英语口语话题精粹

Well, if you look up the dictionary, the first meaning of stock is the supply of things
you keep and can use when you need them.
如果查字典的话呢,stock的意思就是(商店的)现货,存货,库存
But here, to take stock of sth is you to think carefully about it, before taking action
accordingly.
而take stock of sth的意思,就是对某情况加以总结,作出评估,进行反思
It was time to stand back and take stock of his career.
是时候停下来对自己的职业进行下反思了.

by the book:following rules and instructions in a very strict way 循规蹈矩;严格遵守章
法

She always does everything by the book. 她总是照章行事.

Don't hurry. You cannot cut corners if you want to do a perfect job.
那么这里的cut corners是什么意思呢?
Cut corners其实就是我们中文里常说的抄近路,走捷径,偷工减料的意思.
To do things in the easiest, quickest or cheapest way and not in the proper wat
Don't be tempted to cut corners when doing a home decorating job.
居室装修不要图省事贪便宜.
We will punish those who cut corners during school building construction and will
have zero tolerance for corruption and shoddy school projects.
我们会处罚在学校建设工作中偷工减料的人,对腐败现象和豆腐渣工程绝不姑息.
like looking for a needle in a haystack:大海捞针

Searching for one man in this city is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
在这个城市里找一个人无异于大海捞针.
Beat around the bush:拐弯抹角地讲话;绕圈子
原意是指猎人在打猎时,先在草从附近拍打,以让鸟类猎物受惊而 现出足迹,从而引申出
借由迁回的方式,不针对问题回答,即拐弯抹角.
Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want.
别绕来绕去了,告诉我你想要什么吧.
side with sb (against sbsth):to support one person or group in an argument against
sb else 支持某人(反对...);和某人站在一起(反对...)

The kids always sided with their mother against me.
孩子们总是和妈妈站在一边,跟我唱对台戏.
leave sbsth in the dust:把…远远抛在后面,使望尘莫及 to leave sb far behind
The four-minute mile barrier has been left in the dust by a generation of faster
runners.
在一英里赛跑中,4分钟这道关口已被新一代速度更快的运动员远远摔在后面.
In the local elections, Jackson won easily, leaving all other candidates in the dust.
在当地选举中,杰克逊轻松取胜,把其他的候选人远远地甩在后面.

in the heat of the moment

In the heat of the moment: while in a state of strong emotion or excitement 一时激
动之下;一时兴起

I must apologize for the rude things I said yesterday in the heat of the moment.
我必须为我昨天一时激动之下说了粗话道歉.

Take the heat out of sth:缓和局势

The police tried to take the heat out of the situation by withdrawing for a while.
警察暂时撤退,试图缓和一下局势.
Err on the side of sth宁愿稍微过一点to show slightly too much rather than too little
of a quality

When I am marking exam papers, I always try to err on the side of generosity.
改考卷打分时,我宁肯宽一点.
I thought it was better to err on the side of caution(= to be too careful rather than
take a risk).
我认为宁可过于谨慎也不要冒风险.
set your heartmind on sth,或者是on doing sth.意思就是一心想要某物(或做某事),立
志要
when she was a small girl, her heart was set on a horse of her own.
她还是个小女孩时就特别想要一匹属于自己的马.
He set his mind on becoming a doctor.
他立志要成为一名医生.
I have my heart set on a new guitar.
我一心想要一把新吉他.
今天给大家介绍的第一个习语是be all things to all peoplemen,它的意思就是指人八
面玲珑,见风使舵,面面俱到
to please everyone by changing your attitudes
The president's attempts to be all things to all men had disastrous consequences.

总统企图讨好各方的做法导致了灾难性的结果.
window dressing: something that is intended to make people like your plans or
activities, and to stop them seeing the true situation - used to show disapproval 装饰
门面,弄虚作假

The reforms have been interpreted as window dressing.

这些变革被称为是装饰门面.
第一个是 a wet blanket.它的意思是泼冷水的人,扫兴的人
enthusiatic about anything and who stops other people from enjoying themselves

she was such a wet blanket at the party that they never invited her again.
她在那次聚会扫了大家的兴,之后再也没人邀请她了.

第 二个短语是:a fly in the ointment,意思是扫兴的人,煞风景的事物
thing that stops a situation, activity, plan from being as good or successful as it could
be
We lead a very happy life here. The only fly in the ointment is that there's too much
traffic on our road.
我们在这儿过得很快活,唯一美中不足的就是住处旁边马路上的车辆太多了.
go through the roof
very angry 暴跳如雷,火冒三丈
He went through the roof when I told him I'd lost the money.
他气得火冒三丈.
2.(of prices, numbers)rise or increase very quickly 快速上涨,猛增
Prices have gone through the roof since the oil crisis began.
自从石油危机爆发以来,物价飞涨.
Be closedearnear to sb's heart: be a person or thing that sb is very fond of,
concerned about, interested in etc. 为某人喜爱,被某人所关注
The campaign to keep our local hospital open is something that is very close to my
heart.
主张维持本地医院正常开业的运动正和我意.
In the nature of things: used for saying that sth that happens is normal in a
particular situation and not at all surprising 理所当然,自然,丝毫不令人奇怪

Don't worry about it. It's in the nature of things for children to argue with their
parents when they are teenagers.
青少年常常会和他们的父母争辩,这不足为奇.
In the nature of things, people who have power don't like losing it.
有权利的人不想失去他们的权利,这很自然.
let nature take its course:to allow events to happen without doing anything to
change the results任其发展;听其自然

With minor ailments the best thing is often to let nature take its course.
对于小病,往往最好是听其自然.
cut and dried:(指事情,安排或观念)固定的,已成定局
by the end of the evening their plans for carrying out the robbery were cut and dried,
with nothing left to chance.
夜幕降临的时候他们的抢劫计划已经确定,所有的可能都想到了.
The inquiry is by no means cut and dried.
调查之事并为说死.
bite the bullet informal 硬着头皮对付不愉快或艰难的情况,咬紧牙关应付
getting your car repaired is often an expensive business, but all you can do is bite
the bullet and pay up.

修车往往是一件很花钱的事,可是你是能咬紧牙关付账单.
这个表达法源于过去战地手术的习惯.战士们在无麻醉剂的情况下咬住子弹接受手术.
Give sb the runaround: treat sb badly by not telling them the truth, or by not giving
them the help or the information they need, and sending them somewhere else 草草
打发,敷衍了事,搪塞
Residents claim they were given the runaround by the local council, from whom they
had no help at all.
居民指出当地委员会对他们敷衍了事,没有任何帮助.
Holdstand your ground:坚守阵地,不让步,不退缩
In spite of the enemy's fierce attack, we stood our ground and eventually they had
to retreat.
After arguing about future policy for three hours, he was still standing his ground.
就未来的政策问题争执了3个小时后,他仍然坚持自己的看法.
Don't let him persuade you─stand your ground.
别听他的 坚持自己的主张吧.
今天本人身体抱恙,实在不方便录音@@...但是还是希望大家保持学习的热情!!!

今天要学习的两个习语是:
(do sth) in your own good time: 在自己方便时,在自己做好准备时(做某事)
To do sth when you want to, and not when other people tell you to
There's no point in getting impatient. She'l finish the job in her own good time.
没有必要这么着急,她自己方便的时候会把这项工作做完的.
Have (got) your work cut out to do sthdoing sth:to be likely to have difficulty doing
sth 做某事可能有困难,面对棘手的任务
You'll have your work cut out to get there before nine. It's 8:30 already.
你九点前赶到那可不容易,现在已经八点半了.
I won't be able to come with you today. I've got my work cut out for me at the
moment.
我今天不能陪你去了,我现在手头有棘手的事.
什么是lappy???

前几天我和老外聊天,他说他的lappy坏了.... ..我一下子就楞了.什么是lappy???查牛津
朗文都没有,最后问人家,他告诉我lappy就 是laptop的缩写^-^.

后来又google了一下,发现下面的解释:

Lappy: Short for laptop.
Usually used if the laptop is insanely cute and sexy.
I just love my new lappy.
下次你也可以用lappy来忽悠人......哈哈~

最后希望今天可以好好的休息,明天就可以做节目啦~~

beat aboutaround the bush: to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing
or unpleasant 拐弯抹角地说,绕圈子
Don't beat around the bush. Tell me exactly what you think is wrong with my work.
别拐弯抹角的了,直接告诉我你认为我的工作有什么不对的.
注:英式英语用beat about the bush, 而美式则是beat around the bush.
Roundabout: not done or said using the shortest, simplest or most direct way
possible 迂回的;间接的;兜圈子的

一般是和way或者fashion搭配, a roundabout wayfashion.

He told us, in a very roundabout way, that he was thinking of leaving.
他拐弯抹角地对我们说他想走了.
前面提到的2种说法比较非正式,下面的适用于正式,书面场合.

Prevaricate: to avoid giving a direct answer to a question in order to hide the truth
支吾搪塞;闪烁其词;吞吞吐吐

Stop prevaricating and come to the point.
别吞吞吐吐的,有话快说吧.
equivocate: to talk about sth in a way that is deliberately not clear in order to avoid
or hide the truth (故意)含糊其词,支吾,搪塞
Cut sb some slack:给某人方便,给某人更大的自由,网开一面
To make things easier than useful for sb; allow sb more freedom to do things than
they would normally have

I know I made a mistake, but it's my first week on the job, so cut me some slack, ok?
我知道我犯了错,可是这是我工作的第一周,能不能对我网开一面?

Have (got) enough, a lot, on your plate:手头有太多的事要处理,问题或工作等成堆
I can't help you next week, I've got too much on my plate.
我下周不能帮你了,我自己的工作一大堆.
She has a lot on her plate at the moment; that's why she looks so worried all the
time.
现在她的问题成堆,所以看上去一直都闷闷不乐的.
Getlay your hands on sth: obtain sth that you want or need very much 把…弄到手,
得到(非常想要的东西)
Do you know where I can get my hands on a Russian dictionary? I need to check a
translation.
你知道在哪儿能找到俄语字典吗?我想核对一篇翻译.
I'd buy a new car if I could lay my hands on the money.
要是能弄到钱,我就买一辆新车.

Have(got) your hands full:非常忙碌 to be very busy
I've got my hands full looking after four children.
我要照顾4个孩子,忙的要死.
You look as if you've got your hands full today. Would you like me to help you?
你今天看起来很忙,要我帮忙吗?
Up in arms aboutover sth:强烈抗议,极力反对

Local residents are up in arms over plans to build a new motorway.
当地居民极力反对新建一条高速公路的计划.
Do the trick:有用,有效 do what is needed or wanted

These pills should do the trick. You'll feel much better in no time.
这些药应该管用,很快你就会觉得好多了.
I don't know what it was that did the trick, but I am definitely feeling much better.
我不知道是什么起的作用,但是我确实觉得好多了.

foot the bill: be responsible for paying the cost of sth 负担费用

Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
这一次掏腰包的又得是纳税人.

The local council will have to foot the bill for damage done to the roads in last year's
floods.
当地政务委员会将要承担在去年洪水中被破坏的道路的修复费用.
Batten down the hatches: 做好迎接困难的准备
to prepare yourself for a period of difficulty or trouble

Hollywood is battening down the hatches in expectation of a strike by actors and
writers this summer.
好莱坞正在做好准备应付今年夏天的演员和作家罢工.
Fall on deaf ears:指问题或请求等没有被听到,未被注意
Our request for money fell on deaf ears.
没人搭理我们要钱的请求.
Her advice fell on deaf ears.
她的忠告没有受到重视.
Have(got) a familiar ring (aboutto it):sound familiar 听上去耳熟
His comlaints have a familiar ring. Others have said exactly the same thing about our
designs.
他的抱怨听上去似曾相识,其他人对我们的设计说过一模一样的话.
The story had a familiar ring to it(= as if I had heard it before).
这个故事听起来耳熟.