1.on the tip of one's tongue就在嘴边上

　　A:Who's that man over there? I've never seen him before.

　　B:You mean the middle-sized man by the window talking with Mary?

　　A:Yeah.The man in a gray suit.

　　B:Let me think. Well, his name is just on the tip of my tongue. He's...Well, he's Tony. He's from Canada.

　　A：那个人是谁？我以前从来没有见过他。

　　B：你说的是那个在窗边和玛丽说话的中等个儿？

　　A：对，那个穿灰西装的。

　　B：我想一想，嗯，他的名字就在我嘴边，他叫……他叫托尼，从加拿大来。

　　2.eat like a bird饭量很小

　　A:Well,If I find this beef tender and delicious. Do you like it?

　　B:Sure.It's my favorite. And I like this fish, too.

　　A:But you seem to eat like a bird.

　　B:I'm on a diet.In fact, I'm on a crash diet. But I'm already full now.

　　A:这牛排又嫩又香，你喜欢吗？

　　B:当然，这是我的最爱。这鱼也不错。

　　A:但你好像吃得很少。

　　B:我正在节食。说实话，我在速成节食，可现在我已经饱了。

　　3.have butterflies in one's stomach忐忑不安

　　A:I don't know why I'm having butterflies in my stomach these days.

　　B:Not with out reason, I believe.

　　A:I'm afraid that you will let the money go down the drain again. We can't afford to throw away the money.

　　B:I understand that. Butyou're your heart at ease. I'll not let the money go down the drain.

　　A:我不知道为什么这几天总感到忐忑不安。

　　B:我想肯定有原因。

　　A:恐怕你又让那些钱白白浪费掉，我们承受不起。

　　B:我明白了，放心吧，我不会让那些钱白白流走。

　　4.have someone's number知道某人的底细

　　A:Is it Professor Smith?

　　B:Yeah. It was Professor Smith that spoke highly of my potentials as a sociology student.

　　A:By the way, so you also know Professor Reagan?

　　B:I think I do. I have his number. He enjoys less popularity than most other professors.

　　A:那是史密斯教授吗？

　　B:是的，就是史密斯教授说我学社会学很有潜力。

　　A:顺便问一下，你也知道里根教授吗？

　　B:我想我知道。我知道他的底细，他不如其他的教授那样受欢迎。

　　5.For a song以极低的价钱、廉价地

　　A:I don't know why kids are all becoming good liars nowadays.

　　B: TV programs should certainly take the blame. Children are good at imitating them.

　　A:That's indeed a problem. I bought Dickan expensive pen,but he sold it for a song and then he lied tome, saying that he has lost it. I really got irritated!

　　A:我不知道为什么现在的孩子变得那么会撒谎。

　　B:这都怪电视节目，孩子们擅长模仿他们。

　　A:这确实是个问题。我给迪克买了一支很贵的钢笔，他却以极低的价钱卖掉了，回来跟我撒谎说笔丢了，我非常生气。

　　6.play up to someone拍某人的马屁

　　A:You see, when he was trying to play up tome, I only thought he might ask me for a favor. I didn't think he would hit me below the belt.

　　B:You should have been able to see through him. You should always watch out on those sleeping dogs. They may attack you anytime.

　　A:你知道，当他努力讨好我时，我只以为他可能要我帮一个忙，我没有想到他会背后放冷枪。

　　B:你早就应该看透他，你应该时时小心那些坏人，他们随时会攻击你。

　　7.see eye to eye with sb.与某人看法一致

　　A:You seem to be in the seventh heaven. What's put you there?

　　B:Sara and I could see eye to eye with each other.

　　A:Did she give up her decision to marry John?

　　B:No. I encouraged her to go her way, but she's now having a change of heart.

　　A：你看上去高兴极了，什么让你这么高兴？

　　B：萨拉和我看法一致。

　　A：她决定不嫁给约翰了？

　　B：没有。我鼓励她走自己的路，但她现在想法有所改变。

　　8.without turning a hair不动声色，保持冷静的态度

　　A: You see, our happiness depends on other people, and theirs depends on us, too.

　　B: I know the philosophy, but in practice many things do not work that way.

　　A: You don't care? What about when people are trying to enrage you?

　　B:I remain as what I am without turning a hair, of course.

　　A:你知道，我们的幸福依赖于别人，别人的幸福也依赖于我们。

　　B:我明白这其中的哲学，但实际上许多事情并不这样。

　　A:你不以为然？那么当别人试图惹恼你时，你怎样？

　　B:当然不动声色。

　　9.eat one's words收回说过的话；承认错误

　　A:Things become difficult for Robert's father.

　　B:What's the point you are making?

　　A: Robert's father used to say that"like father, like son."But now he has to eat his words.

　　B:He's eating crow. That's one of the worst things one may experience in life.

　　A:情形对罗伯特的爸爸不利。

　　B:你说的是怎么一回事？

　　A:罗伯特的爸爸过去常说"有其父必有其子"，但现在他只好收回前言了。B:他自取其辱，这是人的一生中有可能碰到的最糟糕的事情之一。

　　10.fight against the clock争分夺秒

　　A:I don't know what force drove all the racers to fight against the clock at the race.

　　B:The winner will get ten milliondollars, you know?

　　A:But their lives are at risk. I would not risk my life for love or for money.

　　B:But you have been fighting against the clock in your work, and they can't understand you, either.

　　A:我不明白什么力量促使所有的参赛者在比赛时这样争分夺秒。

　　B:你不知道获胜者能获得一亿美元的奖金？

　　A:但他们是在拿生命冒险，我无论如何也不会拿我的生命开玩笑。

　　B:但你却为了工作在争分夺秒，他们对此也感到不解。

　　(文/庄慧敏邓旭梅；英语通高三版2004年第1期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)