实用美国俚语集锦

business.

5.

收破烂儿的人

a rag man

那些收破烂儿的人走街串户，有时也能挣不少钱。

Those

rag

men

going

from

door

to

door

sometimes

may

also

earn

quite a handsome sum of money.

6.

乡巴佬

a hayseed

她说她决不会嫁给一个乡巴佬，不管他多有钱。

She

insisted

that

she

would

not

marry

herself

off

to

a

hayseed,

no

matter how rich he was.

7.

不三不四的人

riff- raffs

老张的家里总来些不三不四的人， 可想而知老张不是什么好东西。

There

are

always

riff-

raffs

hanging

around

in

LaoZhang’s

home,

which gives you the feeling that Lao Zhang is not a good guy.

8.

受气包儿

doormat

她天生就是个受气包儿，什么事都不敢说个不字

She’s born doormat ,afraid of going against anything.

9.

面无表情的人

a deadpan

和那些面无表情的人在一起工作真让人憋气。

You feel choked to work with those deadpans.

10.

扫帚星

a jinx

有人说那个女人是个扫帚星，谁跟她结婚谁倒霉。

She’s

said

to

be

a

jinx,

who

wo

uld

bring

bad

luck

to

whoever

she

marries.

第二篇

能力与智慧

1

．

海量

have a hollow leg

你像灌醉他？他可是海量，从来没有醉过。

Want to drink him under the table? Well…you can never do. He got a

hollow leg, you know.

2.

略胜一筹

be a notch above

论油画，张先生比刘先生画得好。但是，谈到水彩画，刘先生可就比张

先生略胜一筹了。

In oil painting, paints better than

when it comes to water

colors, appears to be a notch above .

3.

有头脑

be a brain

他可是个有头脑德人，决不会相信你的那一套。

He’s a brain, who wouldn’t be fooled into believ

ing your babbling.

4.

很能干

to have a lot on the ball

我知道李明很能干，但我怀疑他是否真的愿意到我们这儿来工作。

I know Li Ming has a lot on the ball. But I’m not sure if he likes to work

here.

5.

有名无实

a poor apology

你刚才 提到的那个作家不过是个有名无实的人。他的作品太没意思了。

The man yo

u’ve just mentioned is but a poor apology for a writer. His

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writings are tedious.

6.

绞尽脑汁

to rack one’s brain

他已经绞尽脑汁了，可是仍未找到问题的答案。

He had racked his brain, but hadn’t been able to work out the answer

to the problem.

7.

没骨气

have no guts.

真没想到小高那么没骨气，竟然嫁给了坑害过她父亲的人。

I’m

surprised

to

learn

that

XiaoGao

had

married

the

man

who

had

once done her father in. She rally has no guts.

8.

真了不起

really something

他真了不起，竟然一个人对付了那么多的对手。

He

overwhelmed

so

many

of

his

opponents

alone.

He’s

really

something.

9.

昙花一现

a flash in the pan

那个歌星也只是昙花一现，出了几张唱片就销声匿迹了。

That singer was only a flash in the pan. He disappeared into the air

after having made one or two records.

10.

寡不敌众

be outnumbered

她很勇敢，但终因寡不敌众，被那帮人打晕过去

The

girl

was

brave

enough,

but

as

being

outnumbered,

she

was

finally knocked into the middle of next week by the gang.

11.

单枪匹马

play a lone hand

在投资时，他总喜欢单枪匹马的去干

When investing in a business, he always likes to play a lone hand.

12.

出师不利

get off one the wrong foot

他的主意不错，可一开始就出师不利。

His idea was good, but he got off on the wrong foot when he started

doing it.

13.

口才

the gift of gab

我几乎没见过像莉莉这样有口才的女孩子。

Seldom have I met a girl who’s had such a gift of gab like Lee Lee’s.

14.

还嫩点儿

still wet behind the ears

想陷害我？你还嫩点儿

Attempt to do me in? You are still wet behind the ears.

(be wet behind the ears

的字面意思是

“< /p>

像刚生下来的婴儿一样，耳朵

后的根毛还是湿的那

)

15.

糊涂虫

a nitwit

你真是个糊涂虫，怎么能当他的面讲他女朋友的坏话那？

You’re

a

real

nit

wit.

Why

should

you

badmouth

his

girlfriend

in

his

face?

16.

饭量小

eat like a bird

她的饭量特别小，有一小块面包就足够了。

She eats like a bird. A small piece of bread will be enough for her.

17.

痛失良机

Let something slip through one’s fingers

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你真蠢！这样一个发大财的机会千载难逢，你怎能眼睁睁的让他跑掉

那？

You

can’t

be

more

stupid!

How

could

you

let

such

a

golden

opportunity to make big money slip through your fingers? It was an opportunity

that comes once in a blue moon.

18.

抓住机会

jump at the chance

这样的好机会，你应该抓住

You should have jump at such a good chance.

19.

嘴硬

never say uncle

那个孩子的嘴特别硬，打死他都不肯认错

That boy never says uncle. He wouldn’t admit he’s wrong for the life

of him.

20.

有门道

have the means of

在挣钱方面，张先生可有门道了

has always had the means of making money.

21.

找到窍门

get the hang of

我已经找到学习英语动词的窍门了。

I’ve now got the hang of learning English verbs.

22.

占上风

gain the upper hand

比赛一开始，我们队占上风。可到最后却失利了

At the beginning of the game our team gained the upper hand. But by

and by, we lost our strength.

23.

有资格

be in a position.

你没有资格对他那样讲话，他是那儿的老板

You’re not in a position to talk to him like that; He’s the boss there.

24.

恭维话

blarney

只有傻瓜才会相信你的花言巧语。

Only a fool will believe your blarney.

25.

上圈套

rise to a bait

赵先生又上了那帮人的圈套了

again rose to the bait set by the guys.

26.

头脑有点不正常

have a few buttons missing

能说那种话的人头脑肯定有点不正常。

Anyone who says that must have a few buttons missing.

27.

见机行事

play to the score

到那儿，你要见机行事，千万不要由性子来。

When

you

are

there

with

them,

play

to

the

score.

Never

act

on

impulse.

28

唆使

put somebody up to

肯定有人唆使他去干那件事

There must be someone who had put him up to that.

29.

心有余而力不足

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is week.

不是他不愿意帮你，而是他心有余而力不足

30.

轰动全世界

set the world on fire

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他吹嘘果找到这个问题的答案，其成果就会轰动全世界

He boasted that if he could find the solution to the problem, the result

of it would set the world on fire.

31.

盲从

follow like sheep

她们根本不知道什么是时尚，只不过是在盲从而已

They

actually

know

nothing

about

what

fashion

is.

They’re

only

following others like sheep.

32.

听其自然

let things slide

事到如今，我们也只好听其自然了

With things as such, we’ll have to let things slide.

第

3

篇

脾气和性格

1

．

偷懒耍滑头

goof-off

小王总是偷懒耍滑头。上班时不是去打电话就是跑到医务室去 看病。

XiaoWang’s always goofing

-off----either making phone calls or going

to the clinic to see doctors during office hours.

2.

大动肝火

be up in arms

由于公司最近几个月销售业绩不佳，老板正在大动肝火

The boss is up in arms about the company’s poor

sales record in the

past few months.

3.

保持冷静

keep cool

即使在十分气愤的情况下她也能保持冷静

She can keep cool even under heavy pressure of anger.

4.

说话兜圈子

beat about the bush

5.

心怀叵测

have an ax to grind

她总是心怀叵测，对她说的话你得多留神

。

She always has an ax to grind. You should take whatever she says

with a pinch of salt.

6.

心数不正

not have one’s heart in the right place

他的心数不正，动不动就在别人的背后捅刀子。

He doesn’t have his heart in the right place. He would find every

opportunity to stab in the back of others.

7.

背后捅刀子

stab in the back

我万万没想到张某会在背后捅我一刀。我过去太信任她了。

I was taken aback and didn’t think Zhang would stab me in the back. I

placed too much trust in her.

8.

说某人的坏话

badmouth somebody

我从来没说过任何人的坏话。

I’ve never badmouthed anyone

.

9.

傻笑

grin like a Cheshire cat

她真是个傻帽，时常无缘无故的就傻笑起来。

She’s a real nitwit. She would now and then burst out grinning like a

Cheshire car for no reason at all.(Ches hire

是英国的郡名：

柴郡。

据说此 地有一

种猫，常常会无缘无故地咧开嘴对主人笑。后来人们便以此来形容傻笑地的人

10

．厚着脸皮去干

have the gall to do

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你怎么能厚着脸皮去抱怨说别人不勤快？

How can you have the gall to complaint about other people’s being

lazy?

11.

大献殷勤

dance attendance

小李在老板面前可会献殷勤了。

Xiao li is so good at dancing attendance on her boss.

12.

血口喷人

smite with the tongue

千万别得罪她，她经常血口喷人。

Take care not to offend her. She always smites with the tongue.

13.

假惺惺的说

speak with one’s tongue in one’s cheek

我特别讨厌她。她说话总是假惺惺地。

I feel sick of her. She always speaks with her tongue in her cheek.

14.

这山望着那山高

The grass is always greener on the other hill.

人都是这山望着那山高，对自己的状况没有满意的时候。

Almost all people see that the grass is greener on the other hill. They

never feel satisfied with what they’ve already got.

15.

上瘾

get into one’s blood

说来也怪，很多不好的事往往会使人上瘾。

It’s astoundingly funny that many harmful things usually get into our

blood.

16.

特别爱生气

be quick to take offense

17.

发牢骚

beef

他坐在那里什么事也不干，总是发牢骚，真烦死人。

I’m really bored stiff with his sitting there doing nothing but beefing.

18.

等不及了

champ at the bit

咱们快点吧，孩子们都等不及了。

Let’s shake the leg. The kids are champing at the bit.

19.

点头哈腰

bow and scrape

从她在老板前点头哈腰地那个模样，你就知道她是个什么人了。

From the way she’s bowing and scraping in front of the boss, you’ll

know what sort of person she is.

20.

疯疯癫癫

go gaga

对他的话不要太在意了，他总是疯疯癫癫的。

Don’t take what he says so seriously. He’s always going gaga.

21.

说话不算数

go back on one’s words

他那个人说话从不算数

我们可不能依靠他。

We cannot account on him. He always goes back on his words.

22.

废话连篇

beat one’s gums

谁喜欢坐在那里听你的废话连篇？

Who would enjoy sitting there listening to your beating your gums?

23.

恩将仇报

bite the hand that feeds one

你难道不知道她是个恩将仇报的人？

Don’t you know she’s the one that would bite the hand that feeds

her?

24.

不忍心

not have the heart to do

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如果我是你，我可不忍心把孩子们就在家里没人照看

If I were you, I wouldn’t have the heart tot leave the kids at home

uncared for.

25.

勤快

an eager beaver

他特别勤快，从来没有闲着的时候。

He’s an eager beaver, never staying idle.

26.

太不象话了

The idea of somebody’s doing

你太不象话了，竟然骂自己的母亲

The idea of your calling your mum damned!

27.

懒透了

be bone- idle

她懒透的了，连自己的袜子都不洗。

She’s bone

-

idle. She’s even tired of washing her own socks.

28.

好客

keep open house

我们的邻居特别好客

Our neighbor keeps open house.

29.

待客周到

keep a good house.

She keeps a good house and always makes her guests feel content

and satisfied.

30.

正直

be on the up and up

她是个正直的姑娘，因此我相信她不会干出那种事。

She’s always been on the up and up and I don’t think she would have

done such a thing.

31.

偷鸡摸狗

be on the sly

我们这儿的人都知道他是个爱偷鸡摸狗的人

Everyone around here knows that he’s a man on the sly.

32.

与

……

不合

be at odds with

不要把他们两个分在一个组里，他俩不合

Don’t put them in the same group. The

two of them are at odds with

each other.

33.

巴结

buddy up

她可会巴结当官的了。

She’s so good at budding up to shoes in authorities

34.

装傻

play possum

我知道你当时只不过是装傻而已

I know you were only playing possum.

35.

省吃俭用

pinch and scrape

她一向省吃俭用，从未浪费过一分钱

She’s always been pinching and scraping without ever wasting a

single cent.

36.

花言巧语

do a snow job

他花言巧语的哄骗那个女孩，说自己是某个部长的儿子。

He did a snow job on the girl by saying that he is the son of a minister .

37.

哪壶不开提哪壶

touch the tender spot

你真是哪壶不开提哪壶。她就怕别人提起第三者插足的话题

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You were plain touching the tender spot. She was most sensitive to

the topic of “ the third person”, who cut in between a couple.

38.

脚踩两条船

serve two masters

我可不想脚踩两条船，也不乐意两面讨好。

I don’t wan

t to serve two masers at the same time nor do I like to run

with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

39.

吃醋

be jealous

40.

不当一回事

as soon do …as look at …

他根本就不把得罪人当回事

He would just as soon offend other people as look at them.

41.

说到做到

be the equal of one’s words

他说到做到，从不食言

He’s the equal of his words, never going back on them.

42.

不依不饶

take off the gloves to

你不必对他如此的不依不饶

You don’t need to take off your gloves to him like that.

43.

贪吃

gluttonous

我从来没有见过像他那样贪吃的人

I’ve never met a man as gluttonous as him.

44.

很乖

as good as gold

他的小女儿很乖，从不像别的孩子那样不听话。

His little daughter is as good as gold. She’s never been as rebellious

as other children.

45.

十分嫉妒

be green with envy

王先生的成功使得周围很多人都嫉妒

Mr. Wang’s success has made many people around him green with

envy.

46.

满口脏话

swear like a trooper

那个家伙的嘴特别脏，整天满口脏话骂骂咧咧的。

That guy has a foul mouth. He always swears like a trooper.

47.

神经过敏

thin- skinned

我看这些人都有点神经过敏

In my

eyes they’re all sort of thin

-skinned.

48.

性子过急

be too quick on the trigger

要不是因为你的性子过急，你也不至于失去那笔买卖

If you were not too quick on the trigger you wouldn’t have lost the deal.

49.

撒娇

play the woman

她可会在男人面前撒娇了。

She ‘s so good at p

laying the woman before men.

50.

占人便宜

load the dice against

你最好别和她打交道，她总爱占别人的便宜

You’d better not to get involved with her. she always loads the dice

against others.

51.

为自己捞油水

be on the take

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近几年来，很多官员都在为自己捞油水。有谁会把国家的利益 当回事

哪？

In recent years many officials are readily on the take .Who would give

much heed to the interest of the country?

第

4

篇

情感和态度

1

．

犹豫不定

be of two minds

我打算买辆汽车，可心里一直犹豫不定，不知道买那个牌子的 好。

I’m thinking of buying a car, but I’m still of two minds .I ca

n hardly

decide as to which brand I should take.

2.

心事重重

some thing weighs heavily on one’s mind

老板这几天沉默寡言，看起来好像是心事重重的

The boss is quite down these days. He seems to have something

weighing heavily on his mind.

3.

埋头苦干

keep one’s nose to

the grindstone

这年头，只会埋头苦干的人是挣不了大钱的

These years those who’re keeping their nose to the grindstone can’t

make bundles.

4.

心凉了半截

cool one’s ardor

莉莉深深爱上了公司的老板并打算嫁给他，

但是当她听说他玩弄过几 个

女孩子之后，她的心都凉了半截。

Lily was head over heels in love with thei

r company’s boss and was

thinking of marrying him, but the news that he had taken several girls for a ride

cooled her ardor.

5.

使人大为激动

make one’s spine tingle

小李答应与他结婚使他大为激动

XiaoLi’s promise to marry him made his spine tingle.

6.

怀恨在心

bear somebody a grudge

千万别得罪他，他会对你怀恨在心的

Take care not to offend him, or he’ll bear you a grudge.

7.

感到四肢无力

feel wobbly and rough.

8.

受冷落

feel left out

在这样的场合上，谁愿意受到冷落那？

Who would like to feel left out at such a function?

9.

不容易

no cinch.

我是挣了钱，但这钱挣得太不容易了

I know I’ve made some money, but it was no cinch to get it.

10

．为难

be in a pickle

我真的很为难，我本应该给他买件皮衣，可我没有那么多的钱

I’m really in a pickle. I’m supposed to buy him a fur coat, but I don’t

have enough money for such an item.(pic kle

作

“

困境

”

解

)

11

．苦苦哀求

press one’s suit

她苦苦哀求丈夫再给她一次机会

She pressed her suit and asked her husband to give her another

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chance.

(

苦苦哀求：

press one’s suit. suit

指

“

乞求或恳 求

”)

12.

闲得无聊

twiddle one’s thumbs

这些娘们儿都闲得无聊

,

别人家的

“

丑闻

”

These “old girls”network are twiddling their thumbs , sitting there

either gossiping or forming into groups talking about other families’ “skeletons”

13.

推卸责任

pass the buck

当老板 问起是谁把消息说出去的时候，他们两个人相互推卸责任。

When the boss was asking who had disclosed the news ,the two of

them began to pass the buck to each other.

14.

承担后果

face the music

这件事是他们三个人一起干的，可是现在谁也不愿意承担后果

It was done by the three of them. But none of them want to face the

music now.

15.

真烦人

a pill

她真烦人，整天唠唠叨叨的

She’s really a pill, spending whole day harping and complaining.

16.

饶不了某人

not put anything past somebody

如果他胆敢给我使坏，我就饶不了他。

If he dare hit me below the belt, I won’t put anything past him.

17.

一门心思

have one’s heart set

on

他的女儿一门心思想嫁给一个日本人