英文习语精解（强烈推荐）（21~40）

connie · 发表于 2004-12-10 21:07

21. for what it's worth 无论如何

释义：even though it may not be important or valuable

例句：For what it's worth I've decided to take the train.
      我决定无论如何都要赶那趟火车。

典故：这个说法历史悠久。十四世纪英国诗人威廉·朗兰（William Langland）的
      《农夫皮尔斯》（Piers Plowman，1377年）中即提到：
      Take we her wordes at worthe, for here [her] witness be trewe.
      我们相信她的话，因为她看到的一定是真的。

[ Last edited by connie on 2004-12-18 at 11:55 PM ]

connie · 发表于 2004-12-11 05:48

22. four corners of the earth四面八方

释义：the far ends of the world; all parts of the world

例句：Athletes came from the four corners of the earth to compete in the
      Olympics.
      运动员来自四面八方，聚集一堂，角逐奥运会。

典故：《新约·启示录》（Revelation）第七章第一节中有如下内容用到了这个短
         语：
         And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four
         corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the
         wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
         此后我看到四位天使站在地的四角，执掌地上四方的风，叫风不吹在地
         上、海上和树上。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-11 06:04

23. fresh as a daisy精神焕发

释义：well rested, energetic

例句：I'm finally over my jet lag and feel fresh as a daisy.
      我的时差反应终于没了，我感到整个人精神焕发。

典故：这个短语里的daisy曾经是buttercup， oyster及其他许多东西。伊顿·巴雷
      特（Eaton Barrett）在其《女英雄》（The Heroine, 1815年）里就用到
      了其中两个：
      Forth they walked...as fresh as an oyster.
      他们神采奕奕地向前走。       而当女主角问道地板上的血时，乌苏丽娜夫人（Dame Ursulina）回答说：
       Recent! Look! Sure your ladyship has often read of blood upon floors,
      and daggers, that looked as fresh as a daisy, at the end of centuries.
      鲜血！你看！夫人一定常常读到过，地板上的血迹，还有匕首，往往过了
      几个世纪，看起来还是像鲜血一般。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-12 05:41

24. gild the lily 画蛇添足

释义：add unnecessary adornment or supposed improvement

例句：Offering three different desserts after that elaborate meal would be
      gilding the lily.
      用过如此丰盛的一餐后，再上三种不同的甜点就是画蛇添足了。

典故：莎士比亚在《约翰王》（King John）一剧中，写了一段话，那段话可以浓
      缩成此短语。在此剧中，约翰王占领了英国，并举行二度加冕典礼，希望
      能扳回局面。索尔茨伯里爵士（Lord Salisbury）说道：
      Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, /To guard a title that
      was rich before, /to gild refined gold, to paint the lily, /To throw a
      perfume on the violet, /To smooth the ice, or add another hue/Unto
      the rainbow, or with taper-light/ To seek the beauteous eye of
      heaven to garnish, /Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
      所以，摆出双倍的排场/装饰一个本来尊号累累的名衔，/纯金之上再镀金
      ，白百合上再敷粉，/紫罗兰上再洒香水，/磨光冰块，彩虹之上/再加一种
      颜色，用烛光/去加强天上的天上的灿烂的太阳，/都是浪费而且是可笑的
      过分行为。（梁实秋译）

connie · 发表于 2004-12-13 04:29

25. give sb. a dose of one's own medicine以其人之道还治其人之身

释义：to treat someone in the same bad way they treat other people

例句：It's time we gave them a dose of their own medicine and simply forget to call them back.
      是我们其人之道还治其人之身的时候了，就忘了吧，别叫他们回来。

典故：这似乎已经是个很古老的短语，但却只能在19世纪末的作品找到这种用
      法。保罗L·福特（Paul L. Ford）在《高尚的彼得·斯特林》（The
      Honorable Peter Stirling, 1894年）一书中，用到过这个短语：
      “He snubbed me.”...explained Miss DeVoe, smiling slightly at the
      thought of treating Peter with a dose of his own medicine.
      “他冷落了我。”······德沃小姐解释说，并且决定让彼得自食其果，一想到
      此，不禁轻轻笑了起来。

[ Last edited by connie on 2004-12-13 at 05:34 AM ]

connie · 发表于 2004-12-14 05:47

26. go for broke破釜沉舟；孤注一掷

释义：commit all one's available resources toward achieving a goal

例句：Our competitors are going for broke to get some of our accounts.
      为了得到我们的一些客户，我们的竞争者都要孤注一掷了。

典故：broke作“一文不名”或“破产”解释已有300年甚至更久了，但将 go for
      broke 当作“孤注一掷”解释却只是100年前的事，出自赌博时使用的行
      话。此语亦用于运动上，表示无论输赢，都要尽力而为。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-15 04:29

27 Grin and bear it 逆来顺受
释义：to accept a difficult situation without complaining or showing how
      you feel

例句：It’s no fun being sick for for the holidays, but you might  as well grin
      and bear it.
      节假日里生病一点都不滑稽，可你也只能这么受着了。

典故：这个短语以前也有时写成grin and abide，不过现在这种用法已不复存在。
      此语首见于威廉·希基（William Hickey）的《回忆录》（Memories，1775
      年）：
       I recommend you to grin and bear it (an expression used by sailors
      after a long continuance of bad weather).
      我建议你咬紧牙关撑下去（水手们在经历一段长时间的恶劣天气候说的
      话）

connie · 发表于 2004-12-15 04:31

28 grit one’s teeth 紧咬牙关

释义：summon up one’s strength to face unpleasantness or overcome a
      difficulty

例句：Griting his teeth, he dove into the icy water.
      要紧牙根，他一下子扎进了冰冷的水里。

典故：这种说法在1887年首见于弗兰克·斯托克顿（Frank R.Stockton）的《借
      来的月份》（Borrowed Month）：
      I gritted my teeth as I thought what a despicable thing it would be.
      想到这将是件非常可鄙的事，我就不禁咬紧牙关。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-15 05:08

29  happy as a clam(at high tide)无忧无虑

释义：extremely glad, delighted, very cheerful

例句：She was happy as a clam at high tide before the nightmare came

      with herstepmother.
      继母以及随之而来的噩梦到来前,她一直过着无忧无虑的生活.

典故：假如你知道这句话古时候怎么说，就会比较清楚：happy as a clam at
      high tide(快乐得像涨潮时的蚌)，因为蚌是在退潮时才可掘到的。所以可
      以猜想，这个短语是建立在“蚌是有脑筋的”这个假设上的，蚌在涨潮时的
      心情是最愉悦的。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-15 05:15

30 have both feet on the ground脚踏实地

例句： You can count on Tom. He has both feet on the ground.
      你可以相信汤姆，他可是个脚踏实地的人。

31.  head in the clouds心不在焉

例句： She must have had her head in the clouds when she made the
      reservations, because they never heard of us.
      她预约的时候一定是在白日做梦，因为他们就没听说过我们。

[ Last edited by connie on 2004-12-16 at 05:56 AM ]

connie · 发表于 2004-12-17 03:45

32. here today, gone tomorrow过眼云烟

例句： His book attracted a great deal of attention but quickly went out of
print——here today gone tomorrow.
他的书大受关注，但很快就绝版了，成了过眼云烟。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 06:34

33. in a rut墨守成规

例句：We go to the seashore every summer——we're in a rut.
我们每年都去海边，总是一成不变。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 06:37

34. keep one's head above water捉襟见肘

例句：With new bills coming in every day they barely keeping their heads
above water.
新帐单每天源源不断地到来。他们快要欠债了。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 06:43

35. kick up one's heels纵情享乐

例句：When she retires, she plans to kick up her heels and travel.
退休后，她打算尽情享乐而且还要去旅游。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 21:52

36. kill the goose that lays the golden eggs杀鸡取卵

例句：If he never gives his loyal customers a break on some items in his
store, he'll kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
他要是从不给他那些忠实顾客一些优惠，那他就是在杀鸡取卵。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 21:55

37. leave to someone's own devices自行决定；自力更生

例句：Left to his own devices, he would hire someone to do the yard work.
若是让他自行决定，他就会雇人来干院子里的活。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 21:59

38. look for a needle in a haystack大海捞针

例句：Looking for that screw in Dean's workshop amounts to looking for a
needle in a haystack.
在迪安的车间里找那样的螺丝简直是大海捞针。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 22:52

39. make a mountain out of a molehill小题大做

例句：If you forgot your racket you can borrow one —— don't make a
mountain out of a molehill.
你要是忘记带球拍了，可以借一个，别小题大做。

connie · 发表于 2004-12-18 22:54

40. make one's hair stand on end毛骨悚然

例句：The very thought of an earthquake makes my hair stand on end.
一想起地震，我就感到毛骨悚然。

Gino · 发表于 2004-12-19 22:11

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