B
Babe in the woods天真幼稚、初出茅庐的人
Peter knew his way around junior high, but now in high school he's just a babe in the woods.
彼得对他初中的环境了如指掌，但是对现在高中的环境就不太清楚了。
Meaning：a person who is inexperienced; a naive, trusting person
语义：没经验的人；天真、值得信任的人
►Origin: In 1595 a story called“The Children in the Wood”was published in England. It was about a greedy uncle who was supposed to be taking care of his rich niece and nephew. Instead, he hired two men to kill them so he could inherit their money. One of the men took pity on the children and left them in the woods rather than kill them. They did not survive. That's why we can say that inexperienced people or people that can't take care of themselves and can easily be misled or exploited are“babes in the woods.”
►语源：1595年，一部名为《树丛中的孩子》的故事书在英格兰出版。故事讲述一位贪婪的叔叔，他本应负起照顾他出身富足的侄子和侄女的责任，但是他却暗地里指使两个人将两个孩子杀害从而继承他们的财产。其中一个被指使的人可怜这两个孩子不愿意杀害他们，于是将两个孩子藏在树丛当中。最终孩子还是没能幸免于难。所以我们将那些没有经验的人，自理能力差因而很容易被误导、被利用的人比喻为“树丛中的孩子”。
Back to square one退回起点；从头再来
Our design for a solar-powered washing machine didn't work, so it's back to square one.
我们设计的太阳能洗衣机不管用，所以我们得从头再来。
Meaning：returning to the beginning because of a failure to accomplish the desired result
语义：由于未能达到预期效果而失败，需要重新来做
►Origin: There are many board and street games that have squares or boxes. Each player must start at the first square and try to advance to the finish line of last box to win. If, for any reason, you have to go back to square one, you're starting over from the beginning. A similar saying is“back to the drawing board.”
►语源：很多棋盘游戏的盘面上都有格子或者方框。参与游戏的人须从第一个格子出发向前走，抢先到达最后一个格子的人赢得比赛。如果因某种原因你退回到了第一个格子当中，那么你得从头走起开始游戏。“back to the drawing board”与这个习语语义相似。
Back to the drawing board （失败后）重启炉灶；从头再来
“Back to the drawing board,”said the inventor after his automatic dog-washing machine flooded the kitchen.
当发明家的电动洗狗机把厨房弄得水流成河之后，他无奈地说：“从头再来吧。”
Meaning：starting to plan a failed project all over from the beginning
语义：重新设计一个失败了的项目
►Origin: In the 1940s a cartoon in the New Yorker magazine showed a man holding blueprints and watching an airplane he had designed blow up on the ground. The caption under the cartoon was“Back to the drawing board.”The phrase became popular. Imagine an architect, inventor, designer, or artist working on his/her drawing board, sketching, meaning, revising, etc. And then the project doesn't work. He/She doesn't give up. It's“back to the drawing board”to start all over. A story is told about Thomas Edison. He tried for years to invent the lightbulb. Thousands of experiments failed, but he kept going“back to the drawing board.”Finally, in 1879, a bulb lit up and stayed glowing! Asked about those failed attempts, Edison replied that now he knew thousands of ways that didn't work. A similar expression is“back to square one.”
►语源：20世纪40年代，《纽约客》杂志上出现了一幅漫画，漫画中一位手拿设计图的发明家在注视着地上他设计的爆炸了的飞机。漫画的标题为“从设计图开始从新再来”。这个词组变得很常用。设想一位建筑师、发明家、设计师或者艺术家正苦于制作他/她的设计图、草图、构思或是修正方案等。尽管后来项目并没有成功，但他/她却没有放弃，而是从设计图开始又重新来做。有一个故事说托马斯·爱迪生花了很多年的时间来研究灯泡。上千次实验都以失败告终，但是他一次一次地从头开始。最终，他于1879年成功点亮了灯泡并使其持续发光！当被问及那些失败经历的时候，爱迪生回答说他知道了上千种行不通的办法。另一个短语“back to square one”与其用法相似。
Backseat driver指手画脚之人
I can fix this computer myself, but she always tries to be a backseat driver.
我完全能自己把电脑修好，但是她却总是在一边指手画脚。
Meaning：a bossy person who tells another person what to do; a person who gives unwanted advice and directions
语义：一个专横的、喜欢告诉别人怎么去做的人；喜欢给别人提供不必要的建议或指导的人
►Origin: When automobiles became popular in the United States in the 1920s, many rich people rode around in the backseats of chauffeur-driven cars. The backseat passenger gave orders to the front-seat driver: where to go, what road to take, how fast to drive, and so on. Today“backseat driver”refers to any aggressive person, in or out of a car, who tries to tell others what to do.
►语源：20世纪20年代汽车流行于美国时，许多有钱人雇司机开车去兜风。坐在后座的乘客指示司机：到哪去、走哪条路、以什么样的速度等等。今天“后座司机”指那些争强好胜的、总喜欢指示别人怎么做的人，而并非一定是指在开车的过程中。
Baker's dozen十三
At the garage sale, we charged 75￠per baseball card or$9 for a baker's dozen.
在旧货市场，我们买到了75科朗一张的棒球卡或者说我们用9美元买了13张棒球卡。
Meaning：thirteen of anything for the price of twelve
语义：以12个的价格买到的13个
►Origin: A dozen of anything is twelve. Then why is a“baker's dozen”thirteen? Hundreds of years ago some English bakers cheated their customers by baking air pockets into loaves of bread, making them lightweight. In 1266 the English Parliament passed a law that said that bakers who sold underweight bread would be severely punished. To be sure they were selling enough bread to meet the new weight regulations, the bakers started giving thirteen loaves for every dozen a customer ordered.
►语源：一打是12个。为什么面包师的一打会是13个呢？几百年前，英国的一些面包师坑骗顾客，在面包中烤出大量空洞使得同样大小的面包更轻。1266年，英国议会通过法案，宣布任何出售重量不合格面包的面包师将受到严厉的处罚。从此以后，当有顾客买一打面包的时候，面包师都会给顾客包上13块面包，以迎合这条新的关于重量的法规。
BaIIpark figure大约
The spoiled boy gave his parents a ballpark figure for how much his birthday presents should cost.
被宠坏的小男孩给他父母提供了一个他生日礼物大概的价格。
Meaning：a rough estimate
语义：大概的估计
►Origin: In the early days of baseball, sports reporters would ask owners of teams how many people were at the game. The owners knew how many tickets had been sold, but they didn't always want to tell the exact number. If all the seats weren't filled, they wanted to pretend that more people had come to the game than actually had. They wanted to make baseball seem more popular, so they gave broad estimates that came to be known as“ballpark figures.”Today anytime you give an approximate, not exact, number about anything, you are giving a“ballpark figure.”
►语源：在棒球运动发展的早期，体育记者会向比赛的承办人了解来观看比赛的人数。承办人明知售出的票数，却并不总是愿意说出具体数字。如果观众席没有坐满，他们会假装来的人数比实际人数更多，从而让人们觉得棒球运动很受欢迎，于是他们给出粗略的估计，也就是后来流行的说法“棒球场大小”。如今如果你想给出对任何事物大概的、不够精确的数字，你就可以用“ballpark figure”这个短语。
Bark is worse than one's bite刀子嘴豆腐心；雷声大雨点小
The new director yells a lot, but her bark is worse than her bite.
新来的主管经常大呼小叫，但她是刀子嘴豆腐心。
Meaning：The way a person sounds is much more frightening than the way he or she acts; the threat is often worse than the action taken.
语义：一个人的说话方式听起来比他或她的行为更让人恐惧；口头威胁常常比实际行动更恐怖。
►Origin: This expression was used as far back as the mid-1600s. A dog barking ferociously sounds like he could actually bite your head off. But if the dog does not hurt you, then his“bark is worse than his bite.”
►语源：这个表达方式源于17世纪中期。一只狗凶猛的叫声让人感觉它会一口咬下你的头。如果这个狗没有伤害你，那就成了“雷声大雨点小”。
Bark up the wrong tree认错目标；找错对象
Maria's uncle wanted to make her into a magician, but he was barking up the wrong tree. Her brother, Juan, was the one who loved tricks.
玛丽亚的叔叔想把她打造成一位魔术师，但是他找错人了。玛丽亚的弟弟胡安才是真正喜欢这些把戏的人。
Meaning：to direct your attention or efforts toward the wrong person or thing; have the wrong idea about something
语义：把注意力或精力放在不合适的人或物上；对某事持有错误的见解
►Origin: During colonial times in America, raccoon hunting was a popular sport. Trained dogs would chase a raccoon up a tree and bark furiously at the base until the hunter came. Sometimes a raccoon could escape to the branches of another tree, leaving the dog barking up the wrong tree. Today, you can“bark up the wrong tree”if you're on a wrong course of action, have your attention redirected from your intended object, or choose the wrong person to deal with.
►语源：美国殖民地时期，猎捕浣熊是一项很流行的活动。训练有素的猎犬对浣熊穷追不舍，直到浣熊爬上了树猎犬还是会在树下凶猛地叫着等待猎人。有时浣熊可以从一棵树的树枝逃到另一棵树的树枝上，空留猎犬冲着没有猎物的树拼命叫。如果你的行动偏离了路线，你的注意力有悖于你的目标，或是选了个不合适的人选做交易，这些都可以称为“bark up the wrong tree”。
Batten down the hatches未雨绸缪；封舱
We'd better batten down the hatches. The weather service says a tropical storm is headed our way.
我们必须未雨绸缪。天气预报说热带风暴即将来袭。
Meaning：to get ready for trouble; prepare for any emergency
语义：做好应对麻烦和一切紧急情况的准备
►Origin: This is a nautical term that comes from the early 1800s. On a ship, sailors prepared for stormy weather by nailing waterproofed pieces of canvas and wood (battens) over the entryways (hatches) to the cargo area below the main deck. Today you“batten down the hatches”when you prepare for any kind of trouble.
►语源：这是19世纪早期的一个航海术语。在暴风雨天气来临前，船员们在主甲板下方装载货物的船舱入口钉上防水帆布和木板（板条），也就是做好一切应急的准备。如今“未雨绸缪”是为了应对各种麻烦。
Beat a dead horse白费口舌；浪费精力；炒冷饭
He tried to convince his sister, but he was beating a dead horse.
他试图说服他姐姐，可他这是在浪费口舌。
Meaning：to pursue a useless goal; continue fighting a battle that has been lost; keep arguing a point that has already been decided
语义：追求无用的目标；继续进行已经输了的战斗；为已经有了结论的观点而争辩
►Origin: This saying goes back to the ancient Roman playwright Plautus who used it in 195 B.C. in one of his plays. The dramatic performance was of trying to whip a dead horse to get up and carry the load it was supposed to be moving. This action was shown to accomplish nothing. Today we say that anyone pursuing an issue that is already settled is“beating a dead horse.”
►语源：公元前195年古罗马剧作家普劳图斯在他的一部剧作中用到过这个习语。在这个戏剧表演中有一个情节是抽打一匹死去的马，为的是让它起身驮运货物。这个行为纯属徒劳。现在我们用这个习语来表达“人们想要去改变已成定局的事情”。
Beat around the bush拐弯抹角；旁敲侧击
Stop beating around the bush. Whom are you taking to the dance?
别绕弯子了，你到底带谁去参加舞会？
Meaning：to avoid answering a question; approach something carefully or in a roundabout way
语义：避免回答某个问题；小心谨慎地接近某物或是拐弯抹角地前进
►Origin: This expression goes all the way back to the 1500s when hunters hired people called beaters to drive small animals out of the bushes so the hunters could get a better shot at them. The problem for the beaters was that they might drive the birds or rabbits or foxes out too soon. They had to be careful not to drive the animals into the open before the hunters arrived. So the beaters might use their long sticks“around the bush”rather than directly on it. Today, the expression“to beat around the bush”means talking about things in a roundabout way without giving clear answers or coming to the point.
►语源：这个习语起源于16世纪，那个年代的猎人雇一些人将小动物们驱赶出丛林，以便更有效地射杀这些动物。驱赶猎物的人面对的问题是他们一不小心就会太快地把这些鸟、兔子或者狐狸赶出来。因此他们不得不注意避免在猎人到达之前把这些动物赶到空地上。所以驱猎者用他们的长棍在树丛周围敲打而非直接插到树丛中。如今“to beat around the bush”用来指谈论某事的时候拐弯抹角，不给出明确的答案或是不切入主题。
Beat the band精力充沛地；猛烈地；超乎一切地；难以置信地
When my sister told us that she was marrying Manny, everyone cheered to beat the band.
我姐姐告诉我们她要嫁给曼尼时，大家都高兴疯了。
Meaning：with much noise, excitement, or commotion; very much, very fast; outdoing all others
语义：带着强烈的噪音、兴奋或躁动地；很多，很快；超乎一切地
►Origin: This saying started in the late 1800s in Britain and then traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. One explanation of its origin is that since a band is usually loud, exciting, and colorful, anything that“beats the band”must be louder, more exciting, and more colorful. The other explanation is that people sometimes run ahead of a marching band to beat it to a certain spot. This idiom can also be used to express amazement for any astonishing achievement, as in“She can drive the tractor and she's only eight years old. If that doesn't beat the band!”
►语源：这个说法始于19世纪末期的英国，后又穿越大西洋流行于美国。关于它起源的解释有两种：其一是说乐队往往很吵闹、令人兴奋且丰富多彩，那么胜过乐队的事物一定是更加吵闹、令人兴奋和丰富多彩的；其二是人们总喜欢跑到行进中的军乐团的最前面找到最佳观赏点。这个习语也可用于表达对任何惊人成就的惊诧，例如“她才八岁就会开拖拉机。真是难以置信！”
Beat your swords into pIowshares化干戈为玉帛；放弃纠纷，追求和平
The prime minister would like them to beat their swords into plowshares and abandon all plans for war.
总理希望他们化干戈为玉帛，停止一切战争计划。
Meaning：to stop fighting and turn your attention toward peaceful activities
语义：停止战争，将注意力转移到和平的事业当中
►Origin: This is another of the many famous sayings that come from the Bible. In Isaiah 2: 4 there appears the following sentence:“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”Swords and spears represent weapons of war. Plowshares and pruning hooks represent farming tools, which are symbols for all peaceful activities. So when a modern nation“beats its swords into plowshares,”it could be manufacturing passenger planes instead of bombers, or camera phones instead of military radar systems.
►语源：这是众多源于《圣经》的习语之一。在《以赛亚书》中第二章第四节中出现了这样一个句子：“他们要将刀打成犁头，把枪打成镰刀；这国不举刀攻击那国，他们也不再学习战事。”刀和枪代表武器。犁头和镰刀代表农用工具，也是和平的象征。所以，当现代国家“化干戈为玉帛”时，可能说明这个国家在建造客机而非轰炸机，制造视频电话而非军用雷达系统。
Beauty is in the eye of the behoIder．情人眼里出西施。
Lenny thinks his dog's haircut is cool. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
兰尼觉得他的狗狗的发型很酷。我想这是情人眼里出西施的缘故吧。
Meaning：There is no standard for beauty, so what one person likes or sees in someone or something is not necessarily what others see; different people have different opinions.
语义：美是没有标准的，每个人的喜好或是对某人某事的看法并不一定非要和其他人一致；不同的人有着不同的观点。
►Origin: Many writers in the past have stated the idea that what one person thinks is ugly, another person may think is beautiful. The“eye”is really the mind, thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the“beholder,”or the person who is looking at the person or thing.
►语源：过去很多作家都表达过这样的观点：一个人觉得丑陋的，另一个人可能觉得漂亮。各种思想、感受和情绪都取决于观赏者的眼睛。
Bed of roses玫瑰床；称心如意的境遇
Compared with my old school, this one is a bed of roses.
和我过去的学校相比，这个已经够好了。
Meaning：a wonderful, pleasant situation or position; an easy, comfortable life
语义：精彩的、令人愉快的状况或者职位；安逸舒适的生活环境
►Origin: English poets have used this phrase for centuries. Roses are such lovely, sweet-smelling, soft-petaled flowers that a bed of them suggests a lovely, sweet and soft condition. The meaning was stretched to mean any easy and comfortable situation in life. However, if you really think about it, roses have thorns and a real bed of roses would probably be anything but comfortable. A similar expression used today is“bowl of cherries.”
►语源：英国诗人使用这个短语已有数百年历史。玫瑰是那么的秀丽、甜美、柔软，因此玫瑰的温床暗示着宜人、甜美、柔软的环境。后来语义延伸为生活中任何安逸舒适的环境。然而，再深入地想一想，玫瑰是带刺的，所以真正的“玫瑰床”一定不会舒适。类似的词组还有“bowl of cherries（樱桃盆）”。
Bee in your bonnet异想天开；狂热的想法
Mr. Davis thinks he can teach us the trombone. He must have a bee in his bonnet.
戴维斯先生觉得他能教我们吹长号。他一定是疯了。
Meaning：a crazy idea; an obsession with an idea
语义：疯狂的观点；执迷不悟的想法
►Origin: This 16th-century expression was originally“to have a head full of bees,”but it changed to“bee in one's bonnet”in Robert Herrick's“Mad Maid's Song,”a poem written in 1648. It sounds better this way because of alliteration, both words beginning with the same letter. If you have a crazy idea and can't talk about anything else, it's like having a bee stuck in your hat. A similar expression is to have“bats in your belfry.”
►语源：16世纪中期，这个习语原为“to have a head full of bees（满脑袋的蜜蜂）”，诗人罗伯特·赫里克在他1648年的诗作《疯狂女仆之歌》中将其改为“bee in one's bonnet”。因为这样压头韵，所以听起来更顺畅。如果你有了一个疯狂的想法，把其他一切都抛之脑后，那就像是帽子里藏进了一只蜜蜂。“bats in your belfry（脑袋里进了蝙蝠）”与这个习语用法类似。
Beggars can't be choosers．饥不择食；寒不择衣。
Beggars can't be choosers. If you don't have money to go out for pizza, you'll have to eat in the cafeteria.
饥不择食。吃不起比萨，你只能选择自助餐。
Meaning：Needy people have to take whatever they can get and cannot be concerned about the quality if they cannot afford to buy it for themselves.
语义：贫困的人只能接受他们能够得到的东西。他们没有购买能力，也就没有权利挑剔质量了。
►Origin: This proverb has been around since the mid-1500s. It means that people who need something but who have little or no control over their situations can't choose what they get. They have to accept what is offered.
►语源：早在16世纪中期这个习语就已经出现。意思是说那些有需求但又对自己的处境无能为力的人没有权利去选择。他们只能接受。
Behind the eight baII身处困境；无能为力
My father caught me napping in the hammock instead of mowing the lawn. I'm really behind the eight ball now.
我没有去割草却在吊床上打盹儿的时候刚好被爸爸逮个正着。这下子可倒霉了。
Meaning：in trouble or out of luck; in a difficult position or in a bad situation with little hope of winning
语义：遇到麻烦或是运气不好；处于困境，成功的希望渺茫
►Origin: This American idiom from the early 1900s comes from billiards. In the game kellypool you have to hit numbered balls into pockets of a billiard table in numerical order, except for ball number eight, which is to be pocketed last. However, if the eight ball is very close to the ball you're trying to hit, you're in trouble. That's a bad position to be in. Today we say that anyone“behind the eight ball”is experiencing a lot of bad luck. Other similar idioms are“in a pretty kettle of fish,”“up a creek,”“in a pickle,”“in the doghouse,”and“in hot water.”
►语源：这个美国习语源自20世纪早期的桌球游戏。游戏规则是要把带有标号的桌球按照顺序逐个打进球桌的小篮筐，八号除外；它要留到最后才能打进。然而，如果八号球离你要打的球非常接近就会大大增加击球的难度。这样的位置很糟糕。现如今我们用某人“在八号球的后面”来表达他正遭霉运。类似的习语还有“in a pretty kettle of fish(一塌糊涂)”、“up a creek（一筹莫展）”、“in a pickle（处境混乱）”、“in the doghouse（受冷遇）”和“in hot water（身处水深火热之中）”。
BeIIs and whistIes虚饰之物；矫饰之处；浮华的装饰
Our teacher says we're getting a new computer with all the latest bells and whistles: CD-burner, stereo, speakers, color printer, and full multimedia.
我们的老师说我们将引进一批电脑并配有最新、最华丽的附属品：CD光驱、立体音响、扬声器、彩色打印机和多媒体设备。
Meaning：impressive accessories, especially flashy, high-technology features and frills, which may sometimes be more decorative than necessary
语义：吸引眼球的、浮华的、高科技的附属品或零件，装饰性往往大于实用性
►Origin: This modern phrase became popular with the development of many kinds of new electronic and computerized equipment. The“bells and whistles”represents all sorts of super high-tech features that you don't really need in a basic model but which make a product more fun to use (and more expensive). Note:“Bells and whistles”don't have to make any sounds.
►语源：这个现代的词组随着多种新的电子产品和计算机配套设备的发展流行起来。“铃铛和哨子”代表了所有具有高科技特征、能附加产品娱乐性（也更贵），但并非必需的设备。注意：“铃铛和哨子”并不一定非要发出响声。
BeIow the beIt不公正
Saying he wasn't very good in math just because he got a 99 on the test was really hitting below the belt.
他数学考试得了99分还说他该门功课不好，实在是不公平。
Meaning：cruel, unfair, hurtful; against the rules of sportsmanship
语义：残酷的，不公的，伤人的；违背运动员道德准则的
►Origin: The sport of boxing can be dangerous. Prizefighters can get seriously injured if the official rules of the game are not followed. Most of the rules in effect today are based on those proposed in 1867 by the Marquis of Queensberry, a British nobleman. He said there could be no wrestling or hugging, shoes couldn't have springs in them, and no punches below the belt would be allowed. Today boxers wear trunks with waistbands, not belts, but the rule is still followed. In the late 1800s this saying took on a meaning outside the boxing ring (which, curiously enough, is actually square). Hitting someone“below the belt”has come to mean committing an act of foul play that is unkind and nasty, like an illegal punch in boxing.
►语源：拳击比赛存在很大的危险性。如果不按照官方的规则来进行比赛，职业拳击手很有可能会身受重伤。现如今仍沿用的游戏规则大多来自1867年英国贵族昆斯伯里侯爵的提案。他建议比赛中不可以出现摔跤或搂抱，鞋子里不能装弹簧，不得出拳袭击腰部以下部位。虽然现代的拳击手穿着带有束腰带（并非皮带）的大短裤，但是拳击手依然遵守这个规则。19世纪晚期，这个说法脱离了拳击赛场（严格地说是方形拳击场）。击打某人“腰部以下”部位也就等于打了一场不公正的比赛，就像拳击比赛中违规出拳一样粗鲁、令人厌恶。
Better haIf贤内助；另一半
I'm not making a decision until I check with my better half.
我想和我妻子商量过再做决定。
Meaning：either partner in marriage
语义：配偶
►Origin: Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who favored strict religious discipline. They said that each person was made up of two halves, body and soul, and that the soul was the better half because it was the spiritual side. Sir Phillip Sidney, an English writer, said that a marriage was made up of two halves, and that the better half was the better spouse. Today when the phrase“better half”is used, it almost always means someone's wife, although there's no reason why a wife can't use the term to describe her husband. In either case,“better half”is a compliment.
►语源：清教徒指的是16和17世纪主张严格的宗教原则的英国新教徒。他们认为每个人都是由躯体和心灵两部分组成，而心灵是最为重要的一半，因为它代表着人的精神。英国作家菲利普·西德尼爵士曾说过婚姻由两部分组成，好的一半即指好的配偶。如今这个词通常指某人的妻子，但也没人解释得出为什么妻子不能用这个词来形容她的丈夫。不管怎样，这是个恭维的用法。
Better safe than sorry谨言慎行；不怕一万只怕万一
Terri told Alexandra to put on her seat belt, even for a short drive.“Better safe than sorry,”she said.
即使是短途，泰瑞都会要求亚历山德拉系好安全带。她说：“不怕一万就怕万一嘛。”
Meaning：to be careful; avoid risks and possible injury that you'll regret
语义：多加小心；避免让人追悔莫及的冒险和潜在伤害
►Origin: As early as 400 years ago, when a version of this expression started to be used, people were cautioning others to go slowly, be cautious,don't get into trouble, and avoid accident. By the early 1800s the phrase was“better sure than sorry,”but a half century later“sure”was out and“safe”was in. Imagine that it's snowing outside and your mother advises you to leave for school early and walk carefully on slippery sidewalk. She's saying it's better to be safe and get to where you're going in one piece than to be sorry that you ran, slipped, and broke your leg.
►语源：400年前，人们用这个短语来提醒他人减速慢行，处处留心，远离麻烦和事故。19世纪早期，这个短语为“better sure than sorry”，但是50年后“sure”过时了，“safe”取而代之。例如大雪天去上学，你母亲建议你早早出发，以便有时间小心翼翼地走在打滑的路面上。她会说与其为了赶时间跑着滑倒摔伤了腿而后悔，不如保险起见安然无恙地到达目的地。
Between a rock and a hard pIace陷于维谷，进退两难
It's a tough choice between getting to the big game on time or waiting for Mr. Smith to call. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
准时去参加比赛还是等史密斯先生的电话成了难题。我进退两难。
Meaning：being in a very tight spot and faced with a difficult decision
语义：处于紧要关头，面临艰难的抉择
►Origin: In this American saying from the early 20th century, you can picture someone actually squeezed between a rock and a hard place. He or she has to turn one way or the other, but neither way is very pleasant. A similar expression from an earlier time is“between the devil and the deep blue sea.”
►语源：这是个20世纪初的美国习语，设想某人被夹在一块岩石和一片坚硬的地方中间。他/她只有两条路可走，但是哪条路都不容乐观。更早的表达进退两难意思的说法是“魔鬼与深蓝海之间”。
Between the deviI and the deep bIue sea进退两难
Glenn had to choose between confessing that he hadn't studied or trying to fake it. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea.
格伦要在承认他没学过和试图造假之间做选择。他进退两难。
Meaning：between two great dangers and not knowing what to do; in a very difficult position
语义：面临两大危险，不知所措；处境复杂艰难
►Origin: In the early 17th century the heavy plank fastened to the side of a vessel as a support for guns was called the devil. Sometimes a sailor had to go out onto this plank to do repairs to the boat. In heavy seas he would be in a great danger of falling overboard and drowning because he was“between the devil and the deep blue sea.”Over the centuries the meaning of this expression expanded to include being between two equally difficult perils of any kind.
►语源：在17世纪早期，系在船的侧面用来支撑枪支的支架被称为恶棍。水手们有时会爬上支架板对船只进行修理。在波涛汹涌的海面上，水手有掉进海里溺死的危险，因为他身处支架板和深蓝海之间。几世纪后这个短语就被延伸为包括所有身处任何两种同等严重困难的境地的情况。
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts谨防糖衣炮弹或来意不善的礼物
Natasha is just giving you that present because she wants one of your puppies. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
娜塔莎送你礼物是为了得到你的一只小狗。要提防糖衣炮弹。
Meaning：to be suspicious of presents from certain people who are just looking for something from you; be on guard against treachery in the disguise of a gift
语义：对于一些对你有所图的人的礼物要多加小心，提防掩盖在礼物背后的背叛。
►Origin: The great ancient Roman writer Virgil used a similar sentence in his famous story of the Trojan War,The Aeneid.For ten years the Greek army tried in vain to conquer Troy. Finally the Greeks pulled a rotten (but clever) trick on the Trojans. They pretended to sail back to Greece and left behind a huge wooden horse as a“gift.”The Trojans brought the horse into their city, but many Greek soldiers were hidden inside the horse. They came out at night, defeated the Trojans, and conquered Troy.
►语源：著名的古罗马作家维吉尔在他所著的特洛伊战争故事《埃涅伊德》中用了一个类似的句子。希腊军队花费10年的时间也未能占领特洛伊。结果希腊人略施小技，他们假装退回希腊，留下一个巨大的木马作为“礼物”送给特洛伊人。特洛伊人把木马拖回城，却不知木马里藏着许多希腊士兵。希腊人夜晚出动击败特洛伊军队，占领了特洛伊。
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush一鸟在手胜似二鸟在林
Take this job now because you don't know if you'll get another one. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
暂且接受这份工作吧，因为你也不知道能否有其他的机会。要知道一鸟在手，胜似二鸟在林。
Meaning：What you already have is better than what you might or might not get in the future; a guarantee is worth more than a promise.
语义：你已经拥有的东西总优于你不确定将来能否得到的东西；一份担保的价值远比一句承诺大得多。
►Origin: This saying began as an ancient Greek proverb. Aesop used it in some of his fables. The ancient Romans repeated it, and in the 1400s it was translated into English. It comes from the sport of hunting birds. Hunters thought that a bird that you had already captured (“in the hand”) was better than two you hadn't yet caught (“in the bush”). Today we often hear the same advice: It's better to be content with what you already have than to reject it because you hope that something better will turn up.
►语源：这是个古希腊谚语，且在一些伊索寓言中出现过。古罗马人也沿用了这个谚语，后在15世纪被翻译为英语。它起源于捕鸟活动。猎人们认为已经到手的鸟即使只有一只也比林中飞着的两只鸟更可靠。现在我们常常听到这样的劝慰：不要总是不安于现状，总觉得自己能够得到更好的东西，而放弃眼前的美好。
Birds of a feather flock together．物以类聚，人以群分。
Everyone at that table plays soccer. I guess that birds of a feather flock together.
那桌的人都喜欢踢足球，真是物以类聚，人以群分啊。
Meaning：People who have things in common, such as interests and ideas, usually hang out together; people who are alike often become friends.
语义：有着共同点的人，不管是兴趣爱好或是思想观念，通常能玩到一起；相同点很多的人往往能够成为朋友。
►Origin: This saying, which is over 2,000 years old and comes from the Bible, is based on the observation that birds of the same species flock together on the ground as well as in the air. The meaning has been broadened over the years, so that“birds”means“people”and“of a feather”means“of the same type.”
►语源：这个习语出自《圣经》，已有两千多年的历史。它源于对大自然鸟类的观察：同一种类的鸟不论是在陆地上还是翱翔在天空都会聚集在一起。随着时间的推移这个习语的含义也有所延伸，“鸟”指代“人类”，而“同一品种”被理解为“同一类型”。
Bite off more than you can chew贪多嚼不烂；自不量力；力不能及
You can't captain the team, edit the paper, and star in the play. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
你做不到自编自导自演这部戏。不要自不量力。
Meaning：to take on a task that is more than you can accomplish; be greedy, overconfident, or too ambitious by taking on more jobs or responsibilities than you can deal with at one time
语义：接管了一项你完不成的任务；贪婪、自负、雄心勃勃地接受了你力所能及的工作或责任。
►Origin: Versions of this saying were used in Europe in the Middle Ages and ancient China. If you take a bite of food that's too big for your mouth, you won't be able to chew it. This idea came to mean undertaking (“biting off”) a job that's too much for you to handle (“more than you can chew”).
►语源：这个习语早在中世纪的欧洲和中国古代就被翻译沿用。如果你咬了很大一口吃的，就很难嚼得动。也就是说接管（咬）一项对你来说很难处理的工作（嚼不烂）。
Bite the buIIet咬紧牙关，勉为其难
The principal wants to see you in her office. Get ready to bite off the bullet.
校长要见你，你做好遭受折磨的心理准备吧。
Meaning：to prepare for an unpleasant experience; brace yourself to endure with courage something painful but necessary
语义：为不悦的体验做准备；强迫自己忍受一些痛苦但必要的事
►Origin: Many word experts think that this expression came from the 19th century medical practice of giving a wounded soldier a bullet to bite before he was operated without anesthetics on the battlefield. Biting on the soft lead bullet was the way of dealing with pain. It kept the soldier from screaming, which could distract the surgeon during the operation. Related sayings are“grit your teeth”and“face the music.”
►语源：许多词汇专家认为这个习语始于19世纪，在战场上麻药用完的情况下，给一个受伤的战士做手术，医生让战士咬住一枚子弹来忍住剧痛，避免医生因为战士的挣扎声影响手术的进行。相关的一些说法还有“grit your teeth”、“fact the music”。
Bite the dust一败涂地；倒地而死；被击败
The spy bit the dust at the end of the book.
书的结局是间谍不幸被击败。
Meaning：to die; fall in defeat; fail to succeed
语义：倒地而死；被对手击败；惨遭失败
►Origin: This cliché, which was often heard in early Western movies, is actually more than 2,000 years old and comes from a line in Homer's Iliad. This saying describes many dying warriors in the Trojan War falling to the earth and“biting the dust.”If people fall with their faces in the dirt, you can think of them getting dust in their mouths. The idiom became popular in English in the mid-1800s.
►语源：这个古老的说法在早期的西部片中常常用到，它出自荷马所作的《伊利亚特》史诗，已有两千多年的历史。它形象地描绘了许多在特洛伊战争中牺牲的勇士栽倒在地，“嘴上沾满泥土”。如果有人是面部着地倒下，嘴里一定会吃到泥土。19世纪中期，这个习语在英国开始流行。
Bite the hand that feeds you忘恩负义
Eve just insulted the girl who is teaching her to ice-skate. That's biting the hand that feeds you.
伊芙刚才侮辱了教她滑冰的女孩，真是忘恩负义。
Meaning：to turn against someone who helps you; do harm to someone who does good things for you
语义：与帮助自己的人反目成仇；伤害对你有恩的人
►Origin: This saying, which has been used at least since the early 1700s,originally referred to a foolish and ungrateful dog that actually bit the hand of the owner who was feeding it. The meaning of this expression today has been extended to include people who turn against anyone who helps them. It has nothing to do with real food or actually biting anyone's hand.
►语源：至少在18世纪早期之后这个习语一直被用作与某人为敌的意思，起初是指愚蠢、不领情的、咬喂它的主人手的狗。现如今这个习语语义有所延伸，包含那些忘恩负义的人在内，并非真与真实食物或咬某人的手有关。
Bite your tongue闭嘴
Don't you dare say that to me! Bite your tongue, young man!
居然敢这么跟我说话！闭嘴，年轻人！
Meaning：to take back or be ashamed of what you have said; struggle not to say something you want to say
语义：收回说过的话，或者为所说的话感到羞愧；努力克制自己说想说的话
►Origin: It's easy to see where this saying came from. If you really put your tongue between your teeth as if you were biting it, you couldn't talk. So when people tell you to“bite your tongue,”they are telling you to force yourself to be silent before you say something you shouldn't. Sometimes people say it after they've already blurted out what they shouldn't have. Then it means to take back the statement and keep quiet. A similar expression is“hold your tongue,”which means you should remain silent.
►语源：我们很容易理解这个习语的来历。像咬住舌头一样把你的舌头放在上下牙齿中间，你就没办法说话了。因此，如果有人让你“咬住舌头”，他是在暗示你控制住你想说但不该说的话。人们用这个习语的时候往往是已经脱口而出地说了不该说的话，那么这个习语就表示把不该说的收回，保持沉默。类似的说法还有“hold your tongue(控制住你的舌头)”，也就是说要你保持沉默。
BIack sheep of the famiIy害群之马，败家子
Geraldine's the black sheep of the family. She's always causing trouble.
杰拉尔丁就是匹害群之马，她总爱惹祸。
Meaning：the most unsuccessful, least admirable member of a family or similar group; a disgraced person
语义：一个家族或是集体中最不成功、人缘最不好的人；丢脸的人
►Origin: This expression has been used at least since the early 1800s to describe a person who is a disgrace to a community or family. Shepherds did not like rare black sheep since their fleece could not be dyed any color and there weren't enough of them to sell black wool. Some people also thought that the black sheep frightened the rest of the flock and came from the devil. The saying changed over time to mean disfavored people in a family or group.
►语源：至少从19世纪早期，这个习语就被用来形容一个团体或者家族中声名狼藉的人。过去的牧羊人不喜欢罕见的毛色为黑色的羊，因为羊毛染不上色，也不足以单独当黑羊毛卖。一些人觉得黑色的羊象征着邪恶而且会使羊群中其他的羊受到惊吓。随着时间的推移，这个习语代表家族或群体中令人厌恶的人。
BIeeding heart老好人；软心肠；假慈悲的人
Rob is such a bleeding heart. He'll donate to any charity that asks him for money.
罗布真是个老好人。只要有慈善机构向他募捐他就积极配合。
Meaning：an extremely softhearted person who feels compassion or pity toward all people, including those who may not deserve sympathy
语义：向所有人，即使那些可能不需要同情的人，都投去同情怜悯的极度热心肠的人
►Origin: This controversial term comes from America in the 20th century. Some people say that government or private charities should do more to help relieve the suffering of the sick, the homeless, or the unemployed. These well-meaning citizens might be called“bleeding hearts”by other who feels that many people on welfare or charity should stop taking so much from others.
►语源：这个充满争议的术语源于20世纪的美国。有些人认为政府和一些个人的慈善组织应该多为解救遭遇病痛、无家可归和失业的人们做些事情。而另一些人认为享受福利或接受慈善机构资助的人不能再这样不停地索取，这些人称那些热心的人为“老好人”。
BIessing in disguise因祸得福
Summer school may be blessing in disguise. Next year you'll be ahead of your class.
也许暑期补课是因祸得福的事。下学年你就会名列前茅。
Meaning：something that at first seems bad but turns out to be good; a hidden benefit
语义：一些看似坏事却变成了好事的事；潜在的利益
►Origin: This saying was first used in a poem 200 years ago by a writer named James Hervey, and people have been using it since. When something looks like bad luck, it may turn out to be a false appearance (a“disguise”) that hides something that's really useful or fortunate (a“blessing”). Of course, you don't know that at first because the blessing is in disguise.
►语源：这个习语在200年前作家詹姆斯·赫维的一首诗中首次出现，随后一直沿用至今。一些看似倒霉的事，到最后却被发现是假象（也就是“disguise”），而隐藏其后的是真正有用或能够带来幸运的东西（也就是“blessing”）。当然，起初你并不会知道，因为这些幸运是隐藏在假象中的。
BIind as a bat瞎的
When the heavy fog rolled in, she was as blind as a bat because she couldn't see an inch in front of her.
当浓雾涌进来时，她几乎成了瞎子，因为她看不到她眼前任何一英尺以外的东西。
Meaning：totally blind
语义：完全看不见的
►Origin: This saying from the 1500s is based on a mistake. There are many similes about animals that make sense, like“sly as a fox”and“gentle as a kitten.”However,“blind as a bat”isn't one of them because bats are not blind. Some bats, like the flying fox bat, have very good eyesight. Many years ago, people observing bats might have thought they were blind because they fly about at night in irregular paths. Now we know that they're using sonar. Bats give off ultrahigh frequency sounds that bounce back and help them avoid obstacles and find food. That's called“echolocation.”(It works because bats can eat more than 600 mosquitoes an hour! ) If a person could see as well as a bat in the dark, he would never be called blind.
►语源：这个习语源于16世纪人们的一个错误认识。有很多关于动物的习语都说得不错，比如“像狐狸一样狡猾”和“像小猫一样温柔”。但是“像蝙蝠一样看不见”就不对了，因为蝙蝠不是瞎子。有些蝙蝠，例如狐蝠，就有很好的视力。许多年前，研究蝙蝠的人认为蝙蝠没有视力，因为它们在夜晚飞行，且飞行路线很不规则。而现在我们了解到它们靠声呐来定位。蝙蝠发出可弹回的高频声波，从而帮它们躲避障碍物或是觅食。我们称之为“回声定位能力”。(这招很管用，因为蝙蝠一小时能捕食600只蚊子！)如果一个人能在黑暗中像蝙蝠视力那么好，那他肯定不会被称为瞎子。
BIind Ieading the bIind盲人指路，瞎子给盲人指路
Kurt, who spent his allowance in one day, is showing Bonnie how to budget her money. That's a case of the blind leading the blind!
库尔特一天之内就花完了他的津贴，可现在居然在教邦妮如何预算花销，这不是瞎子给盲人指路嘛！
Meaning：the uninformed attempting to inform others
语义：无知的人指点同样无知的人
►Origin: This saying comes from a sentence in the King James Bible (Matthew15:14),“And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”Today we use it to describe people who are not actually blind, but who don't know how to do something and are trying to explain it to other people who don't know how to do it either.
►语源：这个说法来源于詹姆士一世钦定的《圣经》译本（《马太福音》15章14节）中的一句话：“如果瞎子给盲人指路，两个人都会掉进沟里。”现在，我们用这个短语形容实际上并不瞎，而却在自己都没弄清状况的情况下还试图向其他同样弄不清状况的人解释说明的这样一些人。
BIood is thicker than water．血浓于水。
Mrs. Penn chose her grandson instead of me to work in her store. I guess blood is thicker than water.
佩恩夫人让她的孙子替代我在她店里工作。我想毕竟血浓于水啊。
Meaning：One can expect more kindness from a family member than from a stranger; a person will do more for a relative than for anyone else.
语义：人们能从家人那里得到的关照总比从陌生人那里得到的多；和其他人相比，人们会为亲人做更多的事。
►Origin: This saying, which means that family ties count more than friendship, comes from Germany in the 1100s. It might come from the idea that water evaporates without a trace, but blood leaves a stain and is more permanent. This suggests that relatives (“blood”) are more important (“thicker”) than people who are not related (“water”).
►语源：这则习语源于12世纪的德国，是指亲属关系比友谊更靠得住。它可能来源于这样一个概念：水能蒸发得无影无踪，而血蒸发后会留有痕迹，也更持久。这就意味着有血缘关系的人（血）比没有血缘关系的人（水）更重要（浓）。
BIow your own horn自吹自擂；自卖自夸
When you fill out an application for a job, blow your own horn.
当你在填写工作申请的时候，可以自吹自擂一番。
Meaning：to praise yourself; call attention to your own merits (intelligence, skills, success, or abilities); brag about yourself
语义：夸耀自己；让人们注意到你的优点（智慧、技能、成功或才干）；自我吹嘘
►Origin: In ancient Roman times, a blare of trumpets announced the arrival of a great hero. So the blowing of horns meant someone important was coming. Today people who blow (or toot) their own horns are boasting about their superior qualities. Sometimes you have to do that a little (when you apply for a job, for instance), but if you do it too much, you could be called a braggart.
►语源：在古罗马时期，号角的声响宣告着一个伟大英雄的到来。因此吹号意味着有重要人物要来。如今，为自己吹号也就是炫耀自己出众的品质。有的时候我们不得不这样适当地自吹自擂（例如找工作的时候），但是如果吹得太厉害，你可就成了大话王了。
BIue bIood贵族血统
Mr. Rimler is marring a very rich girl from high society, a real blue blood.
瑞姆勒先生娶了一位很富有的上流社会的女孩，一个真正的贵族。
Meaning：of high or noble birth; an aristocrat; from the upper class of society
语义：出身高贵；贵族；来自上流社会
►Origin: Though this expression has been used in English since the early 1800s, it actually comes from an older Spanish saying. Old, aristocratic Spanish families used to boast that their skin was fairly light because they had not intermarried with the darker-skinned moors. The spaniards' veins showed through their skin as visibly blue in color. If their skin was darker because they had intermarried, the blood would not appear so blue.“Blue blood”is a translation of the Spanish words sangre azul.Today anyone can be called a blue blood if he or she is of noble birth, a member of high society, and so on. A related phrase is“upper crust”
►语源：尽管这则习语早在19世纪初期就被英国人使用，但实际上它源于一句更古老的西班牙习语。古老的西班牙贵族吹嘘他们的皮肤非常白，白得可以看清蓝色的血管，这是因为他们没有和肤色相对较黑的摩尔人通婚。有些通婚的人皮肤颜色相对较暗，血管的颜色就不会那么蓝。“blue blood（蓝血贵族）”由西班牙词语“sangre azul”翻译而来。如今凡是出身贵族的人或者上流社会的一员都可以被称为“blue blood（蓝血贵族）”。类似的词组还有“upper crust（上流阶级）”。
Body Part Idioms
Everyone's body has parts, from a tiny tooth to humongous feet. Many idioms contain the names of body parts. Some body part idioms in this book are：
每个人的身体都是由各种不同的部分组成的，既有小小的牙齿又有大大的脚丫。许多习语里都包含有跟身体部位相关的名称。本书中与身体各个组成部分相关的一些习语有：
Achilles' heel致命要害
All ears全神贯注地听；聚精会神地听
All thumbs笨手笨脚
Bite the hand that feeds you恩将仇报
Bite your tongue别乌鸦嘴
Bleeding heart软心肠的
Blood is thicker than water血浓于水
Break a leg大获全胜；祝演讲成功
Bury your head in the sand不敢面对现实
Button your lip闭口不谈
By the skin of your teeth好不容易，幸免于难，千钧一发
Cheek by jowl紧密地，密不可分地，非常亲昵
Cold feet信心丧失，怯场
Cool your heels坐冷板凳；好了，安静会儿吧，空等
Cost an arm and a leg价格昂贵，代价很高
Cut off your nose to spite your face自讨苦吃
Cut your eyeteeth on something初次登台，获得第一次经验
Down at the heels邋遢的，衣衫褴褛的
Down in the mouth愁眉苦脸，情绪低落
Eat out of your hand食欲很大
Eat your heart out极为悲伤
Elbow grease费力的工作，重活
Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth以眼还眼，以牙还牙
Eyes in the back of your head在内心深处
Fight tooth and nail坚决斗争，全力以赴地斗争
Foam at the mouth大发雷霆
Get out of my face从我面前消失，滚开
Get something off your chest一吐为快
Get the lead out of your feet加紧，快点儿
Get under your skin招惹你，让你心烦
Get your back up让你恼火
Get your feet wet到实践中去学
Give your eyeteeth for something为某事不惜牺牲一切
Give your right arm鼎力相助
Grit your teeth咬紧牙关，下定决心克服困难
Hand-to-mouth existence仅够糊口，勉强维持生计
Have a chip on one's shoulder受了委屈，心中不忿，气势汹汹
Have your heart in your mouth心都提到了嗓子眼儿
Head and shoulders above someone远远超过，大大胜出
Head in the clouds心不在焉，想入非非，胡思乱想
Head over heels in love爱疯了头，神魂颠倒
Heart's in the right place心肠不坏
Hold your tongue保持缄默，忍住不说
Jump down your throat厉声责骂
Keep a stiff upper lip坚定不移，勇敢面对灾祸
Keep a straight face忍住不笑，板着脸
Keep body and soul together勉强维生
Keep your chin up振作起来，打起精神
Keep your ear to the ground了解动向，注意新情况，保持消息灵通
Keep your fingers crossed祈祷，祝福
BoIt from the bIue飞来横祸；晴天霹雳
Mr. Barnes's pop quiz hit us like a bolt from the blue.
巴恩斯先生突如其来的小测验对我们来说简直就是晴天霹雳。
Meaning：something sudden, unexpected, and shocking
语义：突如其来的、意料之外的、骇人听闻的事
►Origin: This expression has been used since at least the early 1800s. Picture a calm, clear, blue sky. You'd probably be surprised, even startled, if a bolt of lightning suddenly cracked down. In the same way, any big surprise is like lightning shooting out of a clear, blue, sky. You just don't expect it to happen. (Note: This expression usually refers to very bad news.) A related idiom is“out of the clear blue sky.”
►语源：这个说法至少可以追溯到19世纪早期。想象平静、清澈、湛蓝的天空中突然出现一道闪电，你或许会感到吃惊，甚至震惊。同样，任何一个大的意外都像是晴天霹雳，完全在意料之外。（注：这个短语常用来形容坏消息。）类似的习语还有“out of the clear blue sky （晴天霹雳）”。
Born with a siIver spoon in your mouth出身富裕；生于贵族之家
Fran always wanted the finest, most expensive things. Was she born with a silver spoon in her mouth?
弗兰总喜欢最好、最贵的东西。难道她生于富足家庭？
Meaning：born to wealth, comfort, and privilege
语义：生来富足、安逸、享有特权
►Origin: A spoon made out of pure silver is expensive. Sometimes a silver spoon is given as a gift to a newborn baby. If a rich baby has many expensive things from the start of life, like a silver spoon (almost as if he or she were born with the spoon in his or her mouth), we can use this well-known idiom to describe that person. The phrase was used by Cervantes, the Spanish writer,in the early 1600s in the book Don Quixote.
纯银材质的勺子非常昂贵。有时银勺子会作为礼物送给新生的婴儿。如果一个小孩刚出生的时候就拥有很多贵重物品，例如银勺子（仿佛这个小孩嘴里衔着银勺子出生的），这个习语就可以用在他/她身上。西班牙作家塞万提斯在他17世纪早期的作品《堂·吉诃德》中用过这则习语。
Born yesterday乳臭未干；易上当
How could he be so easily tricked by this phony scheme? Was he born yesterday?
他怎么能这么容易就中了圈套？他还小吗？
Meaning：inexperienced and easily fooled; not alert to trickery
语义：缺乏经验，容易被糊弄；对骗局不警惕的
►Origin: This expression was born in the early 1800s. An infant“born yesterday”hasn't lived long enough to be smart, experienced, sophisticated, and knowledgeable in the ways of the world. The phrase is used today to describe a naïve, unsuspecting person who can be cheated or deceived without much trouble.“Born yesterday”became a popular expression when it was used as the title of a hit Broadway play (1946) that was made into two movies (1950 and 1993).
►语源：这则习语源于19世纪早期。“昨天刚出生”的婴儿还不具备精明娴熟、久经世故、博学多才地在社会上闯荡的能力。如今，人们用这个词组来形容幼稚、戒备心不强、容易上当的人。在百老汇以此短语来命名的戏剧（1946）被两次翻拍成电影（1950年和1993年）并广受关注之后，“born yesterday（乳臭未干）”这个短语也逐渐流行起来。
Bottom Iine底线
If we don't win this ball game, we're out of the playoffs. That's the bottom line.
如果我们赢不了这局，那我们就不能参加总决赛。这是我们的底线了。
Meaning：the most crucial fact; the net result
语义：最重要的事实；最终结果
►Origin: For hundreds of years accountants have added up the profits and losses of companies. The sum appears at the bottom line of a column of numbers. While“bottom line”still means a bookkeeping figure showing profit or loss, it has taken on a more general meaning since the mid-1900s, and now refers to any crucial decision or final result, financial or not.
►语源：几百年来，当会计们合计公司的盈亏情况，其最终结果会被写在数字栏的最底端。“底线”这个词仍可以指记录盈亏的账本结算线，但与此同时，自20世纪中期以来它具有了更广泛的含义。它可以指任何重要的决定，或者最终结果，无论与财政相关与否。
Break a Ieg演出成功；祝你好运
On the night of the play, Anne's father told her to break a leg.
演出当晚，安妮的爸爸祝她马到成功。
Meaning：to have good luck; do a great job in the show
语义：好运；表演出色
►Origin: Saying this to a performer before a show has long been a theatrical tradition. It comes from the old German saying, Hals-und Beinbrunch(break your neck and leg),and was shortened to just the leg. Perhaps it exists because of an old show business superstition that wishing someone good luck might cause just the opposite to happen, so you wish the performer bad luck to assure the opposite of that.
►语源：在演员表演之前对演员说“演出成功”已经成了戏剧界的惯例。它源于古老的德国习语“Hals-und Beinbrunch”（摔断你的脖子和腿），并简化为摔断你的腿。古老的演出行业有这样一个迷信：越是祝某人好运，就越是有相反的情况发生，所以祝某位演员坏运是为了确保好运的到来。
Break the ice打破僵局，打破沉默
John was very shy when he met Cindy. He didn't know how to break the ice.
约翰看到辛迪的时候很腼腆，他不知道该说些什么来打破沉默。
Meaning：to overcome the first awkward difficulties in a social situation by a friendly gesture; ease the nervousness in a situation
语义：用友好的动作来缓解社交中的尴尬气氛；让紧张气氛轻松起来
►Origin: As early as the late 1500s and early 1600s, writers like Shakespeare were using this expression. It originally came from navigation through waterways frozen over with ice. Special boats had to break through the ice, clearing the way before any ships could sail. The meaning was transferred to getting a conversation started or making an acquaintance.“Ice”in this idiom represents a cold or awkward feeling among people, especially strangers.
►语源：早在16世纪末17世纪初，莎士比亚等作家曾用过这则习语。它起源于穿过结冰水道的航行。由于水面结冰，水路无法通行，特派船只好破开冰层、清理海路，以便其他船只通行。这则习语的语义后被转化为开启一段谈话，或是与初识的人搭讪。“冰”代表人与人之间不热情、尴尬的气氛，尤其是在陌生人之间。
Breath of fresh air使人耳目一新，带来新鲜感
When Christopher came into their dull lives, he was like a breath of fresh air.
克里斯托弗为他们乏味的生活带来新鲜感。
Meaning：someone or something new, stimulating, invigorating, and refreshing
语义：新的、刺激的、精力充沛的、新鲜宜人的人或物
►Origin: This idiom from the mid-1800s may have been influenced by the Industrial Revolution, which some historians blame as an early cause of air pollution. In England in the mid-1700s, many people moved from the clean air of the country to work in the new, smoke-belching factories of crowded cities. Today the air you breathe can be filled with pollutants like smog or carbon monoxide. So a breath of clean, refreshing air is something really rousing and energizing. In the same way, anything or anyone that is revitalizing—like a restful vacation from a dull job or an exciting new teacher among your old ones—can be a“breath of fresh air.”
►语源：19世纪中期，这则习语在工业革命时期应运而生。许多历史学家谴责工业革命是空气污染的早期罪魁祸首。18世纪中期，人们开始由空气清新的村庄涌入城市，在冒着浓烟的工厂里做工。我们今天呼吸的空气中充满了污染物，例如烟尘或者一氧化物。因此，能够呼吸新鲜空气的确让人心情愉悦、精力充沛。同样的，任何能让你增添活力的人或事都可以称之为“breath of fresh air（新鲜空气）”（例如，无聊工作之余悠闲的旅行，或者众多老教师中一位风趣幽默的新老师）。
Bright-eyed and bushy-taiIed机灵敏捷；聪明能干；精神焕发
Isla woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a good night's sleep.
美美地睡了一晚之后，伊丝拉精神焕发。
Meaning：healthy, fit, cheerful, bright, and lively
语义：健康舒适，兴高采烈，精神焕发
►Origin: This expression, which dates back to the 19th century, refers to animals, like cats or squirrels, with bushy tails. Their tails fluff up when they get excited. Bright eyes are a sign of someone who's wide-awake, alert, and ready to go. So if you describe people as“bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,”you're not saying they look like cats or squirrels, but that they look“fit as a fiddle,”“in the pink,”and“on top of the world.”
►语源：这则习语源于19世纪，特指长着毛茸茸尾巴的小动物，例如猫或松鼠。它们高兴的时候会抖动毛茸茸的尾巴。眼睛一亮是指人恍然大悟、机灵敏捷、准备就绪的神情。所以用这个词组来形容某人并不是说他看上去像只猫或者松鼠，而是说他看起来“非常健康”、“身体极棒”、“幸福到极点”。
Bring down the house博得满堂彩
When our principal came out on stage dressed like a chicken, she brought down the house.
当我们的校长穿得像只小鸡一样出现在舞台上，全场哄笑如雷。
Meaning：to get the audience to clap enthusiastically or laugh loudly
语义：使得观众热烈鼓掌或放声大笑
►Origin: This saying, which comes from the theater, has been in common use since the 1700s. Performers have long referred to the audience in a theater, and the theater itself, as the“house.”When a performer is huge success and the excited audience is cheering, laughing, and applauding so wildly that the roof of the theater seems to be shaking and about to fall in, he or she has“brought down the house.”
►语源：这则源于剧场的习语在18世纪广为流传。演员的受欢迎程度取决于剧场观众的反应，剧场也即“房子”。如果一个演员表现出色，赢得观众激动的欢呼、笑声与掌声，气氛沸腾得似乎能冲破剧场的屋顶，那么就说他/她博得了满堂彩。
Bring home the bacon养家糊口；维持生计
Both Richard and Stephanie got jobs to bring home the bacon for their children.
理查德和斯蒂芬妮都辛苦工作，挣钱养家。
Meaning：to support a family by working; earn a living
语义：努力工作维持生活；挣钱生存
►Origin: There are two theories about where this expression came from. One was from the contest at early American county fairs of chasing after a greased pig. If you caught it, you could take it home as your prize. Another possibility is that it came from a practice in the early 1300s. A baron willed that if any married persons in Dunmow, England, swore at the church door that they had not had a single quarrel for a whole year and a day, they would get a free side of bacon to take home. The idiom“bring home the bacon”has, for hundreds of years, meant to score a point, win a game, or earn something of value, such as your salary.
►语源：关于这则习语的出处有两种说法。一种起源于早期美国乡镇牲畜集市的捕油猪大赛。捕到猪的人可以把猪作为奖品带回家。另外一种可能的说法源于14世纪的一条惯例，一位男爵曾下令任何在英国邓莫结婚的夫妇如果结婚一年之内都没有任何的争吵，这对夫妇就可以把一块免费的熏猪肉带回家。几百年来，这则习语“把熏肉带回家（养家糊口）”可以用于得分、赢得比赛、赚到薪水等有价值的东西。
Bug off走开，滚开
Helen told Max to bug off because he was being such a pest.
海伦让马克斯滚开，因为马克斯太烦人了。
Meaning：to leave someone alone; go away; stop annoying someone
语义：让某人独处；走开；停止打扰某人
►Origin: There was an expression in the late 1800s,“bugger off,”that meant the same thing. Today's slightly shorter version is a rude slang expression, usually said by someone who is highly annoyed and wants the other person to leave him or her alone.
►语源：19世纪末有一个词组“bugger off”和它语义相同。现在其缩写形式（bug off）成了一句粗鲁的俚语，通常是有人严重地被激怒，他/她想要激怒他/她的人消失，一个人清静一会儿。
Bug someone打扰，激怒他人
I wish you would just stop bugging me and leave me in peace!
我求你别再烦我了，让我清静一会儿！
Meaning：to irritate, annoy, and bother someone a lot
语义：使某人感到非常急躁、烦恼、恼怒
►Origin: This popular African-American idiom comes from the 1960s and is a handy expression when people are pestering you.It comes from baga and bugal, words in West African languages (Mandingo and Wolof) that mean“to annoy.”By the way, in certain situations,“bug”can also mean to wiretap someone's phone so that his or her conversations can be listened in on. A similar saying is“mess with someone.”
►语源：这则常用的非裔美国人习语源于20世纪60年代，适合有人激怒你的时候用。“baga”和“bugal”两个词在非洲西部的语言（曼丁果语和沃洛夫语）中是“令人恼怒”的意思。另外，在一定的语境下“bug”也有搭线窃听某人电话的意思。另一相似的习语是“mess with someone”。
BuII in a china shop莽撞闯祸之人
Inviting the wrestling team to the ceramics exhibit was like letting bulls into a china shop.
邀请摔跤队员们参观陶瓷展就像是把蛮牛放进了瓷器店。
Meaning：a clumsy person who deals too roughly with a delicate situation;a rough person who is near breakable things; a tactless person who says or does something that angers people or upsets their plans
语义：笨拙的人粗略地处理细致的问题；莽撞的人待在易碎品附近；迟钝的人说了让人生气的话，或做了使计划无法顺利进行、令人懊恼的事
►Origin: Aesop, the famous ancient storyteller, once wrote a fable about a donkey in a potter's shop. Aesop's image was changed to a bull in a china shop when fine plates and dishes, called china, were first introduced into Europe in the 1500s. (Why was“donkey”changed to“bull”? Probably because a bull is so much bigger.)
►语源：古代著名寓言家伊索曾写过一则关于驴闯进陶瓷店的寓言。16世纪，欧洲引进了精致的盘子和碟子等瓷器，之后伊索寓言中的情境就被转换为公牛闯进瓷器店。（为什么驴被换成了公牛呢？或许因为公牛强壮得多。）Ms. Millan goes to college during the day and works in a restaurant at night. She's burning the candle at both ends.
Burn the candIe at both ends过度消耗
米兰女士白天去大学上课，晚上在餐馆打工。她真是太劳累了。
Meaning：to overwork yourself mentally or physically and until you're exhausted
语义：过度的脑力或体力劳动，直到感觉身心疲惫
►Origin: This was a French expression that came into English in the late 1500s. If you really took a candle and burned it at both ends, it would be used up twice as fast. That image changed to refer to people who work hard night and day and use up all their strength. We also say that you can“burn yourself out”this way.
►语源：这是则法语习语，16世纪末流传到英国。如果将蜡烛的两端都点燃，它会加倍燃烧速度。当人日夜不停地工作，总有一天会身心疲惫。“burn yourself out”也是同样的说法。
Burn the midnight oiI开夜车
I have a big test tomorrow morning, so I plan to burn the midnight oil tonight.
我明天早上有个重要的考试，所以我准备熬夜复习。
Meaning：to stay up very late at night studying or working
语义：熬夜学习或工作到很晚
►Origin: This saying goes back to the days when lamps were lighted by oil and people went to bed earlier than they do today. When you burned the midnight oil in those days, you were up late working or reading by the light of an oil lamp.
►语源：这则习语追溯到燃煤油灯的年代，那时人们比现在的人睡得早。在那个年代，午夜时分还燃着灯，一定是在熬夜工作或者学习。
Burn your bridges behind you破釜沉舟；无法回头
If you drop out of school now, you'll be burning your bridges behind you.
如果你现在辍学就没有退路了。
Meaning：to make a decision you cannot change; commit yourself to a course of action
语义：做出无法改变的决定；下决心为自己的行为负责
►Origin: In ancient military history, soldiers actually burned down the bridge they had just crossed so they wouldn't be tempted to turn back in a cowardly way. (It also kept the enemy from following them over the same bridge.) Julius Caesar burned bridges to toughen up his troops.
►语源：古老的战争年代，战士们为避免胆怯退缩，烧毁来时经过的桥梁。（这样也起到防止敌人追赶的效果。）尤利乌斯·恺撒烧桥练兵。
Bury the hatchet休战和好；捐弃前嫌；化干戈为玉帛
Stop fighting, and bury the hatchet.
别再斗了，握手言和吧。
Meaning：to settle an argument; end a war; make peace; become friends after being enemies
语义：平息争吵；停止战争；维护和平；化敌为友
►Origin: This saying probably comes from Native American nations who would make peace with their enemies by holding a ceremony. They would actually bury tomahawks, hatchets, and other war weapons to show that the fight was over. If war broke out again, they would dig up those weapons. By the end of the 1800s the meaning of“bury the hatchet”was extended to include settling any kind of argument and making friends with your enemy.
►语源：这则习语可能源于美国土著居民，他们会举行与敌人的言和仪式，将战斧等武器埋起来，象征着战争的结束。一旦战火重起，他们会挖出武器应战。19世纪末，“bury the hatchet”语义延伸为平息任何争端，化敌为友。
Bury your head in the sand自欺欺人；掩耳盗铃；逃避现实；视而不见（危险）。
You're burying your head in the sand if you think that smoking isn't bad for your health.
如果你觉得吸烟对你的身体没有伤害，那你是在自欺欺人。
Meaning：to ignore danger by pretending you don't see it; hide from obvious signs of danger
语义：对危险视而不见；逃避明显的危险信号
►Origin: An ostrich is a big, tough bird, but long ago people got the wrong idea about it. Since they saw ostriches with their heads in the dirt, they thought that the ostrich was hiding from its enemies in the false belief that if you can't see your enemy, your enemy can't see you. The ostriches were actually looking for seeds or berries on the ground, or eating bits of sand, which helps the birds digest their food. Today“bury your head in the sand”has come to mean refusing either to notice a problem or face up to reality.
►语源：鸵鸟是一种体积庞大、顽强的鸟类，但是过去人们对它们有错误的认识。人们误认为鸵鸟将头埋进土里是为了逃避敌人，怀着看不见敌人敌人也看不到它的心理。实际上鸵鸟是在寻觅种子、浆果，或者吃沙石帮助消化。如今，“bury your head in the sand”指的是不去发现问题或者逃避问题。
Busman's hoIiday没有休息的假日，有名无实的假日
Victor went back to his carpentry shop after spending all weekend building our tree house. What a busman's holiday!
维克托耗费了整个周末的时间为我们建巢屋，之后又回到了他工作的木匠车间。真是个有名无实的周末！
Meaning：spending your free time doing the same thing you do during working hours
语义：在业余时间做和在工作时间做的同样的事情
►Origin: In London, during the late 1800s and early1900s, buses were pulled by horses. Some bus drivers loved their horses so much that on their days off from work, they would ride on their own buses just to make sure that other bus drivers took good care of the horses. This habit got to be called a“busman's holiday,”and today it can be applied to anybody who does the same thing on free time as he or she gets paid to do at work.
►语源：19世纪末20世纪初的伦敦，巴士是靠马来拉动的，也即公共马车。公共马车车主大都疼爱自己的马，常常利用休息日装扮成乘客，偷偷坐在自家的马车上，以确保其他车夫善待马匹。久而久之，“公共马车司机的节假日”应运而生，用来形容“没有休息的节假日”。
Busy as a beaver忙得不可开交
Jenny is busy as a beaver setting up her new computer.
珍妮为了组装她的新电脑忙得不可开交。
Meaning：working very hard; extremely industrious
语义：非常努力地工作；极度勤劳
►Origin: This saying comes from the 17th century. For hundreds of years the beaver has been a symbol of diligent work. Watch a beaver bustling about, busily cutting down trees with its teeth and energetically building a dam, and you'll easily see why. Alliteration (busy as a beaver) adds to the popularity of this simile. Related sayings:“busy as a bee”and“eager beaver.”
►语源：这则习语源于17世纪。几百年来，海狸被视为努力工作的象征。看着海狸蹿上蹿下，忙碌地用牙齿截断树枝，吃力地修建堤坝，你就会轻易地理解这则习语。压头韵的手法让这则习语更受欢迎。类似习语有：“busy as a bee （像蜜蜂一样忙碌）”,“eager beaver（勤奋的海狸）”。
By the skin of your teeth侥幸，千钧一发，最后关头才……
Lucky Lorraine ran out of the zoo and escaped the stampede of wild monkeys by the skin of her teeth.
幸运的洛兰惊险地冲出动物园，逃脱了蜂拥而来的野猴群。
Meaning：just barely; by the narrowest of margins
语义：几乎不，勉强；靠近最窄的边缘
►Origin: Some ancient Hebrew idioms appear in modern English, including this expression. In the Book of Job in the Bible (19: 20), Job says,“I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.”Your teeth don't have skin, of course, but they do have a very thin film, especially when you wake up. If you just barely get out of a dangerous situation with very little room to spare, the difference between safety and disaster can be as microscopic as the film on your teeth. Similar meanings are conveyed by the phrases“by a whisker”and“by a hair's breadth.”The famous American writer Thornton Wilder won a Pulitzer Prize in 1942 for his play The Skin of Our Teeth, which tells how an imaginary family barely escapes one catastrophe after another throughout history.
►语源：这则习语是现代英语中出现的古老的希伯来习语之一。在《圣经·约伯记》（19章20节）中，约伯说：“我只剩牙皮逃脱了。”牙齿当然没有皮肤，但它们表面的确有一层薄膜，尤其是睡醒的时候。如果你险些未能逃离危险处境，那么平安与灾难的差别就像牙齿上的薄膜一样细微。类似的习语还有“by a whisker（险些）”和“by a hair's breadth（差一点）”。美国著名作家桑顿·怀尔德因他的剧作《九死一生》于1942年荣获普利策奖。该剧讲述一个虚构的家庭如何在历史中穿梭，逃脱一次又一次的灾难。