to stand on one's own two feet

一个人如果能站稳脚跟的话，他就一定能独立自主，靠自己的力量来办事。我们下面要举的一个例子是一位父亲担心他的儿子吸毒或酗酒，所以在劝告他的儿子：

例句-1: Son, somebody may try to get you to smoke marijuana or drink, just to fit in with the crowd. But I hope you can stand on your own two feet and say no.

这位父亲说："儿子呀，有的人为了要你合群也许会劝你喝酒或吸毒。但是我希望你能够独立自主，拒绝他们的引诱。"

那些能够独立自主的人的确很令人钦佩。下面就是一个例子：

例句-2: Bill Brown has managed to stay in Congress now for twenty years. The voters don't always agree with him but they really like the way he stands on his own feet and makes his own decisions on which way to vote, regardless of pressures from all the lobbyists.

这个人说："比尔·布朗在国会当议员已经二十年了。选民们不一定都同意他的观点，但是他们倒很欣赏他在对各种提案投票时的那种独立自主精神。不管那些游说者给他施加多大压力，他都按自己的决定投票。"


to throw oneself at someone's feet

To throw oneself at someone's feet 这个俗语可以解释为：公开对某人表示爱慕。比如说，一个男子在幻想自己未来的婚事，他对他的朋友说：

例句-3: I'm still looking for the right girl to marry. And when I find her, I'll throw myself at her feet and ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.

他说："我现在还在物色一个我认为合适的女孩作为我的妻子。一旦我找到了，我就要拜倒在她的石榴裙下，恳求她作为我的终身伴侣。"

To throw oneself at someone's feet 还可以解释为：为了得到一些好处而溜须拍马，或拜倒在某人脚下。下面的例子是说一个被判了罪的犯人：

例句-4: The prisoner who has been convicted as a traitor threw himself at the feet of the judge and begged for mercy.

这句话的意思是："那个被定罪为叛徒的犯人拜倒在法官的面前，求他发发慈悲。"


to get a foot in the door

To get a foot in the door的意思就是：为了达到一个目的迈出了第一步，尽管你可能离达到目的的距离还很远。下面这个例子是一个学生说的话：

例句-5: You know that beautiful girl who sits ahead of me in English class? She keeps turning me down for dates, but I finally got a foot in the door today: she met me for coffee after class.

这个学生说："你知道英语课坐在我前面那个很漂亮的女孩子吗？我请她出去玩，她老是拒绝我。可是，今天我算是迈出了第一步。她答应下了课和我一起去喝咖啡。"

下面我们要举的例子是两个人在谈论一个很有政治野心的朋友。其中一个人说：

例句-6: Getting into politics is tough. But Martin got his foot in the door when he volunteered to go around town putting up posters for the Republican candidate for Congress.

他说："要进入政界是很难的。可是，马丁曾经在当地义务地帮助那些共和党竞选国会议员的候选人张贴标语，这样他为能够进入政界迈出了第一步。"


to be dead on one's feet

美国虽然是最先进的国家之一，但仍然有好多职业需要工作人员站着做的。售货员就是其中之一。站了一天，到了下班的时候，他们必然会感到两只脚很累。下面就是一个售货员在对他的太太讲话：

例句-7: Honey, I've got to sit down and rest before I take you out to dinner. I'm really dead on my feet tonight: we had the big year-end sale on and I was so busy I didn't even have time for lunch.

他说："亲爱的，我得坐下歇一会儿再和你一起出去吃晚饭。我今天晚上两只脚实在累死了。我们正在举行年底大减价，我忙的连午饭都没有时间吃。"

下面的例子是一个孩子在跟他的同学说他们全家去看庆祝海湾战争游行的情况：

例句-8: My parents took me to Constitution Avenue to see the parade. After standing there for a whole day, my mom was so dead on her feet that she could not even cook dinner for us by the time we got home.

这个孩子说："我爸爸妈妈带我到宪法大街去看游行。我们在那儿站了一天，回到家的时候，我妈妈的脚累得要死，连做晚饭也做不动了。"


cold feet

cold feet并不是在雪地里走而使你的脚很冷。Cold feet是指临时上场感到胆怯。例如：

例句-9: Peter told his wife that this time he was really going to walk in and demand a pay raise from the boss. But when he arrived at the office, he got cold feet.

这句话翻成中文的意思是："这个名字叫皮特的丈夫对自己的妻子说，这次他可一定要到他老板的办公室去要求增加工资了。可是，他一到了办公室就感到胆怯，不敢去见他的老板。"

这种临阵脱逃的现象是很经常的。下面我们要举的例子恐怕会引起许多听众的共鸣：

例句-10: I really need to get my teeth fixed, but every time I start to phone the dentist, I think about the sound of that drill and right away I get cold feet.

这个人说："我实在应该去牙大夫那儿看牙了。但是，每当我拿起电话想和大夫预约的时候，我就好像听到那钻牙的声音，一下子，我就害怕起来了。"


Jump in and get your feet wet

" Jump in and get your feet wet"这个俗语的意思是：到实践中去学，也可以说是跳到游泳池里学游泳。我们来举一个老师对学生说的话：

例句-11: I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English after these first few lessons. But that's the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words -- jump in and get your feet wet.

这位老师说："我知道你们大多数人感到，刚上了几课英语，就用英语来说话很不好意思。不过，当你见到美国人时，你不妨试着说一点。到实践中去学是最好的办法。"

到实践中去学对于任何事来说都是很重要的。下面说话的人就认识到例句 jump in and get your feet wet 的重要性：

例句-12:I want to get into politics so I'm volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don't get paid for it but it's a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.

这个人说："我希望将来能够到政界去工作，所以我现在在帮一个竞选市长的候选人张贴宣传标语。我帮他做这些事是完全义务的，是没有工资的。但是，这是到实践中去得到一些经验的好机会。"


to get off on the wrong foot

To get off on the wrong foot，这是指某人一开始就没给人一个好印象，或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了。下面这句话里说的这个人就是一个例子：

例句-13: When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot. On the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he's out looking for a job again.

这个人说："乔找到了一份新的工作,可是他刚开始到那家店里去上班时就给人一个坏印象。第一天上班他就晚到两个小时，让他的老板好不高兴。现在他又在找工作了。"

To get off on the wrong foot这个俗语实际上可以适用于任何情况。下面一个例子是一个男学生在说他交女朋友的情况：

例句-14: I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.

他说："那天我终于和班上新来的那个女同学约好了出去玩。可是，当天我的车出了问题，晚了两个小时才去接她，所以我一开头就把事弄糟了。"


to put your foot in your mouth

to put your foot in your mouth就是指无意中说错了话而伤害了别人，或者叫自己很不好意思。

我们来举个例子看看什么样的情况才 to put your foot in your mouth：

例句-15: When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn't know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.

这句话翻成中文就是："沙莉吃晚饭时说了一个笑话，拿一个只有一条腿的水手开玩笑。她可不知道坐在饭桌对面那个人的哥哥就是个残废，行动都得靠轮椅。"

Sally如果事后了解情况的话,她肯定会说: "Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth."

下面我们再来举一个例子:

例句-16: I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I'd forgotten that his wife died six months ago.

这人说："我昨晚在那个聚会上无意中说错了话。我让布朗先生替我向他的太太问好。不知怎么回事，我忘了他太太已经在半年前去世了。"


to put your best foot forward

为了给人造成一个好印象，也就是说 to put your best foot forward，你在去面谈前肯定会尽量把衣服穿得体面一些，在和人面谈的过程中脸上还老是笑容可掬。下面这个例子就是某人在给别人出主意，如何设法给招工的单位一个好印象：

例句-17:"Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job."

这个人在劝他的朋友。他说："你明天去那个公司面谈前最好去理一下发。你得给他们一个好印象才行，因为有二十多个人都在争夺这个工作。"

我们再来举一个例子说明怎么样用 how to put your best foot forward：

例句-18:"I finally got a date with that girl I've been trying to go out with so long. So I'm putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow."

这个人说："我总算和那个女孩约好了明天一起出去玩，这是我长久以来所梦寐以求的。所以，我在明天去接她前先送她一打玫瑰花和一盒巧克力，这样好给她一个好印象。"


to land on your feet

To land on your feet 的字面意思是：你的脚站在地上。可是它的确切含义是：你在经历了一些困难后最后又回到一个稳定的状态，也可以说是逢凶化吉了。那么，这个俗语的出处是什么呢？有的语言专家认为，这个俗语可能来自对猫的观察。你也许注意到，当一只猫从树上掉下来的时候，它表现出一种特殊的技能：它能在空中还没有落地之前调整自己身体的姿势，从而使自己平安地落地。我们来举一个例子吧：

例句-19:"My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money."

这个人说："我的弟弟因老是不准时上班而被公司解雇了。可是，他倒是逢凶化吉又找到了一份工作，而且工资还加了一倍。"

经济问题在美国是经常发生的。下面又是一个例子：

例句-20: "Mr. Green is one of these people who's not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he'll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit."

这个人说："格林先生就是那种不怕冒很大危险去投资的人。有时，他也确实会亏本，但是他总是会逢凶化吉，找到钱去投资生财的。"