运就不会失手了。
626. 在中国，锤子上了中共的党旗，所以说是锤子应该是个正面的东东。但是在英文里就不见得如此了。You can’t teach a hammer to love nails. 你不可能让锤子爱上钉子。(我为鱼肉，人为刀俎之意) To a hammer, everything is a nail. 对锤子而言，其余的都是钉子。（对我而言，中共就是锤子，我们普通人都是钉子。）由此句话发展出了很多相关的话，例如：If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail. 如果你唯一的工具就是锤子的话，你就会视每个问题都是钉子。(此句意思是，你得多掌握解决问题的办法，不要只一根筋。)Your boss is a hammer, don’t be a nail. 你的老板是锤子，你不要成为钉子。(不要被他任意宰割之意。)Do you need a hammer?
627. Dragon在国人看来是祖宗，但在英文里可不是什么可爱的东东。 “AIDS is a very big dragon,” Clinton said. “This dragon must be slain by millions of foot soldiers.” 艾滋病是个庞然怪兽，只有靠成千上万的平凡勇士才能制服这头怪兽。foot soldier 步兵，在前线作战的平凡战士。
628. Never bite the hands that feed your mouth/ you. 这句话的意思是：不要做得不偿失的事，不要做忘恩负义的事。
629. How can we trust him when we know he talks out of both sides of his mouth?这个人见人说人话，见鬼说鬼话，叫我们如何相信他？talk out of both sides of his mouth, 说话没有立场；想怎样说就怎样说。有人把这句话发展为talk out of three sides of his mouth, 左、前、右。
630. (今年的金牌)这超过了我的所求所想：This exceeds my expectations. 口语说法是：This simply blows my mind away.　
631. Yaoming has achieved the great acclaim in the hoops. His hoops career is legendary. 他有着传奇般的篮球生涯。 hoops: 篮球。原意为球框。
632. Yaoming is the guy who pulls the crowds. 姚明很能吸引人。Attract是比较正式的用法。He pulls in one million dollars a month. pull in 挣(大)钱。
633. She cracked the top 10. 她进入了前十名。口语里，crack是个很常用的单词，兹举以下例子：I have set up 30 characters in length for my password so that no one can crack it easily. to crack a password, 解密码。我把密码设到30位那么长，这可以减少被盗的危险。Crack另一个常用含义为“毒品”：As a rule of thumb, it is profoundly unwise to get addicted to crack.记住最要紧的事，吸毒是最愚蠢的事。She was a normal gal until she started smoking crack, now she is a prostitute for $5 to buy another rock. 吸毒前她是个很正常的女孩，现在她成了妓女，5美元就卖身，好去再买一剂毒品。Ford said he had always wanted to take a crack at writing a novel. 福特说，他总怀有一个念头就是要尝试写本小说。Winter is a great time to prep for a last crack at the Entrance Exam. 寒假是很好的时间，预备高考的最后机会。

634. He is a bargain hunter。他最会讨价还价。
635. I have just lost my job, and I have to stretch my dollars. 我失业了，得精打细算过日子。Stretch dollars 一块钱做两块钱用。She has a passion for penny-pinching. 只要谈到省钱，她就来劲。
636. Economy is not good. They struggle to stay afloat. 经济萧条，他们竭力设法能生存下去。
637. a standout 与outstanding意思一样。 a standout player or an outstanding player优秀的球员。
638. Can you cover it for me? 你能不能顶替我一下？
639. It was no picnic. 这事可不是看上去那么简单。相反的说法是：That is a piece of cake.这事易如反掌。
640. There is no stopping a man on a mission to accomplish this. 他决心要完成这使命，没有什么力量能使他放弃。
641. We are low on food now, can you go and do some shopping? 吃的东西不多了，你能不能去买点菜？We are running low on food. 现在食品供应紧张。
642. He credits his success to his deep-seeded Christian faith. 他把自己的成功归结为根植于基督教的信仰。I work hard, but my boss won’t give me any credit. 我努力工作，但老板并不买账。
643. Kudos to Jim, who has worked really hard to make this possible. 向Jim致敬，因为他的努力，这一切才有可能。或者说：A tip of the hat to Junko for his contribution. Thank you, Junko! a tip of the hat to 向某人致敬 to tip the hat to someone, 见前面的例句。
644. That is when the light bulb went off. 那时，我忽然顿开茅塞。很多人都说go off, 但也有人说go on.
645. There is the impression that I have been calling all the shots in this company, but that couldn’t be more wrong. 有人以为我在公司包揽做一切都决定，但这根本就不是事实。call shots 做决定
646. It took him three shots to pass the bar. 他考了三次才通过律师资格。
647. a close call, 差不多，几乎 My car almost hit the guy, what a close call.我的车几乎撞到那个人了，真是好险呀。The White House race is a close call. 竞选白宫现在是难分胜负。类似的说法还有close shave. narrow escape, near miss.
648. Stop dreaming. Back to reality for a moment, OK? Tell me what you are going to do now. 不要做梦了，谈谈眼前吧，好吗？告诉我你现在想干嘛。back to reality，回到现实世界。 有部电影，叫Back to the Future，我想片名大概就是根据这个词组来的吧。
649. branch out: 成立分支机构，向什么副业发展。I would like to branch out into drama. 我想慢慢向演艺发展。This restaurant is branching out into several major cities now. 这家餐厅现在已经在好几个大城市开设了分店。（或者译为开设了连锁店）
650. I hope you know what you get yourself into. 但愿你会好自为之吧。（直译：但愿你清楚你现在在干嘛！）
651. 白领人喜欢说：我很忙。这句话有好几个说法：I have my hands full. I have too many irons in the fire; I am sorry I cannot help you right now. My life right now is in the fast track. “我的生活节奏太快。我的生活驶入了快车道”等等。
652. A normal life in Beijing means time is scarce, stress is high and an ordinary day- filled with chatter and other noise-permits barely a moment for the mind to rest in silence.这是描述北京生活的一个很好的句子。“在北京一般人的生活是，没时间，压力大，每天被喋喋不休、杂音所包围，根本就不会有片刻安静的时间，让大脑休息不想事。”
653. The Politburo is made up of faceless bureaucrats hardly known in their own country let alone abroad. 注意，这里的faceless不是“没有脸面、不要脸”，而是作“神秘”解释，就是“你看不到这些人”。“在国内谁也不熟悉中央政治局的这些官僚，更不要说对海外的人了。”
654. He is just a flunky of the Party secretary. 他不过是党支部书记的跟屁虫。flunky 奴仆，跟屁虫，走狗。或者说stooge, He is a stooge for the Party secretary. 类似的词还有yes-man, pushover, lackey, toady, hanger-on, puppet, camp-follower
655. Everywhere you look in this small American town, there are red, white and blue banners. Denver has rolled out the red, white and blue carpet for the delegates. 这里的“红、白、蓝”三色是美国国旗的图案，所以这句话可以译为“在这个美国小镇，到处都可以看见小巧的美国国旗”。“丹佛为迎接代表们铺上了印有国旗图案的地毯。”如果直译为“红白蓝旗子”或“红白蓝地毯”，中国的读者可能一般体会不到这是什么样的旗子。
656. He is a genuinely self-made man. 他完全靠个人奋斗才成功。如果是靠在哈佛读书才成功的人，就是Harvard-made man。
657. He is photogenic. 他这个人很上镜头。很多人在网上的相片楚楚动人，在实际生活中却很普通，这就是photogenic。如果你不善上镜头，可以说：I always come out hideous in photos.
658. You need always ask: Is this all there is? 你要常常问：已经达到目标了吗？潜力都挖掘出来了吗？
659. cash cow 来钱来得快的生意、项目。The sale of land is the holy cash cow to the government. 政府靠出卖土地获得了巨额资金。
660. 这个黑心律师贪污了顾客数百万。This ruthless attorney embezzled millions from clients. embezzle, 贪污，这是书面语。口语说法有两个词：一是This lawyer fleeced his clients by millions. fleece 原意为拔羊毛，转义为贪污、剥削。 二是He skimmed millions of dollars for his lavish lifestyle. skim: 烧牛奶时，表面会起一层膜，也就是奶酪，你把这层奶酪捞起来的过程就是skim，转义为非法侵占、掠夺、贪污、逃税。The casino skimmed two million a year. 这家赌场每年逃税两百万。
661. Show me the place to put the level and I shall move the world.- Archimedes 阿基米德说，给我一个杠杆的支点，我就可以撬动世界。
662. You are tossing the baby out with the bathwater. 你在把婴孩连同洗澡水都一起倒掉。
663. Life can be such a juggling act. We need to learn the difference between the urgent and the important things. 生活犹如玩杂耍，我们要搞清楚急事与要事之间的区别。
664. 我很喜欢George Orwell（ “动物庄园Animal Farm”; “1984”）对自由的定义：If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. “自由的最基本含义是，人们有权拒绝他们不爱听的东西。”但这中国太难了，每天媒体上充斥的都是propaganda，你不想听也得听，所以中国每天生产的都是不想事的人，包括那些愤青。
665. You have won. You have bragging rights, OK? “你赢了，你想怎么吹就怎么吹吧。”谈到rights时，我们想起的是人权（human rights），劳工权（labor rights），bragging rights“吹牛权”是什么权？我们中国人说，吹牛又不上税，你想怎么吹就怎么吹吧，这就是吹牛权。
666. Boast and brag之间的区别：boast很多时候作“自豪”解释：We boasts the services of a fine hotel with staff ready to satisfy any need.我们很自豪地说，我们酒店服务精良，全体员工都做好了准备，随时满足顾客的一切需要。
667. When you give your word, honor your obligation. 如果你作了保证，你就得兑现！
668. Don’t talk in circles, instead, get to the point. 不要绕来绕去的，直截了当地说吧！另一个说法是：don’t beat the bush!

669. He violated the trust of everyone. 他违背了大家都信任。也可以说betray。
670. He is a Hunanese through and through. 他是个地地道道的湖南人。through and through 彻底的，彻头彻尾的，从这头穿过到那头，例如一个子弹，从你胸口这头进，从背部出来，就是两次through。I love you through and through. 我是真心地爱你。
671. a pilot project, 为以后推广的实验项目。They funded a pilot project in six states. 他们在六个州资助了一项新的实验计划。This is a virgin territory. 这是一片未从未开耕的土地。这是一片崭新的领域。 a virgin trip,
672. Coca-cola is Atlanta’s flagship company. 可口可乐是亚特兰大的旗舰公司（最重要的公司）。flagship旗舰，引申为“最重要的”。
673. They are just getting into this business and taking their baby steps. 他们刚刚进入这个行业，还嫩得很。
674. Shanghai is the “Fashion Mecca” in China. 上海是中国的“服装麦加”，或者可以译为“上海是中国的服装之都。”
675. The park, though small, is my oasis in the concrete jungles. 这个公园虽然很小，但在这片钢筋水泥丛林里却是我的绿洲。
676. Xijiang is an ethnic tinder-box. 新疆是个少数民族问题的火药箱。
677. He started with nothing, and ended up with everything. 他创业时一无所有，后来就什么都有了。
678. He lives on the outskirts of Changsha. 他住长沙郊区。以前“郊区”一般使用“suburb”，目前多使用outskirt。
679. 现在是和平时代，但我们常常看见“battle”这个词，显而易见，现在的 “battle”都是寓意的：An all-out battle for citizen's votes begins. 争取公民投票权的战斗已经全方位打响。This will be an uphill battle. 这将是一场激烈的斗争。Newly graduated students battle outsourcing in job market. 新毕业生在就业市场苦苦挣扎，因为工作都流失了海外。This is the final battle! 这将是决战。A hard drill makes an easy battle.熟能生巧。The workers win bloody battle against the wicked boss. 劳工经过血战，终于赢得了对贪婪老板的诉讼。
680. He plans on being arrested for civil disobedience. 他做好了计划，准备为公民抗命坐牢。
681. Never let go of your dream. It will be a reality someday.绝不要放弃梦想，终有一天会实现的。
682. Never say never. 这是一句很实用的话。
683. round up 这是个很常用的词组，意为“把什么给圈起来，往什么靠”。 Human-rights activists are rounded up by BJ police. 这些维-权人士都被北京警-察给抓起来了。There is a religious round-up in this city. 这个城最近逮了几个宗教人士。Just round up to the nearest dollar. 舍弃小数到一元的单位吧。（例如，你该付人家5.4美元，就付6美元好了。）这是一种大方的付款方式。Time to round everybody up! Dinner is ready! 把大家都叫过来，要开饭了。Two dogs helped round up the sheep. 两只牧羊犬把羊群赶到一起。
684. 北美印第安人的文化特征之一就是图腾，所以现在totem这个词也非常流行。图腾上雕刻着许多人和动物，有些人在上，有些人在下。You know I am at the bottom of the totem pole in this organization. I am afraid I can’t help you much. 你知道我在这个机构里是人微言轻，恐怕帮不上你什么忙。They are at the bottom of the economic totem pole. 也有人说：I am the low man on the totem pole. 意思是每个人都是我的上级。At the bottom of the totem pole相反的说法则是at the top of the totem pole. When I was young, I was too worried about my position on the social totem pole. 我年轻时总是为自己的社会地位担忧。Your hard working will take you to the next level of the totem pole. Interest in your apartment is quiet. You have to lower the numbers if you want to sell it. Lower the numbers: 降价。没有什么人对你的房子感兴趣，你要想卖掉就得降价。
685. end to end: 从头到尾We hiked the Great Wall from end to end. 我们步行走长城，从头走到了尾。My belief is that we can truly establish end to end trust with each other. 我相信我们能建立一种完全互相信任的关系。
686. I am afraid they will put screws on you 我想他们会你施加压力。That is a big screw-up那简直就是一堆乱麻。糟透了！
687. drop dead：滚蛋吧，去死吧。When he started to bother me, I told him to drop dead. 他开始骚扰我时，我叫他滚蛋。I should do all that work for you? Drop dead! 你想让我为你把这些事都干完？你想得美吧，你。但是注意，这个词还有一些意义截然不同的用法：He is drop-dead handsome. 他英俊迷人。They supply drop-dead headwear for women. 他们为女人提供漂亮的头饰品。Professor said the drop-dead date is December 31 — after that, no work will be accepted. 教授说了，最后期限是12月31日，超过了此日期就不再接受作业。“Drop Dead Beautiful”是一本小说的书名。
688. Nearly half of Americans say President Bush is in over his head according to a survey. in over one’s head, 被。。。弄得焦头烂额。He got in over his head with gambling problems and mounting debt. 他的赌瘾搞得他债台高筑，里外不是人。
689. I am suggesting this just off the top of my head. 我只是随便建议一下而已。off the top of one’s head 没有经过深思熟虑，随便想想。
690. a worse kind of: 更糟糕的是：Starting a start-up is hard, but having a 9 to 5 job is hard too, and in some ways a worse kind of hard. 创业固然不易，但过早九晚五的日子也不容易，常常是更不容易。He has cancer. It is a worse kind of cancer: blood cancer. He just has a 60/40 odds of living 5 years. Should he get married? 他患有癌症，是一种极为严重的癌症：血癌。他能活五年的机率只有六成。他应该结婚吗？

以上资料是一朋友整理发给我供学习用的，现发上来共享

Thank you very much for your useful information!