英语成语谚语学习资料.docVIP

To butter up someone 拍马屁 [ 2009-08-27 大家要注意的是butter这个字在这里是当作动词用，意思就是：涂黄油。但是，to butter up someone并不是把黄油涂在谁的身上。作为习惯用语，to butter up someone就是一个人为了从某人那里得到好处而拍他的马屁。我们来举一个例子： Since the word came out David will be promoted to vice president, everybody in the office is busy trying to butter him up except Joseph. Joseph is an honest person, he just doesnt know how to say things that are not true. 自从消息传开说戴维德将被提升为副总经理以来，办公室里每个人，除了约瑟夫以外，都忙着拍他的马屁。约瑟夫是个老实人，他就是不知道怎么说假话。 从上面这个例句听来，似乎不拍马屁的人属于少数，可是在实际生活中，不愿意这样做的人也不少。下面说话的人就是一个例子： Some people believe to butter up your boss is the only way to get ahead. It may be true in some cases. But, in my view, the most important thing is your own qualifications and skills. 有些人认为，拍你老板的马屁是事业有进展的唯一道路。在某种情况下，这也许是确实的。但是，从我的观点来看，最重要的还是你自己的条件和技术。 Foot in mouth disease 出言不当 [ 2009-08-25 09:52 ] Foot就是一只脚，disease就是病。Foot in mouth disease从字面上来解释，它的意思就是，把脚放在嘴巴里的病。当一个小娃娃把自己的小脚放到嘴巴里去的时候，人们会觉得很好玩。但是，要是一个大人想这么做的话，他就会显得很傻，很愚蠢，就像你意识到自己说错了话一样。下面是一个典型的出言不当的例子。 Pete did it again! He asked Mister Jones what his wife was doing these days. I guess hed forgotten Missus Jones died last fall. Poor Pete！I have never seen a worse case of foot in mouth disease. 皮特又犯了同样的毛病 。他问琼斯先生他的太太最近在干什么。我想他把琼斯太太去年秋天去世的事给忘了。可伶的比德。我从来没有见过比这样出语不当更严重的了。 从某种程度上来说，每个人都有说错话的可能。下面我们要举的例子也很有趣。一个丈夫由于对妻子不忠诚而闹得家庭不和，他正在设法弥补跟妻子的关系。下面是他们的一个朋友在跟自己的太太说话: David is trying very hard to make up with his wife. But his sister said at the party last night that she would never live under the same roof with her husband if he had an affair like David. She has a real case of foot in mouth disease! 戴维德正在努力和他太太弥补关系。但是，他的妹妹昨晚在聚会上说，要是她的丈夫像戴维德那样有外遇的话，她是绝对不会再跟她的丈夫住在一起的。她真是有毛病，说话说得那么不恰当 The chips are down 糟糕的状况 [ 2009-08-24 10:12 ] 习惯用语the chips are down来历已久。它来自扑克牌桌，描绘的是下赌注的筹码都已经放在桌面上而打扑克的人即将摊牌一决输赢的当头。 这是最让人提心吊胆的时刻，因为结果未见分晓。后来人们把这个习惯用语广泛地应用在其它场合。我们听个例子来体会它的意思吧。说话的人在回忆自己的一段艰难时光。当时他被解雇，但是又急需一份工作来养家糊口。我们听听他是怎么说的： I had a wife and kids to support, so the chips were really down. But I found out who my real friends were. Pete