[b]fizzle out, [/b]作为一个词组，意思是"归于失败，渐渐消失"。

Once they discover how consuming that profession is, their enthusiasm seems to fizzle out.
当他们了解到律师行业有忙后，他们此前的热情就会渐渐退去。

The dates often fizzle out and my friend goes home depressed,
约会经常不了了之，我朋友还特郁闷。

the party begins to fizzle out,（去参加一个派对，一旦有人开始离开，慢慢大家就会接二连三跟着回家）
派对就会慢慢结束。

**************************************
[b]on the firing line, [/b]在火线上，引伸出来意思就是处于容易被攻击的位置上。

the producer of the show [b][u]ended up on the firing line [/u][/b]for presenting only one side of the argument.
制片人因为只介绍了对全球气候变暖的一种看法而受到批评。

they were clearly [b][u]on the firing line;[/u][/b] they were grilled about why the renters had to pay more.
他们显然变成了租户的众矢之的，人们纷纷质问为什么要没完没了地上涨租金。



大家注意，on the firing line可以用来形容人的情况，也可以用来形容事，形容事的时候意思就是可能被取消。

比如说，because of the huge tax bill, my plan to purchase the New iPad is on the firing line.
因为得交好多税，买最新版 iPad 的计划很可能泡汤。

My wife controls the budget in the house. She says we have to cut down on spending. That means buying new clothing, going out to restaurants and taking a summer vacation are all on the firing line now. She's against any purchases until there's enough money to pay for them.
我妻子掌握家里的财政大权。她说我们得减少开支。这就意味着买衣服，下餐馆，和夏天出去渡假全都可能被取消。她觉得在有足够的钱以前，不应该再有任何不必要的消费。

*************************************************

pulse脉搏，[b]have one's finger on the pulse, [/b]手指放在脉搏上，意思就是紧跟最新动态

when it comes to gardening, our club president seems to have her finger on the pulse.
我们园艺社社长对园艺的走向简直是了如指掌。


Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. She's also recognized as the top-selling female rock artist of the 20th century. How did she become so immensely popular?
She continuously reinvented her music and image based on what the public was looking for.
Especially during the 1980s and 90s, Madonna always [b][u]had her finger on the pulse[/u][/b].

麦当娜光碟的全球销量已经超过3亿张。她被公认是20世纪销量最好的女性摇滚歌手。她是怎么变得如此深受欢迎的呢?
原因是，她不断根据市场需求，变换曲风和形象，特别是八、九十年代，麦当娜对潮流走势一直了如指掌。

做明星确实得紧跟时尚潮流。不过爱美之心人皆有之，女孩子都喜欢去逛商店，或者看服装展，了解最新潮流动向。
I [b][u]keep my finger on the pulse of fashion [/u][/b]through window shopping or watching fashion shows.



It's clear to me why our company is falling behind our competitors. We need to understand our younger customers. They're much more familiar with communications, media and digital technologies.
If we want to be successful, we have to show that we [b][u]have our finger on the pulse of modern life.[/u][/b]

这段话是说：目前很清楚，我们公司为什么会在与竞争对手的较量中落后。
我们需要更好地了解年轻顾客群。他们更熟悉通讯，媒体和电子技术。
如果我们想成功，我们就得做到紧跟现代生活的变迁。

Companies need fresh ideas in order to [b][u]keep their fingers on the pulse of the market.[/u][/b] 公司不断需要有新观念，紧跟市场潮流。

****************************************************

Ferret作为动词，意思是搜寻，寻找。
[b]Ferret out[/b]作为一个词组，是通过全面查找而搜寻出来的意思。

: I can[b] ferret out the poor service providers[/b] from the good ones.
我能很容易找到好的和差的服务。


I support my son wanting to enlist in the military. But he's determined to join one of the toughest units in the world. Their basic training involves physical, mental and emotional challenges that nearly impossible to endure.
They [b][u]ferret out the weaker candidates[/u][/b] within days.

这段话是说：我支持儿子想去参军的打算。但是他坚决要参加世界上训练最严酷的军种之一。
他们的基本训练包括对体能，精神和情绪的极限挑战。
他们在几天内就能把不够强壮的候选人淘汰掉。



the judges quickly [b][u]ferreted out everyone[/u][/b] but the most exceptional talents, 评委们很快就挑选出了最杰出的人才。



It was announced that some workers got paid overtime that they hadn't worked.
The accounting department is reviewing all recent records.
They're[b][u] ferreting out any fraud[/u][/b]. The employees responsible can expect to be punished.

这段话是说：据称有些工人没加班就擅自领取加班费。现在会计部门正在审核所有纪录。他们将撤查任何舞弊行为。那些应当对此负责的人将受到惩罚。

It didn't take long for the boss to[b][u] ferret out abuses[/u][/b] and fire those employees.
老板没过多久就发现了这种行为，炒了那些导游的鱿鱼。

a case in point.

我们知道，case是例子的意思，a case in point, 意思就是恰当的例子。我的外交官朋友过着我描述的梦想生活。It's a case in point. 再比如，我们全家性格都很内向，但是也有例外。My niece is a case in point. 我侄女就一个典型的例子。

大家都认为百万富翁应该会过着很不一样的生活，但事实是否如此呢？我们来听听看下面这个例子：

例句-1：People assume that the super wealthy live extravagant lifestyles. But you can find exceptions. My cousin is a case in point. He's worth several million dollars. Still, he drives the same used car he's had for years, rents a modest apartment, and donates most of his money to charity.

这段话是说：人们认为特别有钱的人都应该过着奢侈的生活，但实际上是也有例外。我的堂兄就是个例子。他身价好几百万美元，可还是开着那辆开了好多年的旧车，租着一间普通公寓，把赚来的绝大部分钱都捐给了慈善机构。

这听起来很像我认识的一个朋友耶！她也非常有钱，可是她认为，成就感和美好的回忆比钱更重要。A case in point was her belief in living here and now，一个恰当的例子就是她相信要活在当下。梦想是重要的，但是也不能错过享受眼前的时光。这对我们也是个提醒呢！

******

现在我们的生活与科技息息相关。但是有些人偏偏就要反其道而行，试图不让现代技术扰乱自己的生活。下面的这名作家就是一个例子，我们来听听看:

例句-2：It' true. I'm no fan of technology. Not only do I avoid computers and personal communications devices, but so do the characters in the short stories I write. My latest best-seller is a case in point. There are no references to e-mails, blogs, the Internet or even cell phones. How's that for an example of what I believe?

这段话是说：没错，我确实不是新科技的粉丝。我从来不使用电脑和任何个人通讯装置，而且我写的短篇小说里的人物也不会使用这些玩艺。我最新出版的畅销小说就很能说明问题。里面的人物完全脱离了电子邮件，博客，网络，甚至手机。听起来是不是我的理念的充分体现呢？

我们管这种人啊叫Luddite, 就是反对科技创新的人。A case in point was a man named Lud. 最恰当的例子就是一个叫Lud的人。他是19世纪早期的一名纺织工，曾经焚毁纺织机器，因为他觉得这些机器威胁到了他的生计。这也就是Luddite, 反对科技创新者，这个词的来历。

***********************************************************
churn out.

Churn作为动词，本身有大量生产的意思。加上out，这个短语的意思就是“不顾质量地粗糙生产；大量炮制”。就像上面的例子中，这些浪漫小说内容相差不多，而且一本接着一本地上市。这让我觉得这些书质量不高，完全是为了赚钱而批量生产。

下面这个例子里的旅行者可不一样。让我们来听听他是如何选择纪念品的:

例句-1：When I travel to a country I'm always looking for a souvenir to take back home with me. Many times, I try to find a local artisan who produces something unique. I don't want some factory-produced trinket. Why would I care for what's been churned out by the millions?

这段话是说：每次我去国外旅行的时候，我都会寻找特别的纪念品带回家。很多时候，我会找一名当地的匠人，让他制作一些特别的东西。我不想要那些工厂生产的小纪念品，那种成千上万一模一样的东西完全不吸引我。

说起trinket，我的朋友经常带给我这种东西，像钥匙链，冰箱贴之类的。但其实我跟上面例子中的人观点一样，I would much prefer a good story than something churned out by the millions. 相比起那些批量生产的纪念品，我更想听一个好故事。

******

我的好朋友最近正在研究要申请哪所大学。选择非常多，她该选择一所有名气的大学，还是离家近的? 是在城市，还是在郊区? 是私人大学，还是公立大学? 需要考虑的因素很多。下面例子里谈到了一所大学。让我们来听听看:

例句-2：It's true that Acme University is less expensive than many other schools. And it offers classes on-line and at several campuses throughout the country. But the instruction it provides isn't very high-quality. It seems more concerned with churning out as many graduates as possible each year.

这段话是说: 与其他大学相比，Acme大学的学费确实不高。它还提供网上课程，而且全国各地有很多校区。但是这所大学的教学质量可不高，而是更在乎每年“炮制”出尽量多的毕业生。

我绝对不相信这种快速教育能教出优秀的毕业生。这也让我想到我妹妹的婚礼策划师。我看过他的很多作品，可是看起来新人的装束，花束的选择，还有婚礼流程，全都一模一样! He seems to be churning out wedding ceremonies like a factory makes widgets. 他策划婚礼就像工厂生产零件一样，大量炮制。

*********************************************************************

close to home.

Close to home这个短语跟家其实没什么关系；它的意思是“触及痛处” 。上面的例子中，新书作者谈到中东冲突的惨状，触及了摄像师心里深层的记忆。

For him, they were close to home. 对摄像师来说，这段采访触及了他的痛处。

下面这个例子中，我们的法律记者要带我们去看看一个叫M.A.D.D., MADD的组织，咱们去听听是怎么回事：

例句-1：M.A.D.D. is an organization committed to stopping drunk driving and supporting victims of this terrible crime. It was started in 1980 by a mother who had strong feelings about such issues. Her daughter had been killed by a repeat drunk driver. As with many of MADD's members, this tragedy is very close to home.

这段话是说：“反对醉驾母亲协会”这个组织致力于防止醉酒驾车，并帮助遭遇不幸的受害者。一位母亲1980年创建了这个组织。她女儿就是被一名多次醉酒驾车的人撞死的。对于这个组织的成员来说，他们每个人都对这类悲剧有着切身的感受。

MADD这个组织的全称是Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 所以缩写是MADD。对于这位母亲来说，the issue of drunk driving is close to home since her own daughter was killed by a drunk driver. 她对醉酒驾车的害处深有感触，因为她女儿就是被一名醉酒驾车的人撞死的。正是由于这个协会的努力，美国对醉驾的容忍度变小了，惩罚也更为严厉。

******

你有没有过这种经历呢？有时候别人无意中说的一句话，做的一件事，谈论的某个话题都会触及你的痛处。下面例子里的这名父亲在跟儿子谈话时就遇到了这样的情形。我们来听听看：

例句-2：I wondered what my son was laughing about. He was watching a competition show on TV involving severely heavy people trying to lose weight. I explained to my son how I felt hurt. It was too close to home. I had been very overweight growing up. And I remembered all the ridicule I suffered years ago.

这段话是说：我正纳闷我儿子在笑什么，原来他是在看一个电视真人秀节目，讲的是很多严重肥胖的人比赛减肥。我告诉儿子说，他触及了我的痛处，因为我小时候就特别胖，我清楚地记得原来怎样受到别人的嘲笑。

这确实挺难受的。不过这位爸爸正好利用这个机会教育自己的孩子怎么面对与自己不一样的人。在这里，我们还可以在这个短语前面加上动词hit, hit. To hit close to home 也是一样的意思。

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clear the air.

Clear清除，air空气，连起来to clear the air清除两人间不愉快的气氛，其实就是“消除隔阂”的意思。每次我要是和朋友有什么不愉快我都会这么做，clear the air. 坦诚的谈谈问题，其实你们会发现，没有什么是不能解决的。

说到这，你是不是也有写电子邮件被误解的时候? 下面的例子里，一个领导要告诉我们，如果下属误解了他的邮件他会怎么做。让我们来听听看:

例句-1：One of my assistants got really upset with me over an e-mail I wrote her. She felt that I was criticizing her for not doing her job right. But my intent was to offer some helpful suggestions. I've invited her out for coffee this afternoon. I'd like to clear the air. I'm hoping to explain what I meant, so that she doesn't feel upset anymore.

这段话是说: 因为我写的一封电子邮件，我的一名助理很不高兴。她以为我是在批评她工作做得不好，但实际上我只是想给她提一些建议。我邀请她下午一起去喝咖啡。我想跟她消除隔阂，解释一下我真正的意思，希望她不再难过了。

这就是为什么我对写email特别小心。很多时候一个词，你写的是一个意思，别人看就是另一种语气。所以对我来说，I prefer face-to-face conversation over e-mail. 比起电子邮件，我更喜欢面对面的谈话。

******

上面我们说到消除隔阂，其实，家庭成员之间的关系特别微妙，也特别难控制。由于接触的太多，我们很多时候可能不经意就伤害了自己在乎的人。下面就是这样一个例子。我们来听一听:

例句-2：When mom asked me if she could move in with me after dad died, I told her I needed to think about it. It's not that I don't love her. It's just that I live so far away that she wouldn't be able to see her friends or enjoy her life like before. Fortunately, over dinner last night, we clear the air. She realized that her happiness is very important to me.

这段话是说: 爸爸过世后，妈妈问我能不能搬来和我一起住。我告诉她我需要考虑一下。其实，我不是不爱妈妈，而是我住得太远，搬来跟我一起住，她就没法向以前那样去见朋友，像以前那样享受生活了。还好，昨天吃晚饭时我们消除了隔阂。她意识到，她的快乐对我来说是非常重要的。

真高兴听到这母女俩能消除隔阂。在很多文化里，子女是要照顾年长的父母的。但其实，有时候让老人离开她熟悉的环境并不是一件好事。Both parties should be willing to have a frank conversation, it could save everyone from clearing the air later on. 双方应该开诚布公地谈谈，这样日后就不用再去消除隔阂了。

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：clean slate.

大家都知道，clean是干净的，slate是石板的意思。连起来，clean slate, 干净的石板，引伸出来就是“尽弃前嫌，重新开始”的意思。

像上面的例子中，俱乐部成员最终克服了彼此间的矛盾，尽弃前嫌。在下面这个例子中，Jeremy未来如何？我们来听听他的朋友是怎么说的：

例句-1：Jeremy had a terrible gambling problem. He got into such bad debt that he lost his house and his car. Eventually, he received counseling. And a court allowed him to declare bankruptcy. That's given him the clean slate he needed. He's slowly rebuilding his life.

这段话是说: 杰里米以前赌博上瘾，结果欠了很多债，房子和车子都没了。最后，他接受了心理咨询，法院也允许他宣布破产，这给了他重新开始的机会。他正在慢慢地重新建立自己的生活。

他其实很幸运。很多嗜赌的人都有类似问题，而银行不会让每个人都宣布破产。这个词也让我想到现在美国国会山上的政治辩论。公众对政治家争吵不休，而又无法达成任何结果很不满意。我想下次选举，可能很多议员都会失去席位! A clean slate might be just what it will take to meet the voters' expectations，选民们希望选举出新的议员，重新开始。

******

上面我们说到，如果你不满意代表自己的议员，下次不选他就是了。可是，如果你对自己的家人心存不满，要怎么办呢？或许下面的例子能给你一些启发。让我们来听听看:

例句-2：My sister and I used to argue constantly. Sometimes we wouldn't speak to each other for days. Then our mom was diagnosed with cancer. And we decided that we didn't want to go on fighting with each other anymore. We started with a clean slate. What happened in the past was behind us.

这段话是说: 我妹妹和我过去经常吵架，有时一连好几天彼此谁也不理谁。可自从知道妈妈被诊断出得了癌症后，我们就决定再也这样没完没了地争吵了。过去的都过去了，我们决定重新开始。

是啊，有时候从不幸的事情里面，也会在其他方面得到好的结果。上面的例子里，如果这两个姐妹的妈妈不生病，她们可能一直都这样吵吵闹闹。They decided to leave the past behind them and start with a clean slate，她们决定尽弃前嫌，重新开始。

cook someone's goose.

Cook意思是煮，goose是鹅。连起来，to cook someone's goose, 可并不是煮鹅的意思，而是指打碎某人的计划，或者毁了一个人的名誉。

在上面的例子中，别人挖走了我们的嘉宾，我同事气急败坏，she is probably going to cook the guy's goose who stole our guest. 她八成要狠狠地整一下那个挖走我们嘉宾的家伙。

在下面的例子中，我们要听听一个叫Brad的人在得知他女友的所作所为之后做了什么:

例句-1：Brad's girlfriend should have told him that she was out with another guy last weekend. When he found out, he was more than jealous. He was furious. Not only did he break up with her, but he also sent an e-mail to all of their friends about what she's done. That cooked her goose. Her reputation was ruined.

这段话的意思是说：布拉德的女朋友本应告诉他，她上周末跟另一个男人出去约会了。布拉德自己发现后，不光是嫉妒，简直就是气得发疯。他不仅跟这个女孩分手，而且还给他们俩的所有朋友发电子邮件，告诉大家她的所作所为，彻底坏了这个女孩的声誉。

这女孩确实做得不对。可是Brad也够狠的。大家还记得前一阵子国际货币基金组织前总裁卡恩的性丑闻么? The sex scandal cooked his goose. 那次性丑闻彻底毁了他的名誉。

******

我上大学的时候有个好朋友，她因为室友总是偷吃她的食物，所以决定要报复。她在烤饼干了放了泻药，she really cooked her roommate's goose that time. 她那次真是把自己的室友好好修理了一顿。
大家恐怕都有过这样的经历，就是有的时候，整整一天都倒霉，干什么事情都不顺。

下面的例子就谈到了这样的一天。让我们来听听看：

例句-2：Our plane is leaving in an hour. And here we are stuck in some of the worst traffic we've ever seen. If we don't make that flight, we'll miss our connection. Then our goose will be cooked! We won't get to the port in time to board our cruise. Our vacation plans will be ruined.

这段话是说：我们的飞机一小时之后就要起飞了。可现在我们却被塞在路上。如果我们赶不上这班飞机，就会错过转机。那我们的计划就完全被打乱了! 我们也没办法按时登上游轮。那我们的渡假计划就彻底泡汤了。

渡假计划被打乱是最让人沮丧的事情。这里用了被动语态，our goose will be cooked. 意思跟cook our goose是一样的，就是破坏了我们的计划。

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come clean.

大家都知道，clean意思是“干净的”。Come clean字面意思是“变得干净”，实际上它是“坦白承认，说出一切”的意思。我弟弟就是这样，这谎再也撒不下去了，he had to come clean. 不得不坦白交待了偷吃饼干的事情。

在下面的例子里，这位妈妈最开始不愿意告诉女儿一件事儿，但后来她改变了想法，和盘托出。我们来听一听：

例句-1： Mom came out of the doctor's office like everything was fine. Later, I overheard her on the phone talking about going to the hospital. When she realized I'd been listening, she came clean. She admitted that she was going to need heart surgery, and didn't want me to worry.

这段话是说：妈妈从诊所出来的时候看起来跟平常没什么两样。可是后来，我听到她在电话上说什么她要去住院。她发现我听到了，就索性把一切都坦白地告诉了我。她说她需要进行心脏手术，但是不想让我担心。

父母都一样，出了什么健康问题都不告诉子女，生怕子女担心。我上次就因为类似的事情跟我爸好好谈了一次。我问他，如果我要做手术不告诉他，结果出了问题，他会怎样想？所以说，不管遇到什么为难的事，不管是经济方面的，健康上的，还是吃了官司，都不能隐瞒家人。It's always best to come clean. 你都应该坦白说出来。

******

说起come clean坦白，很容易让人想到犯罪和案件的审理。下面例子里就提到了一起案件，案件嫌疑人正在接受调查人员的讯问。让我们来听听看:

例句-2： The interrogator had doubts that the suspect would talk. But now that she understands she risks going to jail for many years, she's coming clean. She's confessing everything: how she planned the burglary and got her friends to help her carry it out.

这段话是说：审问人员开始并不知道嫌疑人会不会交代。但是如今，她明白，不老实交代就可能会面临多年监禁，所以她把一切都说了，从她怎样策划这次入室抢劫，到她的朋友如何帮助她实施，交代得一清二楚。

她这是正确决定。如果现在不坦白，之后被查出来，被判处的刑罚会重得多。就我来说，我觉得我想犯罪都没那个本事！我根本不知道怎么骗人，更别说帮别人骗人了！I'm the type of person who comes clean rather quickly. 我如果做错了什么事情，我肯定很快就招了。

****************************************************

come a long way.

Come a long way的意思与这些词字面的意思不太一样。它的意思是“突飞猛进”。就像我侄子的乐队，they have made considerable progress from when they first started playing together. They've come a long way. 他们的水平比刚开始组乐队时进步了一大块，取得了飞越。

下面例子里的主人公参加高中同学会，看到了很多高中同学，包括他的老朋友James。我们来看看他们的聚会有什么惊喜:

例句-1：I went to my high school reunion last weekend. That's where I saw my old buddy James. Twenty years ago he was short, overweight and rather shy. Now he's tall, thin and very outgoing. He even runs his own company. He says his life has gotten a lot better. It's clear to me he's come a long way.

这段话是说: 我上个周末去参加高中聚会，见到了老朋友James. 他可是大变样! 20年前他又矮又胖，而且很容易害羞。可现在他又瘦又高，非常外向，还自己开了公司! 他说自己的生活改善了很多。很显然，他取得了很大的进步和成功。

提起突飞猛进，我觉得最值得一提的就是科技发展。现在的科技每时每刻都在进步，iPhone, iPad, iTouch....快的让我们觉得赶不上! Technology has come a long way compared to 10 years ago. 现在的科技与10年前相比，简直是突飞猛进。

******

遇到一个要求严格的上司是好事，不过有时候也会让你头疼。下面的例子里，我们来听听要求严格的消防队长对自己的队员说了什么：

例句-2：You all did pretty well in the practice drills we ran. You made significant progress working quickly and working as a team. That doesn't mean you should be satisfied with your achievement. The reality is that more is expected of you. If you're serious about earning the full respect of this community, you'll need to come a long way from how you performed today.

这段话是说: 你们演习时表现不错，进步很快，有很强的团队精神。但这不是说你们能就此满足。我对你们的期望远不止这些。基于今天的表现，如果想赢得整个社区的尊重，你们还有很长的路要走。

这名消防队长的要求真严格! 我邻居就是一名消防员，而且是一名女消防员! 你知道吗? Years ago women weren't even allowed to be firefighters, they've come a long way. 多年前是不允许女性当消防员的，这方面进步很大。

****************************************

cold comfort。

大家都知道，cold是冷的意思，comfort是安慰，连起来，cold comfort, 意思是“不起作用的安慰”。

就像上面的例子里，一位失去双腿的士兵当然很高兴大家记得他为国家做出的牺牲，但是, he may also felt it was cold comfort since he could no longer walk，毕竟他再也不能走路了，别人的喝彩可能只是“不起作用的安慰”。

在下面例子里，一名员工谈到了大家是怎样认同他的工作成绩的。我们来听一听：

例句-1：Two weeks ago, I got the news that my factory would be relocating overseas. As I sat at home wondering what I was going to do for work, I glanced up. There on the wall was the award I had received for "Employee of the Year." It seems cold comfort for what I have to deal with now.

这段话意思是说：两个星期前，我得知我工作的工厂要整个搬到海外去作业。我坐在家里，想着以后要怎么办的时候，抬头正好看到墙上挂的‘年度优秀员工奖'的奖状。这张奖状对于目前身处困境的我来说，丝毫起不到安慰的效果。

真是的！饭碗都要丢了，看到曾经得的奖状恐怕只是徒增烦恼。我想起上次我朋友的女儿在数学竞赛里得了第二名，虽然评委不停说她也很出色，可是她看起来还是十分沮丧。To her, it was cold comfort. 对她来说，这一点也无法让她高兴起来。

******

上面我们讲了cold comfort不起作用的安慰。下面的例子里，历史学家要告诉我们一场惨剧的一些不为人知的细节。我们一起来听一下：

例句-2：In 1963, members of an African-American church in Alabama were attending Sunday church services. Suddenly, a bomb exploded, killing four young girls. The tragedy shocked the nation. And it helped create new laws to end discrimination. For the parents who lost their children, though, that was cold comfort.

这段话是说：1963年，阿拉巴马一个非洲裔美国人教堂里，人们正在进行周日祷告。忽然，一个炸弹爆炸，四名女孩被炸死。这场悲剧震惊了全国，并最终推动美国确立了禁止歧视的法律。但是对于那些失去了孩子的家长来说，这并不能解决什么问题。

真是太可怜了。我无法想像失去孩子，将要如何去面对。说到非洲裔美国人，我想大家最熟悉的就是Martin Luther King马丁·路德·金了。华盛顿刚刚建成马丁·路德·金的雕像，奥巴马总统也到场祝贺。奥巴马当选本身，就证明了美国在民权上的长足进步。

curry favor.

大家都知道curry做名词是咖哩的意思，不过在这里curry作为动词，意思是讨好，奉承。
而curry favor, 实际上就是拍马屁。

I know why she came bearing fresh-backed cookies. I think it's an attempt to curry favor.
我知道我邻居为什么给我送新鲜曲奇饼，我觉得她就是想拍我的马屁。



Don't assume that the mayor has special fondness for you.
If you're influential and can help her deliver on her campaign promises, she'll compliment you, invite you out to dinner and treat you specially.
The truth is she curries favor with anyone she considers to be important.

这段话是说：千万别认为市长特别喜欢你。如果你有任何影响力，或者能够帮助她实现竞选承诺，她会恭维你，请你吃晚餐，给你很多特殊待遇。但事实是，如果她认为你重要，她就会来拍你的马屁。



Isn't it obvious why Ralph nominated our boss as "Supervisor of the Year"?
He just wants to get himself promoted to foreman and figures the boss might help arrange it if he's recognized for an important award.
See? That why he's currying favor with him. It's so disgusting.

这段话是说: 难道你看不出来拉尔夫为什么提名咱们的老板为“年度最佳领导"么? 他想晋升为领班，而他知道如果老板自己能够得到这个奖项，可能就会帮助他得到领班的职位。这就是他为什么老是拍老板的马屁。真令人恶心。


He's always currying favor with the boss. But in the end, he's quite isolated in the office.
他成天拍老板的马屁，不过最后，他在办公室特别孤立。

******************************************************************************

cut both ways.

Cut本身是切断的意思, ways, 途径。
Cut both ways这个词组指的是一件事情有利也有弊，也就是双刃剑的意思。

The decision to have her wedding on Christmas Day could cut both ways.



例句-1：We knew that signing Steele would generate a lot of interest this season.
Not only was he the most successful American quarterback in the league, but he was also extremely popular with the public.
Picking him cut both ways. His contract was terribly expensive.
And that meant a much smaller budget to recruit other good players.

这段话是说：跟斯蒂尔签约肯定会让很多人对这个赛季感兴趣。他不仅是联盟里最棒的四分位，而且很受公众的喜爱。但是跟他签约是一把双刃剑。他的合约肯定价格不菲，这就意味着我们只能剩下不多的预算来招募其他好球员。

So, being an only child has cut both ways. 作为独生子女有好也有坏。




例句-2：Smart phones make it easy to stay connected and get information instantly wherever we are.
At the same time, they can encourage us to drive less safely because we aren't giving our full attention to the traffic.
They can cut both ways. There are advantages as well as disadvantages.

这段话是说: 智能手机让我们能够随时随地与别人保持联系并获取信息。但同时，很多人开车的时候都在查看手机，不能完全保证驾驶安全。智能手机是一把双刃剑，有利也有弊。


Technology innovation is always cutting both ways.

***************************************************

damage control。

我们都知道，damage这个词本身是破坏，损坏的意思，而control，控制。连在一起，
damage control，损害控制，意思就是采取措施将造成的损害降到最低。

my cousin told my aunt that he was sorry and sent her flowers. It's damage control.
我表哥又道歉又送花，试图把损害降到最低。



例句-1：There were some doubts about whether Drake would be an effective Union president.
Then, he made a racial remark in a speech at an assembly. At first, he ignored critics.
Later, he tried to make a joke of it before deciding to offer a public apology. In the end, his attempts at damage control weren't successful.
He lost out on the promotion.

这段话是说：大家对于德雷克能不能成为一个好的工会主席很怀疑。就在这时候，他在一次集会发言时，说了一句带有种族歧视色彩的话。起初，他根本不理会别人的批评。之后他试图用玩笑来掩盖这次错误，最后实在没办法才公开道歉。结果，他试图控制损害程度的努力并不成功，没有得到升职。



例句-2：My wife knew she was wrong.
She should never have told our daughter's soccer coach that he'd made a lot of bad calls at the game.
Fortunately, she wasted no time explaining how she'd been inappropriate, followed by offering him an invitation to dinner at our house.
Thanks to my wife's damage control, the coach isn't upset anymore.

这段话是说: 我太太知道她做错了。她不应该指责我女儿足球教练在比赛中决策失误。好在，她一点也没耽搁，马上去跟教练解释，说自己这种做法不合适，还邀请他来我们家吃饭。她这么努力把造成的损害降到最低程度，教练也就不再生气了。

所以说，越快补救，损害就越小! Damage control 这个短语最初出现在20世纪50年代，
那时候，这个短语只限于用在把一个船只事故的损害降到最低。
慢慢地，人们开始把这个短语引伸出来使用，
到现在，damage control可以用在任何需要进行补救的场合中。

********************************************************************

damn with faint praise.

Damn, 作为动词，是批评的意思，
而faint praise, 在这里是指无力的赞扬。
Damn with faint praise, 作为一个词组，意思是名褒实贬，用轻微的赞扬进行贬低。

she damned me with faint praise even though I've tried my best to impress her.
虽然我尽了全力，可她还是名褒实贬地忽略了我的努力。

例句-1：Is it any wonder that my dad and I aren't that close?
No matter what I achieve, it always seems it isn't good enough.
He doesn't actually say so directly.
But the way he damns me with faint praise, I always feel like I'm not meeting his expectations. Why can't he compliment me once in a while?

这段话是说：我跟我爸爸的关系不是很好，这也没什么好奇怪的。不管我取得了什么成就，对他来说好像始终不够。他并不会直接这么说。但是他从来都只是蜻蜓点水地赞扬，让我觉得我永远达不到他的期望。为什么他就不能夸奖我一次呢?

Instead of damning the employees with faint praise, supervisors should encourage the staff when they do a good job.



Damn with faint praise, 名褒实贬，用轻微的赞扬进行贬低。对于电影评论这个职业，或许这是一个有用的性格特征? 我们来听听看下面这个例子:

例句-2：The movie director had received many positive reviews for her latest work.
One critic, however, didn't seem to care for it much. It's not that he gave it an openly bad review.
Instead, he wrote that he was pleasantly surprised that the film was shorter than the other films.
It was easy to see that he was damning the director with faint praise.

这段话是说: 这名电影导演的最新作品获得了很多正面评价。不过有一名影评人似乎并不怎么看好他的新片子。他倒也没有公开说这部电影不好，不过他说，他很高兴地发现，这部电影比这个导演的其他电影要短。很显然，他对这部电影是名褒实贬。

与其收到这种评论，倒还不如别人直接批评我! 我记得我听过一句话:
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
如果你没有好话要说，那就闭嘴。我觉得这句话说的特别对。
每个人都希望得到别人的肯定，谁愿意得到这种苍白的表扬呢?

********************************************************************************

diamond in the rough.

Diamond是钻石的意思，而rough, 意思是粗糙的，未经雕琢的。
连起来，diamond in the rough, 字面意思是粗糙的钻石，
实际上就是我们在中文里所说的“未经雕琢的璞玉”。

She may not be an established broadcaster, but she shows potential. She's a diamond in the rough.
她现在还不是一名播音员，但是她很有潜力。她是一块未经雕琢的璞玉。



例句 -1：My friends don't have a very high opinion of the house I bought.
True, it's small and outdated. But the way I see it, its my diamond in the rough.
Once I build an addition on to it, install new windows, doors and give it a fresh coat of faint, it'll be quite inviting.

这段话是说：我朋友都觉得我刚买的房子买亏了。这房子确实不大，而且装璜也过时了。但是我觉得这幢房子很有潜力。一旦我重新装修，安上新的窗户和门，重新粉刷，这房子肯定能焕然一新。

her husband then started a great business. He was a diamond in the rough after all.



Samantha's coach has tried to convince anyone who will listen that he's discovered the next great tennis star.
But nobody believes that she's a diamond in the rough.
No matter how much she trains, they think it's doubtful that she'll ever become an exceptional player.

这段话是说: 萨曼塔的教练试图让其他人相信他真地发现了未来的网球明星。但是没有人相信她是一支潜力股。不管她怎么训练，大家都怀疑她是否能成为一名出色的网球选手。

一般来说，很难想像所有人都是错的。不过也有很多例子说明真理有时候确实会站在少数人那一边。
说起diamond in the rough这个短语的起源，最初人们用这个短语来指那些还没有经过雕琢的，
特别是那些可能被打造成高贵珠宝的宝石。
现在，我们用这个短语的引伸意义，来形容那些非常有潜力的人和物品。

*****************************************************************************

do the trick.

Trick，诀窍。Do the trick, 其实就是取得想要的成果，获得成功的窍门。

taking your dog for a run in the morning will do the trick. 只要每天早晨带它去跑跑步就好了。


例句-1：How often have you found yourself suffering in another lengthy meeting?
Maybe you've asked the boss to shorten the agenda or encouraged colleagues to talk briefly.
But nothing has worked. Next time, invite participants to stand instead of sit.
I guarantee you, it does the trick. Nobody will want to stay on their feet for long, so your meeting will be short.

这段话是说：你是不是经常被困在冗长的会议中呢? 也许你曾经要求老板缩短会议，或者鼓励同事简短发言，但是似乎什么都不奏效。告诉你一个小窍门。下回，让大家站着，而不是坐着开会。我保证你能达到目的。没有人愿意老站着，所以会议也不会长。

这主意真不错! 每星期一早晨的员工例行会议特别让人头疼。经过一个周末后，
很多人都有Monday blue，星期一沮丧症。所以很多公司都会在周一早晨提供donut, 甜面包圈。
For many workers, sweet donuts do the trick; they keep them awake and focused.
对于很多员工来说，甜面包圈就能把他们吸引过来，让他们保持清醒和精力集中。真希望我们公司也有面包圈提供呢!



例句-2：I know I should remember my anniversary and other dates, but sometimes I forget.
When I first got married, I'd send flowers as an apology. They always did the trick.
These days, however, they don't make my wife happy. Instead, she expects expensive jewelry.

这段话是说: 我也知道我老是忘记结婚纪念日和其他重要的节日。刚结婚的时候，我会给妻子买花表示抱歉，每次她都会原谅我。但是现在，鲜花已经不能博取妻子的欢心了。她想要昂贵的珠宝。

If she programs the important dates into her husband's smart phone, he will get instant reminders. I think it will do the trick.
这应该就能解决忘记重要日子的问题了。

cover one's tracks.

Cover意思是隐瞒，掩饰，tracks轨迹。连起来，
to cover one's tracks, 意思就是掩盖行踪，隐瞒证据。

the accountant was able to cover his tracks for a long time before his scheme was finally discovered.
这位会计长期隐瞒证据，直到他的阴谋被发现。


例句-1：The prisoner escaped weeks ago. The police had a hard time finding her because she covered her tracks.
She was careful not to use her real name and she kept traveling from one state to another.
When her photo appeared on TV, a viewer reported seeing her. And she was finally captured.

这段话意思是说：这名犯人几星期前越狱，警方费了好大力气搜捕她，但是她很好地掩盖了自己的行踪。她不使用真名，而且不停在州与州之间转移。直到她的照片被公布在电视上，有人举报说曾经见过她，才终于把她抓了回来。

He was able to cover his tracks with a complicated underground maze.
他挖了一条复杂的地下迷宫来掩饰行踪。



Mom and dad have no idea that we're organizing a party to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
So far we've been pretty good at covering our tracks.
If we let them think that we and the other guests have other plans that weekend, they won't find out what's really happening.
Then it'll be a big surprise!

这段话是说：妈妈和爸爸完全不知道我们为他们50周年结婚纪念日准备了一场派对。到目前为止，我们的掩饰工作做得还不错。如果我们能让他们以为大家在那个周末都有别的安排，他们就完全不会知道我们真正的计划。那就真是个大惊喜了!

所以说，cover one's tracks也不一定都是干坏事。
我同事有一次也给了我这样一个惊喜。他们计划了一次特别的午餐会庆祝我晋升，但是却骗我说这是一次编辑会。
They carefully covered their tracks so I didn't find out about the surprise lunch party!
他们小心掩饰，所以我一点也没发现，原来那是一次惊喜午餐会!

************************************************

crack down.

Crack down的意思是“大力整顿，严格管制”。

例句-1：For months, motorists had been speeding down Main Avenue.
They caused a number of accidents including pedestrians being hit.
That's when more police officers were assigned to enforce the law.
It's worked. Since we cracked down on speeding, there have been fewer problems.

这段话意思是：几个月来，开车的人总是在主街大道上超速飞车，结果发生了好多起交通事故，还有行人被撞到。为此，警方在那里增加了警力，加强执法。这种大力管制很有效，管制开始以来，事故的数量减少了。


例句-2：I know the employee manual says that we only have an hour for lunch.
But once in a while I have an errand to run and I get back a few minutes late to the office. My new boss is so strict about the rules.
She's taking notes on anyone who's not at his desk on time. She's really cracking down on us.

这段话是说：我知道员工守则上说我们的午饭时间只有一个小时，不过有时我有些杂事要办，也会晚个几分钟回办公室。我的新老板对这条规定特别叫真儿。所有没按时回到办公桌前的员工都被她注意到。她管我们真是严格无比。

大家看到了，如果在crack down后面加人或物时，需要加介词on,
to crack down on somebody or something意思就是大力整顿或者打击某事。

另外，把crack 和down这两个词放在一起，就变成名词了crackdown, 意思一样，也是打击，镇压。
比如，the government began a crackdown on piracy. 政府开始大力打击盗版活动。

****************************************************************************

cross that bridge when one comes to it.

Cross that bridge when one comes to it, 字面的意思是“到了桥边再过桥”，
其实就是指“等事情发生了再应对”，“船到桥头自然直”。

They don't want to start thinking about how to finance their daughter's veterinarian training yet.
They prefer to cross that bridge when they come to it,
他们不要现在就开始为孩子上兽医学校准备学费，而是打算等孩子真上了再说。



例句-1：Carrie is determined to move to New York City next fall.
At the moment, she doesn't know what she's going to do for a job once she gets there.
Still, she's not worried. She says that she will cross that bridge when she comes to it.
The way she figures it, she'll be able to find work after she gets settled.

这段话意思是说：Carrie下决心秋天到了就搬到纽约去住。现在，她还不知道搬过去之后要做什么工作。不过，她也不担心。她说，船到桥头自然直。等她到了纽约，一切都安顿好了，再找工作也不迟。

they don't have to cross that bridge when they come to it. 他们就不用等问题发生了，再急切着想法子应对了。


企业家常被人们认为是务实、有远见、有计划的人，可实际上真是这样么？咱们来听听下面这段话：

例句-2：So far, the company presidents have agreed that they'll sign the contract with Mexico.
Beyond that, they haven't really decided what they'll do next.
The reality is that they'll deal with the situation when it happens.
They're crossing that bridge when they come to it.

这段话是说：到目前为止，公司总裁已经同意和墨西哥方面签合同，可除此之外，公司决策层并没有决定下一步的工作。事实上，他们打算走一步算一步。他们的态度就是等问题出来了再去想怎么办。

Cross the bridge when one comes to it, 在口语里的另外一个说法是wing it. Wing it，也是“到时候再说”、“随机应变”的意思。

****************************************************

cross one's fingers.

大家都知道，cross是交叉的意思，fingers是手指；
cross one's fingers, 字面意思是手指交叉，
实际上就是希望得到好运气的意思。
美国人经常把食指和中指交叉，意思就是祝你好运!

I cross my fingers, hoping the weather would be good this weekend.
我交叉手指，希望这个周末会有好天气。



例句-1：Our volleyball team has beaten every team in the division so far.
I know it's because we have better players and we've practiced harder.
Still, we're up against our greatest challenger next week and many of us are crossing our fingers.
We're hoping that we'll be successful and win the trophy.

这段话是说：我们排球队到现在为止一直保持全胜。我们一直很努力地训练。不过下个星期，我们将面临最这个赛季最强劲的挑战，很多队员都交叉手指期盼好运。我们希望我们能够获胜，赢得奖杯。


I cross my fingers every time before performing in the concerts.
也许是我迷信，不过每次我这么做，表演都很成功!


例句-2：My daughter has been looking for a job for almost two years.
After sending in lots of resumes and going on a number of interviews, she's become really frustrated.
The position she just applied for looks like a good match for her skills and experience.
She's got her fingers crossed. This may be the chance she's been waiting for.

这段话是说：我女儿找工作已经找了两年了。在无数简历和若干次面试之后，她特别沮丧。现在她刚刚申请的职位特别适合她的技能和经验。她交叉手指，祈求好运。这可能就是她一直在等待的机会。

I have my fingers crossed that my hot air balloon adventure will take place.
我特别希望热气球之行能够成行。
The team members have their fingers crossed that they'll win the next game.
球员祈求好运，希望能够赢得下一场比赛。

beside oneself.

Beside oneself 的意思是情绪失控，发狂。
I was beside myself! 我都快急疯了!



例句-1：Hearing that we had just won the lottery was so overwhelming.
We were beside ourselves. Just think: we'd become millionaires.
Now we could pay off our mortgage and put our kids to college.
And there would still be enough money left to travel around the world."

这段话是说：听说我们赢了彩票，这消息实在太让人吃惊了。我们简直高兴得不知道怎么办好。想想吧：我们是百万富翁了。现在我们可以还清房屋贷款，供孩子上大学，剩下的钱还足够我们周游世界。

they're beside themselves with fear and worry.
他陷入极度的恐惧和担忧中。



例句-2：When Rosa returned to the parking lot, she discovered that her brand new car had a big dent.
Someone had hit her vehicle and not left a note.
Now she had to call her insurance company, and then arrange for repairs. Aaargh!
The more she thought about it, the more furious she became. She was beside herself with anger.

这段话是说：罗斯回到停车场的时候发现她新买的车凹下去了一大块。有人撞了她的车，也没留张字条就溜走了。现在，罗斯不得不给自己的保险公司打电话，然后还要安排修车的事儿。啊! 她越想越气，简直是气得发狂。

my neighbor was beside herself with grief for not seeing the man.
我的邻居当时只恨自己为什么没看到人。

*****************************************************

the blind leading the blind.

The blind leading the blind，字面的意思是盲人指引盲人，其实就是指“外行指导外行”。
我老公做饭水平很低，结果还去教别人. it was the blind leading the blind. 这完全是外行教外行。



例句-1：When my son's coach called me about substituting for him at this weekend's soccer practice, I had to turn him down.
Sure, I had watched him a few times work with the kids.
But I didn't know enough about the game to train or teach them the skills they needed.
That would have been the blind leading the blind!

这段话是说：我儿子的足球教练给我打电话，让我周末替他带孩子们练球，可我不得不拒绝了他。没错，我确实看过几次他教孩子们踢球。可我的足球赛知识有限，不够训练或者教孩子的。如果我真成了教练，那可就是盲人导盲了。

像他这种每个礼拜带孩子去练足球的爸爸在美国有个特定称呼，叫soccer Dad, 当然，妈妈就是Soccer Mom。这种“足球父母”一般都开着大面包车，把自己的孩子和孩子的朋友同学一块儿带上，接送他们练球。


例句-2：My friends and I were promised an experienced guide on our trip to Alaska.
Instead, we ended up with someone who didn't know the area any more than we did.
She even got us lost. It was the blind leading the blind. Now we want our money back from the tour company.

这段话是说：旅行社本来说好要给我和朋友们派个有经验的导游，带着我们在阿拉斯加玩儿。结果，我们的导游对当地情况的了解和我们一样少。她甚至带着我们走迷路了。这可真是瞎子给盲人引路。现在，我们要求旅行社退款。

这样的导游根本不能让旅行轻松愉快，反而会成为你的累赘，而且让你心情变糟。
所以现在的游客在出发前都会去网上找些游记，攻略什么的，自己多储备一些知识。

****************************************************************

break one's back.

我们知道，break这个词本身是“打碎”的意思，
而break one's back,背都打碎了，引申的意思就是“非常辛苦地工作”。


working as a consultant in this company will break your back. 在这间咨询公司上班非常辛苦。



例句-1：Mom always wanted my sister and me to enjoy a better life than she had.
That meant working two jobs for many years to afford what we needed. She broke her back.
But, as a result, I became a surgeon and my sister a concert pianist.
We would never have become so successful without our mother's great sacrifices.

这段话是说：妈妈一直希望我和妹妹能过上比她更好的生活。她多年来一直身兼两份工作来满足我们的所需。她一直非常辛苦。但是现在，我成了一名外科医生，而我妹妹成了一名钢琴演奏家。如果没有妈妈的牺牲，我们绝不可能取得这样的成功。

The parents of immigrant families are willing to break their backs in order to give their kids a better life.
移民家庭的父母非常辛苦地工作, 想让孩子过上更好的生活。


例句-2：My neighbor across the street is one of the laziest people I know.
Just about every day, he's out drinking beer on his front porch.
Yet his house is falling apart and his yard is full of junk.
It would take a lot of effort to get the place in good condition.
Unfortunately, I can't imagine him ever breaking his back.

这段话是说：住在对面的邻居是我见过的最懒的人。他每天在门口走廊上喝啤酒，可房子却是东倒西歪，院子里堆满了垃圾。要把那里清理干净得花好大功夫。不过，我可无法想象他会辛苦地去整理。

自己家的院子都不愿意收拾，可真够懒的！在这里，我们也可以用neck, 来代替，
"break one's neckK" 一样也是辛苦工作的意思。
I can't imagine him break his neck for anything! 我想没有什么能让他去辛勤工作。

*************************************************************

bounce back.

Bounce, 这个词本身是“弹回”的意思，
而bounce back作为一个词组意思是“恢复原状，复苏”。

this region starts to bounce back after the oil disaster.
这个地区在漏油灾难之后渐渐恢复过来。Bounce back 也可以用来形容人。我们来听听下面这个例句:

Grandma's fall on the ice last winter resulted in a badly broken leg.
She spent months in a cast. Then she underwent weeks of physical therapy.
Now her doctors say she can resume normal activities. Nobody could be happier than Grandma that she's finally bounced back.

这段话是说：我奶奶去年冬天在冰上把腿摔骨折了。她带了几个月的石膏，之后又做了好几个星期的理疗。现在医生说她能恢复正常活动了。奶奶终于恢复健康了，她比所有人都要高兴。

My grandpa finally bounced back after two months of coughing.
我爷爷的咳嗽足足两个月才好。


其实，bounce back除了指身体恢复健康以外，也可以指情绪上，情感上的恢复。

例句-2：Some guys have a hard time getting over a break-up with a girlfriend.
That's not the case with Carlos. He doesn't get depressed or become withdrawn.
In fact, no sooner does he end one relationship than he begins another. He bounces back quickly.

这段话是说：一些人在与女朋友分手之后一蹶不振。但卡洛斯可不是这样。他绝不会抑郁或者就此变得沉没寡言。实际上，每当他结束一段恋情之后马上就会开始新得恋情。他很快就能恢复过来。

He doesn't need a lot of time to bounce back after the breakup,
他分手之后很快就能恢复过来。
bounce back可以用来形容很多种情况，比如说: 财政困难之后的经济恢复，身体复原，或者情感上的恢复。

**********************************************************

Boggle本身有吃惊的意思，而mind是思想，头脑。
Boggle the mind, 意思就是“令人惊叹的”。



例句-1：Fifty years ago, the fastest computers ever made took up the space of a football field.
Their many vacuum tubes and mechanical parts required constant maintenance.
Amazingly, the computing devices we now hold in our hands can do so much more in only a fraction of the time.
That boggles the mind.

这段话是说：50年前，世界上运作最快的电脑占地要达到整个一个足球场那么大。其中有很多电子管和机械零件，需要经常维修。可现在，我们手中拿的小电脑能在短得多的时间里做多得多的事情。 这确实令人惊叹。



Boggle the mind. 令人惊叹的。

例句-2：George was shocked when Linda became his supervisor.
She seemed to lack any of the necessary skills to manage employees.
Her reports were often inaccurate and she did nothing to improve productivity.
How she ever got her promotion boggled his mind. She must have known somebody important at the factory.

这段话是说：乔治得知琳达变成他的上司之后十分吃惊。她完全没有管理员工的能力。她的报告经常出现纰漏，而且她完全没有做任何事情来增加生产率。她是如何晋升的着实令人吃惊。她肯定认识工厂里的什么重要人物。

大家注意，在boggle the mind 中，我们可以把"the"换成任何人称代词，
boggle sb's mind， 令某人吃惊。
在这里，George was so baffled by Linda's promotion that it boggled his mind. 琳达的神秘升职令乔治吃惊。

*****************************************************

：blow by blow.

Blow, 这个词本身的意思是“敲击”，
而blow by blow作为一个习惯用语的意思是 “详细地描述事情经过”。

My sister told me the fight blow by blow，
我妹妹把她跟男朋友吵架的事原原本本告诉了我。


例句-1：What's happened to one of Hollywood's hottest couples?
First, Debbie learned that Charles had a serious gambling problem.
There was a huge fight. A couple months later, Debbie threw all of his belongings into the street. He moved out, and then asked for a divorce.
That's the blow by blow so far.


这段话是说：好莱坞最红的夫妇，Debbie和Charles之间到底怎么了? 原来啊，Debbie得知Charles特别好赌，他们俩大吵了一架。几个月之后，Debbie把Charles的所有东西都扔到了大街上。Charles搬了出去，还提出跟Debbie离婚。目前知道的就是这些。

give a blow-to-blow description of their private life, 他们很容易就能详细披露明星的私生活。



例句-2：I was waiting outside of the bank.
And, through the window, I saw the robber approach the teller, pull out a gun, and demand that she hand over all the money from her drawer.
Then he shot at a guard before running out the side door.
Since I saw it all happen, it was easy for me to give the police a blow-by-blow description.

这段话是说：我当时在银行外面等人。透过窗户我看到那个抢劫犯走向出纳员，拔出一把熗，逼她把抽屉里的所有现金拿出来。之后他向警卫开熗，从侧门逃了出去。因为我一直在那，所以我能够向警察详细描述事情的全部过程。

请大家注意，blow by blow，也可以当作形容词来用，意思是“详尽的”。
比如说，a blow-by-blow description, 详尽的描述；a blow-by-blow analysis, 详尽的分析； a blow-by-blow review，详尽的审查。
做形容词的时候，我们一般要在这个短语之间加上hyphen, 连字符。

carbon copy.

Carbon 本身是“复写纸”的意思，
carbon copy，就是形容“非常相似，一模一样”。

her room is a carbon copy of the hotel room we stayed in last year.
她的房间跟去年我们住的旅馆房间一模一样。

My new girlfriend said she wanted me to meet someone. I was shocked when I answered the door.
Standing there was a woman who looked exactly like my girlfriend. She talked just like her, too.
In fact, she was a carbon copy. That's when I realized I was dating a twin.

这段话是说：我的新女友说她想让我见见一个人。结果开门的时候我大吃一惊。站在我面前的人跟我女友长的一模一样，讲话的样子也跟我女友一样。我这时候才意识到，原来她们是双胞胎!

He is a carbon copy of his twin brother.
他们兄弟俩看起来一模一样。
形容这种长得一模一样的人，英语里还有个特别的词，叫doppelganger,
如果你找到了跟你长得一模一样的人，你就找到了你的doppelganger!


The architect claimed his designs for the city park were original. But on closer inspection, it became clear that wasn't true.
All the features, including the gardens, pond, bridge and playing fields, were no different from those in a park in Boston.
The mayor was furious. He trusted the architect to offer something unique, not a carbon copy.

这段话是说：这名设计师声称城市公园是他的原创设计。但是进一步的调查发现，这显然不是事实。包括花园，池塘，桥梁和休闲场地的所有设施都跟波士顿一座公园分毫不差。市长大发脾气。他是要这名建筑师设计一座独一无二的公园，而不是一座仿制品。

本来想要一座别致的公园，结果却在城市里建了一座仿制品。换了我是市长，我一定也会大发雷霆。

我记得我刚工作的时候也发生过类似的事情。我们的竞争对手不知道怎么得到了我们的创意，开启了一个完全雷同的项目!
Our business competitor launched a carbon copy of our project. I bet they've got our ideas somewhere，
我们的竞争对手推出了一个跟我们一模一样的项目，他们肯定是从哪里得到了我们的创意。

**********************************************************

business as usual.

大家都知道，business是营业的意思，usual 呢，是正常的。
那么business as usual, 用来形容事情经过了异常之后恢复正常状态，可以翻译成“一切照旧，虚惊一场”。

people resumed work after a small fire incident, it was business as usual. 大家在着火小插曲之后继续工作，办公室恢复正常。

Imagine preparing breakfast for six kids. Then getting them washed and dressed, packing their lunches and getting them off to school.
That might seem like a huge challenge. But for my wife and me, it's business as usual. It's part of our everyday routine.

这段话是说：想像一下：给六个孩子准备早餐，然后给他们洗脸穿衣服，装饭盒，再把他们统统送到学校去。这看起来是一项巨大的挑战。但是对我妻子和我来说，这是日常便饭。这是我们每天要做的工作。

It will not be business as usual any time soon for the Japanese people.
日本人民的生活近期内恐怕很难恢复常态。



Normally, my tiny town is a quiet place.
But when a movie director chose it as the site for his upcoming picture, it became incredibly busy.
Film stars and production crews flooded Main Street.
The local restaurants served overflow crowds, shops saw increased sales, and news reporters came from all around seeking interviews.
For three weeks, it was anything but business as usual.

这段话是说：平常，我住的小镇特别安静。但是当一名电影导演选中这里拍摄之后，这里就变得忙碌无比了。电影明星和制作团队挤满了城里的主路。饭馆里的人目不暇接，商店营业额直线上升，新闻记者也都来到这里寻找采访机会。三个星期以来，这里什么都有，就是没有往日的宁静。

被导演看中也许是好事，这样一来可以大大提高小镇的知名度，商店餐馆也能更好的营业额。可是对我们这些居民来说，我们想要的只是business as usual, 以往的安静生活。看来任何事都有两面性。

***************************************************************

burning question.

Burning字面上的意思是正在燃烧的。那么burning question都烧起来了的问题!
引伸下来就是“十万火急的问题”，通常也指人们热烈讨论的问题。

It's a burning question for me to decide weather or not to continue the current lease,
决定是否要续租目前的房子对我来说就是一个十万火急的问题。

Last year freezing temperatures ruined Florida's citrus industry.
Millions of dollars worth of produce were lost.
Now weather forecasters are calling for severe cold.
Industry analysts and farmers desperately want to know what they should do if another catastrophe occurs.
That's the burning question.

这段话是说：去年严冬低温重创佛罗里达的柑橘业，损失高达数百万美元。现在天气预报又预报可能出现严冬。业内分析人士和农民都迫切地想要知道，如果再次发生气候灾难，他们该怎么做。这是目前人们都在讨论的紧迫问题。

The reconstruction of the city of Joplin, Missouri has become a burning question，
乔普林市的重建现在是人们热烈讨论的重要话题。



在美国，高中结束时的prom，毕业舞会，是毕业班学生一直盼望的。

Sharon's among the most popular girls in my senior class.
So it's no surprise that I'm not the only guy who asked her to go to the prom.
She said she'd let me know by the weekend. Will she be my date?
It's a burning question. I'm dying for her to give me her answer.

这段话是说：莎伦是我们高中最受欢迎的女生之一。所以我知道，我肯定不是唯一一个邀请她去参加毕业舞会的人。她说她会在周末给我答复。她会当我的女伴吗? 这真让我心急如焚，我迫切地希望她把最后决定告诉我。

在美国，毕业舞会对高中毕业生是非常重要的，能请到自己喜欢的女孩子去参加毕业舞会，才不会留下遗憾。
难怪这个男孩子迫不及待地想知道Sharon是否会接受他的邀请。It's a burning question.

********************************************************************************

Brush是刷的意思，brush off, 刷掉，
引伸出来就是“忽略，不理睬”的意思。

my friend shouldn't brush off the poor ratings of the convertible.
我朋友不应该忽略这辆敞篷车很差的车评。



例句-1：The homeowners were told by inspectors that they ought to move their home further from the river.
Instead, they went ahead with plans to add a second story.
When a terrible storm hit a year later, the river flooded.
And the house was destroyed.
If the couple hadn't brushed off those safety warnings, they wouldn't have lost their property.

这段话是说：检查人员告诉屋主说，他们应该把屋子建在离河边更远的地方。但是屋主非但没有听取这个意见，还又加盖了第二层。一年之后下了一场暴雨，河水上涨淹没了房屋。如果这对夫妇没有忽略那些安全警告，他们也许不会失去自己的财产。

she brushed off all the bad reviews，
她对这些负面评论根本不予理睬，结果才有了今天。



例句-2：Phil hasn't had many steady girlfriends. That's because they don't like the way he treats them.
After a couple of nice dates, he expects them to always be available for him.
Yet he rarely makes the effort to return their calls or text messages.
Why should they want to stay with a guy who brushes them off?

这段话是说：菲利普一直没有什么稳定女友，这是因为她们都不喜欢他对待她们的方式。几次约会之后，他就认为这些女孩子应该随叫随到，可他自己却很少尽快回她们的电话或短信。为什么要跟一个经常忽略自己的人在一起呢?

这些女孩子做得对！不值得跟一个整天不把自己当回事的人在一起。
大家可能已经发现了，这句话中说, Phil often brushes them off. Brush somebody off, 就是忽略某人的意思。
比如，she's been telling her husband to see a dentist for his bad teeth, but he keeps brushing me off.
我让我老公赶紧去看看那颗烂牙，可他却把我的话当耳边风。

********************************************************************************

bring to a head.

Bring something to a head, 意思是，使某件事情到了非做决定的紧急关头。
这个短语通常用来形容比较坏的情况，形容使一件事情到了迫在眉睫，必须做出决定，加以改变的地步。

The car crash will bring to a head the need for a stop sign at the intersection, 这次车祸使警方开始考虑在交叉路口安装警示牌的必要性。



例句-1：Cindy had been trying to persuade her husband to quit smoking. But he never made a serious effort to stop until last month.
When he became short of breath playing with his grandson, he realized that his bad habit had to end.
It brought to a head his addiction to cigarettes. He's been tobacco-free ever since.

这段话是说：辛迪一直试着劝她丈夫戒烟。但他从没认真尝试过，直到上个星期他陪孙子玩儿的时候气都喘不上来，他才意识到，是时候改改抽烟这个坏毛病了。这件事使他意识到他烟瘾的危害。自从那以后，他一直没有碰过香烟。

我们可以说cold turkey断然戒掉烟瘾。
It is difficult, but possible to quit smoking cold turkey，
虽然很难，但是断然戒烟是可能的。



例句-2：Our best trained workers are all over 60 years old.
And they've been leaving the company faster than they're being replaced.
The CEO ought to recognize what's happening.
Retirements are bringing our labor shortage problem to a head. So he'd better come up with a solution quickly.

这段话是说：我们公司最优秀的员工现在都超过60岁了。他们退休的速度远远超过了新员工的招聘速度。我们的CEO需要认识到现在的情况。老员工退休使劳动力短缺的问题迫在眉睫。老板得尽快找到解决方法。

现在美国面临的很大的一个问题就是劳动人口老龄化。
1945年到1961年“婴儿潮”时期出生的人现在都慢慢开始退休了，而这也给政府为他们提供的福利出了个大难题:
Baby boomers' retirement has brought concerns about funding to a head,
婴儿潮一代人的退休使解决政府福利的融资问题变得迫在眉睫。

beg, borrow, or steal.

Beg是“求”，borrow是“借”，steal则是“偷”，
beg, borrow or steal字面的意思是“祈求，借用或者偷”，
其实就是指“不择手段，用一切方法”。

she'd beg, borrow or steal to get a ticket.
不论用什么方法，她非得搞到一张票不可。


Many people would do anything for a good night's sleep. But they don't have to beg, borrow or steal to get it.
They need to keep a regular sleeping schedule, make sure the bedroom is dark, quiet and cool, and avoid alcohol and caffeine at night.
That's how they'll be able to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed.

这段话是说：很多人为了能睡上一夜好觉愿意做任何事。
其实，他们不这么大费周章也能睡好觉。
只要保持固定的睡眠时间，保证卧室里黑暗、安静、凉爽，并且晚上不喝含酒精和咖啡因的东西，就行了。
这样做，第二天醒来时就能神清气爽。




Beg, borrow or steal，这个习惯用语也可以说成 beg, borrow and steal, 意思是一样的。


I can't believe the Rolling Stones concert is already sold out.
All I want is two tickets. I don't care where the seats are.
And I'm willing to travel wherever I have to.
This may be their last tour ever.
That's why I'm prepared to beg, borrow or steal to see them perform.

这段话是说：我简直不能相信滚石乐队演唱会的票已经卖光了。我只要两张票，不在乎座位，也不在乎演唱会在什么地方开，反正我一定要跑去看，这也许是他们最后一次开演唱会了。这就是为什么我无论如何，用一切办法都要去看不可。

看来歌迷的心情都是一样的! 不过，Rolling Stones，滚石乐队的告别演唱会的确是意义非凡。这个摇滚乐团60年代出道，叱诧数十年屹立不倒，已经是重量级的流行文化符号了!

*****************************************************

behind the scenes。

Behind the scenes，是“幕后”的意思。

It was done behind the scenes.
这事是瞒着大家，暗中进行的。

在下面这段话中我们要谈到一个叫Wikileaks的组织，中文叫维基泄密。它到底泄露了那些秘密呢？

WikiLeaks is an international organization that publishes secret information from a variety of unnamed sources.
Its release of several pages of sensitive e-mails from U.S. diplomats caused a lot of concern.
Many in the government claim that such communications should remain private.
They warn that it could harm national security and international relations to let the public learn what goes on behind the scenes.

这段话是说：维基泄密是一个国际组织，专门公开来自各种匿名渠道的秘密信息。
这个组织向公众泄露了长达数页的美国外交官收发的电子邮件的内容，这些敏感的信息引发了很多人的关注。
许多政府人士说，这些邮件的内容不应该曝光。他们警告说，让公众了解到政府私下里进行的活动会给国家安全和国际关系带来伤害。



我们常说“没有不透风的墙”。如果不想让别人知道你的秘密，唯一的办法就是不要把这个秘密告诉别人，不管是写信、电子邮件还是打电话、聊天。

Whenever players on the team were interviewed, they expressed their admiration and support for Coach Green. Behind the scenes, however, they complained bitterly about his lack of experience.
Soon enough, their dislike of him became well-known. That's when fans called for the Coach to resign.

这段话是说：队员们在接受采访时，总是表达他们对格林教练的敬仰和支持。可是，在背后，他们总是非常不满地抱怨这位教练缺乏经验。很快，队员们对教练的反感就变得尽人皆知了。于是，球迷们要求教练下课。

Behind the scenes，还可以放在一起当形容词用，表示幕后的，后台的。
a behind the scenes look at a fashion show,
时装秀的后台情况，
a behind the scenes video of how a car is manufactured
揭密汽车制造过程的录像。

*************************************************************************

big fish in a small pond.

Big fish是大鱼， small pond 则是小池塘。
Big fish in a small pond小池塘里的大鱼，
其实就是形容小地方的大人物，小圈子里的杰出者。

he has no interest in living in large, competitive cities. He'd rather be a big fish in a small pond.
他不愿意住在竞争激烈的大城市，他宁当鸡头，不作凤尾。

Of the 60 students in her graduating class, Tania ranked number one.
She received many honors, including a scholarship to one of the top universities in the country.
Once there, Tania found it difficult adjusting to classmates who were all as talented as she was.
That's because she had been used to being a big fish in a small pond.

这段话是说：在毕业班的六十名学生里，塔尼亚的成绩是全班第一。她得到了很多荣誉，包括一所全国顶尖大学的奖学金。可是到了那所大学后，塔尼亚发现，其他同学都和她一样出色，她觉得自己很难适应这样的情况，因为她已经习惯在小圈子里当佼佼者。

人到了新的圈子里难免要渡过一段不太舒服的适应期，尤其是对当惯了尖子的人。有人觉得宁当鸡头不当凤尾，但也有人到哪里都要力争出类拔萃，全看个人心态。

要提醒大家，fish这个词的复数形式还是fish，所以我们形容一个人是小地方的大人物，说he's a fish in a small pond。那要是几个人呢？
就是they are fish in a small pond。

Everyone at our real estate office knows the Kims.
They've been successful sellers at the firm for several years.
They could easily join a much larger staff at a more prestigious office.
But then they'd no longer be big fish in a small pond. And that wouldn't interest them.

这段话是说：我们房地产办公室的人都知道金姆夫妻俩。多年来，他们一直是公司里相当成功的房地产销售员。他们如果想跳槽到更有名气的公司，加入更大的销售团队，绝对不是问题。不过那样一来，他们就没法再像现在一样当办公室里的风云人物了。所以他们对跳槽没兴趣。

Big fish in a small pond里的fish 也可以frog - 青蛙 - 这个词来代替。
所以，我同学去家乡发展，愿意当a big frog in a small pond，小地方的杰出人才，
金姆夫妇愿意留在现在的地产公司，当big frogs in a small pond, 小公司里的红人。

*********************************************************

a black hole.

天文学上有个black hole - 黑洞。任何物质都能被黑洞吸进去，哪怕是光。
在习惯用语中，a black hole也指深渊，让人迷惑的空洞。

they feel they're lost in a black hole. 他们会觉得莫名其妙，如坠云雾。

I don't ever expect to get the book back that I lent to my son. He says it's somewhere in his bedroom.
That means it's among the countless piles of stuff scattered across his desk, furniture and floor.
Whatever goes in there disappears. The place is nothing but a black hole.

这段话是说：在我把书借给儿子看，就不用想着还能拿回来了。他跟我说书就在他卧室里。
这就意味着，我的书被埋在了他书桌、家具和地板上到处散落的一堆堆乱七八糟的东西下面。
任何东西进了这个屋子都会不知去向。他的屋子简直就是个黑洞。

这个情景我似曾相识。大学时我有个好朋友，看上去白白净净的一个女孩儿，就是不爱收拾屋子。借给她的东西她永远不还，都说找不到了。
I'm afraid they all vanished in that black hole of hers. 恐怕这些东西都消失在她那如同黑洞一样的屋子里了。

另外还有一种情况，也容易让人找不到东西，觉得晕，那就是地方太大。下面这个例句就证明了这一点。我们来听一听：

This year's conference took place at a brand new facility.
There must have been at least 8,000 people there.
That was far too big for me. I don't like such a black hole.
You meet people that you never see again because it's so huge.
I prefer a much smaller site. There are greater chances for running into people that I recognize.

这段话是说：今年的会议在一个崭新的会场召开。 来开会的人至少有8000个。我觉得这个会场太大了。我不喜欢这么大得让人犯晕的地方。地方这么大，人这么多，很多人你见过一次就永远不会再见了。我希望能在小一点的地方开会，那样更有可能遇见熟人。

别说会场了，出门背个大一些的包包，东西就往往很难找到，我老公经常笑话我说，我找个钥匙也要把头伸进包里搜索一番。
He said my purse was a portable black hole. 他说我的包就是个能移动的大黑洞。

Eke是个动词，意思是节约使用，勉强度日,
而eke out其实就是竭力维持的意思。


he was able to eke out a few more car sales. 他竭尽全力多卖几辆车。

My sister-in-law has always been drawn to helping the poor. Her job as a social worker, though, doesn't pay very well.
She barely covers her expenses every month.
Still, she'd rather eke out a living doing what she likes than living comfortably from a job that's unrewarding.

这段话是说：我嫂子特别热衷于帮助穷人。但作为一名社会福利工作者，她的工资并不高。她每个月只能刚刚好应付基本的生活支出。但是，她宁愿做自己喜欢的工作，勉强度日，也不愿做一份没有精神回报的工作，只为能舒服地生活。

To many people, he ekes out an existence.
Yet he feels that he lives quite richly.
对很多人来说，他是在勉强度日。但是他自己却觉得生活特别满足。


Fans of the Daredevils have been rewarded with some amazing basketball playing this season.
You see, their team kept looking like they were heading for another defeat.
Then, they would somehow outmaneuver their opponents to win the game.
The way they've been eking out one victory after another, they may be making it to the finals after all!

这段话是说：Daredevils球队的球迷这个赛季可真是过足了球瘾。每次比赛看起来就要输了的时候，他们好象都能采取灵活攻略，出其不意，赢得比赛。按他们这么打下去，一场接一场地赢球，说不定他们还真能进决赛呢！

J.K. Rowling was eking out a living while on welfare before she started her famous Harry Potter series.
她开始写作哈利波特系列前，曾经依靠福利勉强度日。

*************************************************************************

The end of the line, 这个短语的意思是尽头，极限。


Al Capone became well-known for being a crime boss in Chicago when alcohol was illegal.
From the early 1920s to 1931, he made a fortune smuggling and producing liquor.
He reached the end of the line, not from those activities, but from trying to avoid paying taxes.
His career was over when the government finally convicted him and sent him to prison.

这段话是说：阿尔.卡彭是芝加哥有名的犯罪大佬。从1920年代初到1931年，酒精饮料还属于非法的时候，他通过走私和酿酒赚了一大笔钱。
但是他后来落败，不是因为非法酿酒和走私酒精，而是因为偷税漏税。政府最终认定他有罪并把他送进了监狱。

And that actually contributed to Prohibition reaching the end of the line. 成了禁酒令最终被废除的推手。


The end of the line, 尽头，极限 。现在一切都变化得特别快，一个地方今天还好好的，明天可能就会, reach the end of the line, 不复存在。
When I was a kid, my dad and I used to go fishing at the lake near our house.
Then we started to notice that there wasn't much to catch anymore.
The end of the line came when officials declared that the water was badly polluted. Nobody could enjoy it.

这段话是说: 小时候，爸爸常带我去家附近的河里钓鱼。后来我们注意到，河里的鱼好像少了许多。
直到有一天，有关部门宣布，河水污染过于严重，禁止钓鱼了。我们爷俩儿钓鱼的传统也就结束了。

我们家旁边的邮局就要关门了。确实，现在人们大量使用电子邮件，邮局生意越来越差。
The popularity of emails may mean the end of the line for a lot of post offices.

*************************************************

every每一个; inch寸。连起来，every inch每一寸，
实际上就是“彻底的，不折不扣的”的意思。

she's every inch a leader.
她是位不折不扣的领导。

Elizabeth Taylor was a great beauty and a talented actress.
She also became known for her eight marriages, big diamonds, and her willingness to raise awareness and money for AIDS.
Audiences found her totally fascinating until her death.
She's every inch a Hollywood legend.

这段话是说：伊莉莎白.泰勒是一位同时拥有美貌与天资的女演员。她的八次婚姻，她的大钻戒，她为提高人们对艾滋病的认识，并为其募捐所做的一切，都被大家津津乐道。她的一生都让人们感到新鲜与好奇。她是一位不折不扣的好莱坞传奇。

泰勒确实是一位传奇人物。我从报纸上看到，最近她的珠宝拍卖价创下了世界纪录！全部的拍卖价高达1亿1千6百万美元，其中一条镶有珍珠，钻石和红宝石的项链更是拍出了1千1百80万美元的高价。要是我有这些珠宝，
I'd have to have every inch of my house under surveillance or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night!
我肯定得满屋都装上监视器，要么我都没法睡觉了！


84 million acres of the world's most dramatic property is in the U.S. Welcome to the National Parks of the United States.
Here you can explore spectacular scenery and wildlife; resources that are preserved entirely for the enjoyment of visitors.
They're every inch a national treasure.

这段话是说：美国拥有8千4百万英亩的自然风光。这就是著名的美国国家公园。在这里，你能欣赏到壮观的景色，奇特的野生动物，让游客看到保护完好的自然资源。这些国家公园不折不扣的国家珍宝。

确实，美国的National Parks各大国家公园风景保留得都特别好。国家花费大笔资金来保留最原始，最震撼人心的自然风光。
其中有名的Yellowstone,黄石公园，保存的就是自然活火山的景观，
it's every inch a wondrous experience! 简直美得另人惊叹！

*****************************************************

Explain是解释的意思，explain away就是搪塞，辩解的意思。
in the end, that excuse couldn't explain away her inefficiency at work.
最终，她没法再为自己的低效率辩解。

Are you having trouble finding employment because of gaps in your resume?
Rather than explaining away why you were laid off or took time off, consider being honest.
Let employers know why you lost your job or needed to stop working to raise a family or tend to a sick relative.
Often a good reason will help you get hired again.

这段话是说：你是否也曾因为简历里有断层而没被雇佣呢？
与其极力辩解自己为什么会被开除或者有段时间没有工作，不如如实告诉雇主到底发生了什么。
告诉雇主你为什么丢了饭碗，或者必须停止工作来照顾孩子，或是照看生病的亲人。
真实的原因一般都能帮助你再找到下一份工作。

如果你觉得工作太难或者有什么不懂的地方，不如诚实地告诉你的老板，
rather than explaining away why you didn't finish the work, you should just go ahead and let your boss know what you don't understand.



The daycare worker asked the mom how her child had gotten such a terrible bruise.
She said he'd fallen out of bed. But that didn't explain away some of the other marks found on his body.
When investigators determined he'd been beaten by his mother, she stopped trying to invent reasons for her son's injuries.

这段话是说: 幼儿园的工作人员问这位母亲为什么她的孩子身上有一块特别严重的淤青。她说，这是孩子从床上掉下来摔的。但这并没有解释清楚孩子身上的其他伤痕。调查人员最后得出结论，孩子是被妈妈打的，她这才停止为自己孩子的伤痕寻找借口。

据说全世界每天有数百万孩子受到父母或者监护人的殴打或者虐待。所以如果你听到了什么或者怀疑什么，千万要站出来质问。
Be suspicious when someone's trying to explain away a cause of concern, you may be saving a life!
对一些试图辩解的人特别小心，你可能将挽救一条生命!

*********************************************************************************

fall by the wayside。

Wayside意思是路边，fall by the wayside整个词组跟道路其实没什么关系。它的意思是终止，不在继续下去了。
The population of folks talking on a phone appears to fall by the wayside more and more.

例句-1：From the time I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an architect.
But my school counselor informed me that the unemployment rate for that choice is quite high.
That explains why interest in architecture has fallen by the wayside.
Maybe I should be investing in a more successful career like nursing or teaching.

这段话是说：我从小就梦想做一名建筑师。但是学校的指导老师告诉我，建筑师行业的失业率特别高。这就解释了为什么现在想当建筑师的学生越来越少。或许我应当选择一个更有前途的职业，比如护士或者教师。

为现实被迫放弃自己的梦想真是无奈。我的一个邻居就面临特别现实的问题。
她是一名图形艺术家，可是随着电脑技术的发展，普通人只要使用电脑技术就能绘制各种图形，她也就很难找到工作了。
The need for her products and services fell by the wayside, 她所提供的产品和服务，对消费者来说已经越来越没有吸引力了。



No one expected our top chef to leave. After all, the popularity of her dishes was the reason why we had decided to open another restaurant. Despite her departure, we're determined to go ahead with our plans. We aren't going to allow them to fall by the wayside.

这段话是说：没人料到我们的大厨会辞职。毕竟，我们决定开分店就是因为她的菜很受大家的欢迎。尽管她要离开，我们还是继续准备开分店。我们不会让我们的计划就这么付之东流。

这种态度很积极正面，肯定会帮助餐馆老板成功的。话说，我最近有个朋友失恋了，他的态度特别悲观，对所有事情都失去了兴趣。
As a result, his sales number are falling by the wayside. 他的销售业绩大副下降。

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fast and furious.

这个短语由两个简单的单词构成：fast快速的; furious愤怒的。连起来，
fast and furious，意思变成了“飞快地，很快完成”。

The demolition was fast and furious. It's as if the building just vanished overnight! 人间蒸发了。

例句-1：Ever since my son won the national math competition, requests have been coming in fast and furious.
Suddenly hundreds of kids and their parents want his advice, interviewers are begging for his story, and colleges across the country are offering him four-year scholarships.

这段话是说：自从我儿子赢了全国数学竞赛之后，对他的邀请就接踵而至。成百名孩子和他们的家长都希望向他取经，记者都想要采访他，而全国各地的大学也纷纷表示愿意为他提供大学四年的奖学金。

Once his name was announced on television, attention on him was fast and furious,
自从他的名字出现在电视上之后，对他的关注就扑面而来。



The residents in Alaska are used to bad weather in winter.
But they weren't prepared for all the snow they recently got.
That's because the storm moved in fast and furious.
Within a few short hours, towns became overwhelmed by mountains of snow.

这段话是说：冬天的严寒天气对阿拉斯加居民来说司空见惯，但他们还是没有为最近的大雪做好充足的准备，因为这次风暴来得又快又猛。短短几个小时内，很多城镇都完全被大雪所覆盖。

我听说，今年有些地方的积雪多达60英寸。还记得两年前，美国首都华盛顿也经历了同样的大雪，天气预报里说要下大雪后，
The sales at grocery stores were going fast and furious!
人们都去商店抢购商品，以储备好食物以应对大雪的到来。

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feast or famine。

Feast是盛宴的意思，而famine是饥荒，
feast or famine意思就是走极端，要么多得要命，要么少得可怜。

It's been either feast or famine。

例句-1：I love playing in a jazz band. But I can't rely on it for a full-time salary.
During the spring and summer, we get hired a lot to play at weddings, outdoor concerts and festivals.
Then, once the cooler temperatures set in, we don't get that many jobs at all. It's feast or famine.

这段话是说：我很爱在爵士乐队里演出。但是我不能靠这个来谋生。春夏两个季节，我们经常去各种婚礼，室外演唱会和节日场合演出。可是一旦天气开始变冷，我们的工作机会就没那么多了。忙的时候忙死，闲的时候闲死。

这也让我想起我的一个邻居。她是个画家，尽管大多数时候生活还行，可是有些时候手头也会觉得紧。

这是因为经济好的时候，人们有足够的钱来享受生活，也会更多地投资艺术品。可是每当经济不好的时候，人们可能什么都不会买。
For painters or musicians, it's either feast or famine， 对画家或音乐家来说，就是这么，活多的时候忙死，活少的时候闲死。


对于美国人来说，夏天有很多旅游胜地，其中一个是Cape Cod鳕鱼角。这是美国马塞诸塞州的一个半岛，由于气候凉爽宜人，人们喜欢在夏天去那里休闲度假。让我们来听听旅游记者是怎么介绍的:

Cape Cod is the eastern tip of Massachusetts. It's always been a popular destination for tourists in the summer who enjoy activities like going to the beach, fishing or whale watching.
For providers of goods and services there, business used to be rather feast or famine.
But people are now living in the area year-round. So business is much more constant.

这段话是说: 鳕鱼角位于马塞诸塞最东部。在夏天，这里是一个旅游胜地。人们喜欢去海滩，钓鱼或者出海看鲸鱼。对于在那里卖东西或是提供各种服务的人来说，过去生意不稳定，忙的时候特别忙，淡的时候特别淡。不过现在，很多人常年住在那里，所以生意也就比较平衡稳定了。

的确是这样。很多以季节为卖点的旅游胜地，旅游旺季生意就多，旅游淡季生意就少。
For a ski resort or a beach, business has always been feast or famine，
比如滑雪场或者海滩，生意就是时好时坏。
我觉得，这些地方应该开发其他服务项目，设法常年吸引顾客。