英语日常口语、习惯语500句2
1. States scramble to find funds to fix roads and bridges. 各州都在竭力寻找资金来修路补桥。His campaign scrambled to defuse possible damage. 他的竞选班子在竭尽全力来挽回可能的损失。Scramble 通常意思是“搅拌”，例如：scrambled egg，这里的意思是“竭力干一件事”。
2. 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。
3. 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。
4. Finally he got his wish. 终于他如愿以偿。
5. 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。
6. 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。
7. 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”。
8. 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。
9. 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。
10. 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
11. 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。
12. 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。
13. 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。
14. 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。
15. 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
16. 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。
17. 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。）
18. He got hooked on the stamps. 他以前集邮很上瘾。
19. 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
20. 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。
21. 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
22. 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。
23. When you bring up these hot-bottom issues, tempers are already frayed. Hot-bottom 引起争议性的，热点。
24. 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。
25. 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。
26. 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。
27. My small business operates on a razor-thin profit margin. 我的生意属小本经营，利润微薄。
28. 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。
29. 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。
30. 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。
31. 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。
32. 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
33. 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。
34. 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.
35. 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。
36. 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
37. Watch out, he has something up his sleeve. 小心，他在玩障眼法。见21句。
38. 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
39. 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”.
40. 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。
41. 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”。
42. 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。
43. 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.”
44. Jealousy is a negative trait. trait 性格
45. I didn’t sleep much last night, so I was tired and groggy. groggy 站都站不稳的样子。
46. 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。
47. 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。
48. 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。
49. 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。”
50. 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。
51. 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。
52. 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.
53. 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。
54. 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。
55. 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。
56. 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。
57. 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
58. 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。
59. 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。
60. 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.
61. mindset 心态，口语里代替mentality。He has a good mind-set. 他的心态比较好。
62. 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。
63. I am with you. Are you with me? 我明白你说的，我说的你明白吗？
64. 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。
65. I am just thinking aloud. 我在动脑筋；我在费心想办法。
66. To begin with, I don’t like that guy much. 首先，我根本就不喜欢那个家伙。
67. 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。
68. 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。)
69. 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。
70. 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。