a piece of cake
好簡單
A-ming: We had an English test this morning.
阿明：我們今天早上考了英語。
Mei-yu: Was it hard?
美玉：它難嗎？
A-ming: No, it was a piece of cake!
阿明：不，它好簡單喔！
better late than never
寧遲勿缺；亡羊補牢猶未晚矣！
A-ming: Oh, no! I forgot to turn in my paper on French history.
阿明：噢，糟了！我忘了把有關法國歷史的報告交出去。
Mei-yu: Turn it in today then. Better late than never.
美玉：今天交出去嘛。遲交總比不交好。
be broke
身無分文；破產了
Mei-yu: Do you want to go shopping tonight?
美玉：你今晚想去「血拼」(購物)嗎？
A-ming: I can’t! I’m broke.
阿明：我沒辦法去！我一點錢都沒有了。
be chicken
膽小的
A-ming: I really like that girl in my French class! I think she’s sweet and smart.
阿明：我真的喜歡我法文班上那個女孩！我覺得她又甜又聰明。
Mei-yu: You’ve been saying that for weeks. Don’t be chicken. Ask her out!
美玉：你已經這麼講了幾個禮拜了。不要這麼膽小。約她出去啊！
couch potato
成天躺著或坐在沙發上看電視的人
Mei-yu: You are such a couch potato on weekends!
美玉：你一到週末就整天躺著看電視！
A-ming: At least I’m only one on weekends!
阿明：起碼我只有周末才如此！
down the line
將來
Mei-yu: Do you know what you want to be?
美玉：你知道你要做哪一行業嗎？
A-ming: No idea! But I’m sure I’ll think of something somewhere down the line.
阿明：不知道！不過我肯定將來哪一天我就會知道了。
The early bird gets the worm
早起的鳥兒有虫吃；捷足先登
Mei-yu: You shouldn’t get up so late. "The early bird gets the worm,"
remember?
美玉：你不應這麼晚起床。「早起的鳥兒有虫吃」，記得嗎？
A-ming: Yeah, but the early worm gets eaten!
阿明：是喔，可是早起的虫兒被鳥吃啊！
easier said than done
說來容易做來難；談何容易
Mei-yu: You can get straight A’s. You just have to study harder!
美玉：你可以每科都拿A。你只要再用功點就行了！
A-ming: (Sigh) It’s easier said than done!
阿明：唉，談何容易啊！
eat one’s words
承認自己的話是錯了
Mei-yu: You told me yesterday it would rain for sure today. Look at the bright sun outside!
美玉：你昨天跟我說今天鐵定會下雨。看外邊的大太陽！
A-ming: Well, I guess I have to eat my words.
阿明：哦，我想我得承認自己說錯了。
Every cloud has a silver lining
每片烏雲都有銀色的襯裡；凡事總有光明的一面；不幸之中常帶有一線希望的曙光；塞翁失馬、焉知非福
A-ming: What am I going to do? My girlfriend has left me again!
阿明：我怎麼辦？我的女朋友又離開我了！
Mei-yu: Every cloud has a silver lining. Maybe you two are not meant to be together.
美玉：凡事總有好的一面。也許你們兩個本就不應該在一起。
forgive and forget
原諒與遺忘；不念舊惡
A-ming: I’m still mad at you for damaging my airplane model!
阿明：你把我的飛機模型弄壞，我還在生你的氣！
Mei-yu: But it was an accident and I already apologized! Can’t you forgive and
forget?
美玉：可是那是個意外而我也道過歉了！難道你不能原諒我、把這件事情忘記嗎？
get along
和睦相處
A-ming: I wish everybody could get along with everybody!
阿明：我真希望大家都能和睦相處！
Mei-yu: That would be great! Then we wouldn’t have any fights or wars.
美玉：那就太棒了！我們就不會有打鬥或戰爭了。
give someone a hand
幫助某人
A-ming: We’ve been here for three hours. Are you trying to buy the whole store?
阿明：我們已經在這裡三個鐘頭了。你是想把整個店都買下來嗎？
Mei-yu: Oh, quit complaining! Just give me a hand with these bags!
美玉：噢，少抱怨！你只要幫我提這些袋子就好！
hands down
輕而易舉地
Mei-yu: How did the basketball game with the other department go?
美玉：你們跟別系的籃球賽比的結果如何？
A-ming: Oh, we won the game hands down.
阿明：喔，我們輕輕鬆鬆就贏了。
keep an eye on
注意
Mei-yu: Can you keep an eye on my bags while I go to the restroom?
美玉：你能不能在我去洗手間時幫我看著購物袋子？
A-ming: Sure.
阿明：好啊。
kill time
消磨時間
Mei-yu: How do you kill time between classes?
美玉：你在兩堂課中間怎麼打發時間的？
A-ming: I usually go to the Student Center.
阿明：我通常會去學生中心。
lay off
解僱,尤指暫時性的
Mei-yu: Today my company announced that they’ll lay off some workers starting next week. But my boss said our group needn’t worry.
美玉：我公司今天宣佈下禮拜開始要解僱一些員工。不過我老闆説我們這組不用擔心。
A-ming: I’m so happy for you! But I’m sad for those workers who are being laid off.
阿明：我好為妳高興！可是我為那些要被解僱的員工難過。
make ends meet
收支相抵；量入為出
A-ming: Can I borrow some money?
阿明：借點錢給我好嗎？
Mei-yu: I just gave you some two days ago! You need to learn how to make ends meet.
美玉：我前兩天才給過你錢！你應該要學習如何量入為出。
out of the blue
出乎意料之外
A-ming: A-ton told me out of the blue today that he’s getting engaged. I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend!
阿明：阿堂今天突如其然地跟我說他要訂婚了。我甚至不知道他有個女朋友！
Mei-yu: Wow, what a surprise! Who is she?
美玉：哇塞，真是個意外！她是誰？
pull one’s leg
同某人開玩笑
A-ming: When A-ton told me yesterday that he was getting engaged, I thought he was pulling my leg.
阿明：昨天阿堂跟我說他要訂婚的時候，我還以為他在跟我開玩笑。
Mei-yu: Yeah. When you told me the news, I thought you were pulling my leg!
美玉：是啊。當你跟我講這個新聞的時候，我還以為是你在跟我開玩笑呢！
put yourself in someone’s shoes
將心比心；設身處地為別人著想
A-ming: I don’t think A-chung is very friendly. He hardly ever hangs out with us!
阿明：我不認為阿中很友善。他很少跟我們大家在一起！
Mei-yu: Hey, try to put yourself in his shoes! If you have to work after school, you won’t have time to hang out either.
美玉：嘿，試著設身處地為他著想！如果你在下課以後需要工作的話，你也不會有時間跟大家混。
rain cats and dogs
下傾盆大雨
Mei-yu: Are you going out? It’s raining cats and dogs.
美玉：你要出門嗎？在下傾盆大雨呢。
A-ming: Well, I have to go to the library to return some books.
阿明：嗯，我得去圖書館還些書。
read between the lines
言外之意
A-ming: If I read between the lines, I’d say A-ton is not too happy about his fiancée.
阿明： 如果我去領會言外之意的話，我會說阿堂對她未婚妻不是很滿意。
Mei-yu: Are you sure? Maybe you’re reading too much between the lines!
美玉：你確定嗎？也許你是領會過頭了！
ring a bell
記得；靈光一閃想起
A-ming: Do you know the girl named Hui-ching?
阿明：你知道惠青這個女孩嗎？
Mei-yu: The name rings a bell. What about her?
美玉：這個名字我聽過。她怎樣？
so far so good
到目前為止一切順利
Mei-yu: How are your final exams?
美玉：你的期末考如何？
A-ming: So far so good, but I have two more exams tomorrow. They’re the hard ones.
阿明：到目前為止還不錯，可是我明天還有兩門考試。它們才是難的。
take it easy
不要緊張；放輕鬆
A-ming: I’m so nervous about today’s two exams.
阿明：我對今天的兩門考試好緊張喔。
Mei-yu: Take it easy! I’m sure you’ll be okay.
美玉：放輕鬆！我肯定你會萬事OK。
till the cows come home
很久；沒完沒了地
A-ming: Do you think Hui-ching likes me?
阿明：你想惠青喜歡我嗎？
Mei-yu: You can think about it till the cows come home, or you can just ask her!
美玉：你可以沒完沒了地想這件事情，或者你可以去問她！
up in the air
尚未決定
Mei-yu: Have you decided what you’re going to do this summer?
美玉：你決定這個暑假要做什麼了嗎？
A-ming: No, everything is still up in the air.
阿明：沒有，我還沒做任何決定。
When it rains, it pours.
不雨則已，一雨傾盆；禍不單行
Mei-yu: I heard that A-ton had a car accident last week.
美玉：我聽說阿堂上禮拜出了個車禍。
A-ming: Yeah, when it rains, it pours. His fiancée left him too!
阿明：是啊，禍不單行。他的未婚妻也離開他了。
when pigs fly
決不可能
Mei-yu: Do you think A-ton’s fiancée will take him back?
美玉：你想阿堂的未婚妻會跟他和好嗎？
A-ming: She will when pigs fly! She swore she’d rather be a nun than be his wife!
阿明：不可能的！她發誓她寧可當尼姑也不會嫁給他！
around the corner
即將發生的
Mey-yu: Hello, do you know Mother’s Day is right around the corner?
美玉：哈囉，你知道母親節就快到了嗎？
A-ming: I know. It’s in two weeks, isn’t it?
阿明：我知道啊。兩個禮拜內就到了，不是嗎？
rack one’s brain
努力地想
Mei-yu: Have you thought of what to give Mom this year?
美玉：你有想過今年要送給媽媽什麼嗎？
A-ming: I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of something for her.
阿明：我一直在絞盡腦筋想要買什麼東西送她。
chip in
共同出錢
Mei-yu: How about both of us chip in on a nice present for Mom this time?
美玉：我們兩個這一次一起出錢合送媽媽一個好禮物如何？
A-ming: Sure. Let’s do it!
阿明：好啊。我們就這麼做吧！
hold the fort
代為照料
no problem
沒問題
Mei-yu: I am going shopping. You hold the fort, okay?
美玉：我要去採購了。你顧好家，可以嗎？
A-ming: No problem.
阿明：沒問題。
beyond one’s means
付不出
Mei-yu: Look what I got for Mom! Isn’t it pretty?
美玉：看我買給媽媽的東西！是不是很漂亮？
A-ming: Wow, it really is! But I have a feeling its price is beyond my means.
阿明：哇，真的很漂亮！但是我有個感覺它的價格是我負擔不起的。
Mei-yu: Give me 500 bucks and I’ll cover the rest.
美玉：給我500元，其他的我出。
go out of one’s way
特別繞道；努力去做一件事情
count on
依賴；指望
A-ming: Thanks! You always go out of your way to help me!
阿明：謝謝！妳總是特別地在幫我！
Mei-yu: Hey, you are my little brother so you can always count on me.
美玉：嘿，你是我的弟弟，所以你永遠可以依賴我。
A-ming: Even when you’re married?
阿明：即使當妳嫁人了？
by the way
順便提起；附帶地
break up
(婚姻或男女朋友)關係中止
Mei-yu: I don’t think I’ll ever get married! By the way, how’s it going between you and Hui-ching?
美玉：我不認為我會結婚！順便問一下，你和惠青之間還好嗎？
A-ming: We broke up. She’s dating Shi-wei now.
阿明：我們吹了。她現在在跟世偉約會。
when it comes right down to it
考慮一切之後
Mei-Yu: What? Didn’t she say Shi-wei was just her best male friend?
美玉：什麼？她不是說世偉只是她最好的男性朋友嗎？
A-ming: That’s what she kept telling me before. But when it comes right down to it, her best friend became her boyfriend.
阿明：她一直都是那麼跟我說的。但是考慮一切以後，她的最好朋友變成了她的男朋友。
break someone’s heart
惹人難過
what’s done is done
最終且過去了的
Mei-yu: Are you okay? It must have broken your heart.
美玉：你還好嗎？ 你的心一定是碎了。
A-ming: Well, what’s done is done. I wish them the best.
阿明：喔，事情已經過去了。我祝福他們。
at first
一開始
Mei-yu: I am glad you are so mature about the situation.
美玉：我很高興你對這種情形還蠻成熟的。
A-ming: Of course it hurt a lot at first. But, concentrating on my studies helps.
阿明：當然一開始的時候傷害很深。但是，專注在我的功課上有幫助。
just in case
以防萬一
Mei-yu: Just in case you want to talk about it, I am here.
美玉：如果你想談這件事情的話，我在這裡。
A-ming: Yeah, I know.
阿明：是的，我知道。
drive at
意指
Mei-yu: I think the reason a man and a woman are only best friends is that they can’t become a couple for some reason.
美玉：我想一個男人和一個女人為什麼只是最好的朋友，因為他們為了某種原因而無法成為一對夫妻。
A-ming: What are you driving at?
阿明：妳是什麼意思呢?
think over
深思；考慮
Mei-yu: They must like each other a lot to become best friends, right? Someone or something must have stopped them from being together.
美玉：他們一定是非常喜歡對方才會成為最好的朋友，對嗎？一定是有某人或某事阻止了他們在一起。
A-ming: HumHmm, I’ll have to think it over.
阿明：嗯，我得仔細想想。
onto something
發現一件實情
A-ming: You know what? I think you are onto something. You are so wise!
阿明：妳知道嗎？我覺得妳說的很有道理。妳真是聰明！
Mei-yu: I’m only older and more experienced.
美玉：我只是年紀大點、經驗多些而已。
take something with a grain of salt
帶著懷疑地聽
A-ming: I’ll never believe in “best male friend” again!
阿明：我永遠不會再相信什麼『最要好的男性朋友』了！
Mei-Yu: You just have to take it with a grain of salt.
美玉：你就只是要存疑罷了。
