1，I have a fire in my belly to do something for this village. 我有一股強(qiáng)烈的愿望，能為這個(gè)村莊做點(diǎn)什么。特別注意，這個(gè)成語(yǔ)與“一肚子火”沒(méi)有關(guān)系，是表示有一種正面的強(qiáng)烈愿望。
I love this desire which comes from a fire in my belly.
2，Digital cameras are cheap now, you can get one for peanuts. 最便宜的東西莫過(guò)于花生，用買花生的錢就能買的東西，那當(dāng)然是很便宜了。以前美國(guó)南部產(chǎn)棉花，但棉花對(duì)土地有結(jié)板塊的作用。后來(lái)農(nóng)民發(fā)現(xiàn)棉花收割后種花生對(duì)土地有幫助，于是開(kāi)始種花生。那時(shí)花生不過(guò)像雜草一樣，農(nóng)民任其爛在田里。直到發(fā)明了花生醬后，花生才漸漸地成為人們喜歡的食物。
3，Blow out 與 blow away
With this dress, you are going to blow away everybody at your party.
I am blown out to find out that she would not come.
4．You are so jumpy. 你真是有點(diǎn)神經(jīng)質(zhì)。一個(gè)人興奮得亂蹦亂跳,所以顯得有點(diǎn)神經(jīng)質(zhì).
5．Are you getting the picture You are going to get the whole picture.
6．Tough, 這個(gè)詞是口語(yǔ)中使用頻率比較高的，a tough guy,
It is pretty tough to get a reservation. 這里的tough就是difficult得意思。You just have to tough it out.
7．Rough, 注意，rough與touch意思不同，容易混淆。
I have some rough patches with my wife. 我有好些地方得與老婆去磨合磨合了。
8．I am here now, I need to get in a swing of it. 我已經(jīng)到了，該投入行動(dòng)了。
9．More brawn than brain 四肢發(fā)達(dá)，頭腦簡(jiǎn)單 Nowadays, pop-culture icons are more brawn than brain. 現(xiàn)在流行文化中的偶像都是些四肢發(fā)達(dá)，頭腦簡(jiǎn)單的家伙。
10．Once you get to the meat of the subject, you will start to enjoy it. Meat肉，這里做“精髓”解。Nub也有這個(gè)意思：the nub of the story
11．Watch out for bait-and-switch tactics. 街頭騙子常用的手法就是快速地掉包，先用一個(gè)誘餌，乘你不注意掉包。
12．Ball這個(gè)詞人人都識(shí)，就是球的意思。但在口語(yǔ)里，還有三個(gè)其他的含義。The little girl had a ball at school today. 這個(gè)小女孩今天在學(xué)校參加了一個(gè)舞會(huì)。
另外on the ball 的含義是，有知識(shí)，有才華，懂行，辦事利索。
He is a teacher who is really on the ball. 他是個(gè)了不起的老師。a manager who has a lot on the ball很懂行的經(jīng)理; a student who has nothing on the ball 學(xué)得一塌糊涂的學(xué)生
另一個(gè)說(shuō)法表示一個(gè)人“能干”，可以說(shuō)hot-shot：The boss would like to hire a hot-shot employee 能干的職員 a hot-shot teacher, 能干的老師，
13．Blur 模糊，Taiwan talk is just a blur. 臺(tái)灣問(wèn)題的討論不過(guò)是在攪混水。The next hour is a blur to me.接下來(lái)的一個(gè)小時(shí)我就稀里糊涂了。
14．I have worked my butt out.我干活干得筋疲力盡了。中國(guó)人“我干這活都掉了兩斤肉。”英語(yǔ)里是累得屁股都掉了。
15．Snake oil 江湖郎中開(kāi)的藥 a snake oil salesman, 一個(gè)騙子推銷商，傳銷賣的東西基本上都是snake oil。中國(guó)的保健品基本上也都是snake oil，中國(guó)最有名的snake oil恐怕是腦白金了。
16．I saw several old geezers walking in the street. old geezer 老人，老頭子（有幽默味道，并不含貶義），表示老頭子還有另兩種說(shuō)法：old chap, old stick，這只能熟人之間用，
17． She is angry with me, but I stick to my guns.她對(duì)我很憤怒，但我決不讓步。stick to one’s guns 表示堅(jiān)持原則。堅(jiān)守原則的另一說(shuō)法是：You need to hold your ground even if some people oppose you. 就算有人攻擊你，你也一定要堅(jiān)守立場(chǎng)。
18．A night owl 熬夜的人 He is a night owl. 相當(dāng)于He likes to burn night oil.
19．Mr. Li never throws anything away, he is a pack rat. 李先生從不扔掉任何東西,他簡(jiǎn)直是垃圾收藏家。
20． He has been my sidekick for several years.他是我多年的好友。Sidekick 可以是老朋友，也指在關(guān)系中處于小弟的位置：I have been his sidekick for many years, now it is time that I break into my own business. 我作他的跟班已經(jīng)好些年了，現(xiàn)在我該自己創(chuàng)業(yè)了。
21. Close but no cigar. 差不多就答對(duì)了，但尚不能獲獎(jiǎng)。（大概是答對(duì)了就會(huì)獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)一支雪茄吧）同樣的結(jié)構(gòu)有Thanks but no thanks.如果你謝絕別人要給你提供的幫助或東西時(shí)，你可以這么說(shuō)，“謝謝，但不需要�！�
22. three strikes, you are out. 這是一句棒球語(yǔ)，但也開(kāi)始用在日常生活中，往往意思為：“如果你犯三次，就把你開(kāi)除。”好些年前，美國(guó)曾討論一個(gè)叫“three strikes law”，又叫“habitual offender laws”，該法律主要是針對(duì)那些刑事犯罪慣犯，如果一連犯了三次重罪，刑期就得自動(dòng)延長(zhǎng)，甚至是終生監(jiān)禁，有點(diǎn)中國(guó)“嚴(yán)-打”的味道，但也有人指出這法律不合憲法，因?yàn)閼椃ㄖ幸?guī)定，一罪不二罰。
23. The returns are good but the stakes are high. 回報(bào)誘人，但風(fēng)險(xiǎn)極高。
24. Every year, four hundred Americans die from heat stroke. Heat stroke就是中暑，今年中暑的人特別多。
25. I need some back-up from you. 我需要你的支持。Support是書(shū)面語(yǔ)，backup是口語(yǔ)。Police: I need backup, I need backup.請(qǐng)求支援，請(qǐng)求支援。Back off, 讓開(kāi)。
26. get out of here. 直接的意思是，滾到一邊去吧。也可以意為：得了吧。如果你不同別人的話，也可這么說(shuō)。
27. I am pulling an all-nighter. 熬夜
28. Let me get my head around this. 讓我把這件事想清楚。
29. you need to get your head straight. 你得頭腦清醒清醒。
30. the sticks，這里的sticks 是“樹(shù)林，深林”的意思。He is a guy in the sticks, how could you expect him to know that? 他住深山老林，他怎么可能知道這事？stick-thin, 或者 as thin as a stick 骨瘦如柴 I remember her as a stick-thin teenager. 我的記憶里，她是個(gè)骨瘦如柴的青少年。比較：out of the woods脫離深林，意即“脫離危險(xiǎn)”。
