tap into=get inside and uncover sth. or get sth. better 深入了解,进一步了解

I'd really like to tap into the overseas market.I think there's a lot of business opportunities there. 我很想探寻海外市场.我觉得那有很多商业机会.

To understand the American slang you really have to tap into the whole culture. 想学习美国俚语的话,你真的需要进一步了解它的整体文化.

See the light=learn and accept the full truth and the situation 明白真相

Hopefully one day she'll see the light and realize that he's all wrong for her. 希望有一天她会看清事实,明白他并不适合她.

Before I got into the accident,I never wore a seat belt.Now that I've seen the light,I wear one all the time. 在出事故之前,我从不系安全带.可既然我已经知道了它的重要性,我就总是戴着它.




Crawl your way out of one hole 摆脱困境

What?Your girlfriend found out you lied to her.I'd like to see you crawl your way out of the hole. 什么?你的女朋友发现你骗了她.好吧,我倒要看看你怎么解决.

Bad luck today.First I sprained my ankle,now I break my leg.Talk about finally crawling your way out of one hole,just to find yourself in another. 今天太背了!我先是把脚踝扭伤,现在腿又骨折了.正所谓祸不单行啊.

Dig up the past=bring back attention to old issues or just bad memories. 旧事重提

Every time I see Lily,I get very upset.She's always trying to dig up the past. 我每次见到Lily都会弄得很不愉快.她总想旧事重提.

Let's not dig up the past.I'm sick to fighting about things that happened 10 years ago. 我们别再翻旧账了好么.都过去十年了,现在提起还有什么意思啊.




See to it=take care of successfully 关照,负责

You'd better see to it that the report gets done on time. Otherwise , the boss is gonna be angry. 你最好确保让报告按时完成,不然老板要发火的.

Don't worry about Grandma.I'll see to it that she takes her medicine eveyday. 别担心奶奶的事.我会关照好她每天按时服药.

Go up against sth./sb.=meet in a battle or competition,especially your competitor is much more powerful than you. 遭遇

I can't believe I have to go up against Agassi.He's won the tournament 3 years in a row. 真不敢相信我怎么会遭遇到阿加西.他在这个赛事中一连3年都是冠军.

It's very hard to make it as a pop star.You have to go up against a lot of competition. 作流行明星不容易,你要遭遇很多很多的竞争.




Get out of the mess 理清头绪 Get into the mess 陷入困境

I don't know how to get out of this mess.It seems that my only options will get me into more trouble. 我真不知道怎么把头绪理清,好像我干什么都会越来越不顺.

How did I get myself into the mess.One minute I'm happy from playing cards,and next I owe 500. 我是怎么陷入这场困境的呢?一开始我还玩得不错,转眼间就亏了500块.

Take one's chance=make a risky decision 碰运气,赌一把

The store closes in half an hour.Let's take our chances and see if we can make it in time. 商店半小时之后就关门了.我们碰碰运气,看能不能及时赶到.

I don't know if we are allowed to ride skateboard here.But let's take our chances and see if we get caught. 我不知道这个地方是否允许玩滑板.不过我们试试看,看能不能被逮到.




Lay sth. on the line=want to sacrifice it in order to accomplish your goal 拿...做赌注,拿...开玩笑,冒险

I was really laying it on the line when I told my coach I couldn't go to the game,because he would kicked me off the team. 跟教练说我不去参加比赛真的是在冒险,因为教练很有可能把我踢出球队.

She was laying it on the line when she bet 5000 on the boxing match. 她用5000块钱去赌拳击,真的是在开玩笑.

Have a word with sb.=want to talk with sb. in private 找某人谈谈

There was a really cute guy at the meeting.I asked to have a word with him so I can get his phone number. 会上有个不错的小伙子.我想给他聊几句,再问问他电话.

I knew I was in big trouble when the teacher asked to have a word with me after class. 老师说下课之后要找我谈话,我知道我要倒霉了.




With all due respect 恕我直言,我冒昧地说一句

I understand what you're saying,but with all due respect I've been studying this topic for a lot longer than you have. 我明白你说的.可是恕我直言,我学这个比你时间长多了.

With all due respect,you're just not ready to take responsibility for the entire project. 我冒昧地说一句,你现在还没这个能力去为整个节目组负责.

Work one's tail off =work very very hard 努力工作

I've worked my tail off for this company.You can't fire me now. 我为公司拼命的干活,你不能现在把我炒了.

Mom,I think I deserve a night out.I've worked my tail off to get into Beijing University. 妈妈,我想我今晚可以出去玩的.为了上北大,我已经在很努力的学了.




Get in the middle of sth 插手......卷入......

It has nothing to do with you.Why are you getting in the middle of their arguments? 这事跟你一点关系都没有.你干吗搅合到他们的争论中呢?

I started working in a part time for a consulting firm.Now I'm right getting in the middle of this huge deal.I don't understand how my job became so important. 我在一家咨询公司做兼职.现在我正接手一桩大买卖.我不知道我的工作怎么变得这么重要了.

Get lost in 在......迷失自己,陷入......

There's so much have to read.I feel like I'm gonna get lost in the stuff that's not important. 要读的东西太多了.我觉得我要被那些不怎么重要的资料绊住进度了.

It's so bad he got lost in all the excitement.If he had just stayed focused he could've been a great leader. 很遗憾他在荣誉和成绩面前迷失了自己.如果他能保持清醒的话,你会是个伟大的领袖人物.




Cut to the chase 说话直截了当

Look, we can go round and round all the afternoon, but we have to make a decision on the investment today.这样,我们可以整个下午都一直兜圈子,可关于投资问题,我们今天必须做出决定.

You keep going round and round on the subject. Do you want to join the team our not? 你总是在兜圈子.你到底想不想参加进来?

Here's the deal 你看这样行不行

Here's the deal:I'll give you half the money now and half the money when the DVDs are safely delivered. 老板你看这样行不行啊:我先付你一半钱,等DVD机完好无损的送到我那里,我再付给你另一半.

Look.These T-shirts are in bad condition.Here's the deal:I'll buy all of them for 30% off,okay? 你瞧这些衬衫都有点毛病.你看这样行不行,我全包了,你给我打七折,怎么样?




Make sth. harder than it has to be=make something easy into something difficult 把......弄得很复杂,多此一举

Dave is making it harder than it has to be by insisting we wait for the red light before we cross the street. Dave坚持说要等红灯变绿灯我们才能过马路.他真是多此一举.

Don't make it harder than it has to be.Just do what boss says so we can all get out here early. 你就别添乱了,只要按老板说的去做,我们都能早早收工.

Pep talk 鼓励人的演说,说辞

My boss gave me a great pep talk before the big meeting.I think it really helped me to close the deal. 在会议之前,老板给我很多鼓励,这使我能够把单子签下来.

Angela needed a good pep talk after she didn't get asked to the prom. 没有人请Angela跳舞,我们该给她一点鼓励.




Snap out of it. 振作起来,作回自己

Hey I know you broke up with your girlfriend and you are depressed.But snap out of it.It's not the end of the world. 我知道你和女友分手了,而且你很难过.可你要振作起来,这没什么了不起的.

Hey I don't know what you are thinking about.But snap out of it.You still have a lot of work to do. 我不管你在想什么,但是你得赶快找回自己,还有很多活等着你去干呢.

lose one's marbles=go crazy=lose one's mind 疯了(做了一些很蠢的事情)

Hey have you lost your marbles?Don't tell your girlfriend she's ugly. 你疯了么?别告诉你的女朋友她唱得不好看.

Are you losing your marbles?Are you really got married that guy? 你一定是昏了头吧?你想嫁给那个家伙?