英语学习：101个常用英语习语

Barking up the wrong tree (打错了算盘/一误再误)

• 例句：He's been looking for a job as a chef, but he's been barking up the wrong tree - he should try to look for a job as a waiter.
• 翻译：他一直在找厨师的工作，但他打错了算盘——他应该尝试找一个服务员的工作。

Out of sight, out of mind (眼不见，心不烦)

• 例句：I haven't heard from him in weeks. It's out of sight, out of mind for him.
• 翻译：我已经好几周没收到他的消息了。对他来说，真是眼不见心不烦。

Cut to the chase (坦白相告/直截了当)

• 例句：Let's cut to the chase - do you want to go on a date with me or not?
• 翻译：让我们直截了当——你愿意和我约会吗?

Hit the nail on the head (一语中的/如出一辙)

• 例句：You've hit the nail on the head - that's exactly what I wanted to say!
• 翻译：你真是一语中的——那正是我想说的!

Catch 22 (难以解决/入非非)

• 例句：My boss said I need experience to get the job, but I can't get the experience without the job - it's a catch 22.
• 翻译：我的老板说，我需要经验才能得到这份工作，但我没有工作就得不到经验——这真是一个无法解决的问题。

Close but no cigar (想得美/差一点就成功了)

• 例句：He almost answered all the questions correctly - close, but no cigar.
• 翻译：他几乎回答对了所有的问题——就差一点。

Piece of cake (小菜一碟/容易极了)

• 例句：Doing the puzzle was a piece of cake - it only took me a few minutes.
• 翻译：解这个谜题简直是小菜一碟——我只花了几分钟。

When it rains, it pours (一路顺风/运气全无)

• 例句：First my car broke down and then I got laid off - when it rains, it pours.
• 翻译：先是车坏了，然后我又被解雇了——真是祸不单行。

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth (惊喜不可言/不可思议)

• 例句：He offered to buy me lunch for free - I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• 翻译：他主动提出要请我吃午饭——我不应该对这突如其来的好事吹毛求疵。

Speak of the devil (说曹操曹操就到)

• 例句：I was just talking about you and then you showed up! Speak of the devil!
• 翻译：我正说着你，你就出现了!真是说曹操曹操就到!

Easy does it (慢慢来/不要急)

• 例句：When lifting the heavy box, he said, "Easy does it, or you'll hurt your back."
• 翻译：举起那个沉重的箱子时，他说：“慢慢来，不然你会伤到背。”

Face the music (面对现实/负责任)

• 例句：After missing the deadline, I knew I had to face the music and tell the boss.
• 翻译：错过了截止日期后，我知道我必须面对现实，告诉老板。

Break a leg (一触即发/好运来临)

• 例句：You have an important audition tomorrow, break a leg!
• 翻译：你明天有一个重要的试镜，祝你好运!

Kill two birds with one stone (一石二鸟/一举两得)

• 例句：By going to the gym during lunch, I can kill two birds with one stone by exercising and saving time.
• 翻译：通过在午餐时间去健身房，我可以一举两得，既锻炼了身体又节省了时间。

As easy as pie (非常容易/简单易做)

• 例句：Fixing that leaky faucet was as easy as pie once I got the right wrench.
• 翻译：找到合适的扳手后，修理漏水的水龙头就变得非常简单了。

Fish out of water (不适应/摸不着头脑)

• 例句：She felt like a fish out of water at the company's formal banquet.
• 翻译：在公司的正式宴会上，她感到格格不入。

Stick out like a sore thumb (非常明显/一目了然)

• 例句：Dressed in casual clothes, he stuck out like a sore thumb at the black-tie event.
• 翻译：穿着休闲服的他在那个需要穿晚礼服的活动中显得格外突兀。

The best of both worlds (最佳选择/既得利益)

• 例句：Living in the suburbs gives her the best of both worlds: the peace of the countryside and easy access to the city.
• 翻译：住在郊区让她两全其美：享受到了乡村的宁静，同时又轻松前往城市。

Play it by ear (即兴演出/随机应变)

• 例句：I don't have a plan for the meeting, I'll just play it by ear.
• 翻译：我对这次会议没有计划，只能随机应变了。

Back to square one (从头开始/重头再来)

• 例句：After the computer crash, we were back to square one with our project.
• 翻译：电脑崩溃后，我们的项目只能从头再来。

The last straw (最后一招/完全绝望)

• 例句：The traffic jam this morning was the last straw; I've decided to carpool to avoid this in the future.
• 翻译：今天早上的交通堵塞是最后一根稻草;我决定以后拼车以避免这种情况。

Turn a blind eye (熟视无睹/视而不见)

• 例句：He turned a blind eye to the problem, hoping it would go away.
• 翻译：他对这个问题视而不见，希望它能自行消失。

Turn the tables (180度大转弯/彻底改变)

• 例句：In the final minutes of the game, our team turned the tables and won.
• 翻译：在比赛的最后几分钟，我们的队伍彻底扭转了局势并赢得了胜利。

Up in arms (处于愤怒的地步/大发雷霆)

• 例句：The community was up in arms over the plans to build a new highway through the neighborhood.
• 翻译：社区对在邻里间建造新高速公路的计划感到愤怒。

Seeing is believing (百闻不如一见/眼见为实)

• 例句：She was skeptical about the new product, but after seeing it in action, she was convinced—seeing is believing.
• 翻译：她对这个新产品持怀疑态度，但在亲眼看到它的运作后，她信服了——眼见为实。

Make a mountain out of a molehill (小题大做/大惊小怪)

• 例句：You're making a mountain out of a molehill; it's just a small issue that can be easily resolved.
• 翻译：你在小题大做;这只是一个小问题，可以轻松解决。

Burn the midnight oil (开夜车/开夜车)

• 例句：I have to burn the midnight oil tonight to finish this report on time.
• 翻译：我今晚得开夜车来及时完成这份报告。

On the same page (心有灵犀)

• 例句：It's important that we are all on the same page before we start the project.
• 翻译：在我们开始项目之前，我们所有人都达成共识是很重要的。

Under the weather (身体不适/身不由己)

• 例句：I'm sorry I can't come to the party, I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.
• 翻译：很抱歉我不能来参加派对，我今天感觉有点不舒服。

Ride shotgun (副驾驶/作为副手)

• 例句：I'll ride shotgun on our road trip and help with navigation.
• 翻译：我将在我们的公路旅行中坐在副驾驶位置，并协助导航。

Jumping on the bandwagon (跟风/追捧)

• 例句：Many companies try to jump on the bandwagon and capitalize on the latest trend.
• 翻译：许多公司试图跟风，利用最新的趋势来获利。

Dead ringer (长得一模一样/如出一辙)

• 例句：When I first met her, I did a double-take because she was a dead ringer for my old classmate.
• 翻译：当我第一次见到她时，我愣了一下，因为她和我的老同学长得一模一样。

Prevention is better than cure (预防胜于治疗)

• 例句：The doctor emphasized the importance of a healthy diet, stating that prevention is better than cure.
• 翻译：医生强调了健康饮食的重要性，他说预防胜于治疗。

Blood is thicker than water (血浓于水)

• 例句：Despite their arguments, they knew that blood is thicker than water and would always support each other.
• 翻译：尽管他们有争论，但他们知道血浓于水，总是会互相支持。

See the glass half full (总是要乐观)

• 例句：Even in tough times, she tries to see the glass half full and stay positive.
• 翻译：即使在艰难时期，她也尝试保持乐观，看到事物积极的一面。

Beauty is only skin deep (美丽不及深情)

• 例句：He learned that beauty is only skin deep and what truly matters is a person's character.
• 翻译：他了解到，美丽不及深情，真正重要的是一个人的品质。

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (己所不欲勿施于人)

• 例句：Treat others with kindness, as you would like them to do unto you.
• 翻译：以善意对待他人，正如你希望他们对待你一样。

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst (做最坏的准备，也做最好的期望)

• 例句：We're hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst by having an emergency plan in place.
• 翻译：我们期待最好的结果，但也通过制定紧急计划来准备最坏的情况。

You can't have your cake and eat it too (不能两全其美)

• 例句：You can't have your cake and eat it too; you have to choose between the two options.
• 翻译：你不能两全其美;你必须在这两个选项中选择一个。

Look at the big picture (全局观)

• 例句：When making decisions, it's important to look at the big picture and not just focus on the details.
• 翻译：在做决策时，重要的是要看到全局，而不仅仅是关注细节。

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (预防胜于治疗)

• 例句：Regular maintenance of your car is an ounce of prevention that can save you from expensive repairs later.
• 翻译：对汽车进行定期维护是一种预防措施，可以为你节省以后的昂贵修理费用。

Easy does it (慢慢来/不要急)

• 例句：When lifting the heavy box, easy does it to avoid straining your back.
• 翻译：举起重箱子时，慢慢来以免拉伤背部。

Face the music (面对现实/负责任)

• 例句：After making a mistake at work, it's time to face the music and accept the consequences.
• 翻译：在工作中犯了错误后，是时候面对现实并接受后果了。

Touch and go (危险的/冒险的)

• 例句：The patient's condition was touch and go for a while, but he's now recovering well.
• 翻译：病人的状况一度十分危险，但他现在恢复得很好。

Keep your chin up (不要灰心/保持乐观)

• 例句：Despite the rejection, keep your chin up and try again.
• 翻译：尽管遭到了拒绝，但不要灰心，再试一次。

Let sleeping dogs lie (知难而退/不如安分知足)

• 例句：It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up that old argument.
• 翻译：最好不要挑起旧争端，让它过去吧。

Out of the frying pan and into the fire (一动不如一静/变着法子解决问题)

• 例句：By leaving his job without another one lined up, he went out of the frying pan and into the fire.
• 翻译：他没有找到下一份工作就辞去了当前的工作，真是跳入了另一个困境。

Put your money where your mouth is (言必行/说到做到)

• 例句：If you're so confident about your skills, put your money where your mouth is and prove it in the competition.
• 翻译：如果你对自己的技能这么有信心，那就在比赛中证明它，把钱押上去。

Take with a grain of salt (采取谨慎态度/慎重处理)

• 例句：Take the rumors with a grain of salt until we have official news.
• 翻译：在官方消息出来之前，我们对这些谣言要持保留态度。

Two's company, three's a crowd (人多不宜/三个臭皮匠)

• 例句：I'd love to join you two for dinner, but I don't want to be the third wheel—two's company, three's a crowd.
• 翻译：我很想和你们俩一起吃晚餐，但我不想当电灯泡——两个人正好，三个人就太多了。

Up in arms (激怒/愤慨)

• 例句：The proposal to build a new airport was met with many people up in arms about the potential environmental impact.
• 翻译：新建机场的提议遭到了许多人的强烈反对，他们担心可能对环境造成影响。

You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs (实现伟大目标需要付出代价)

• 例句：To achieve our goals, we have to make some tough decisions—you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.
• 翻译：为了实现我们的目标，我们必须做出一些艰难的决定——实现伟大目标需要付出代价。

All's fair in love and war (爱情与战争不择手段)

• 例句：In the competitive world of business, some people believe that all's fair in love and war.
• 翻译：在竞争激烈的商业世界中，有些人认为在爱情和战争中可以不择手段。

Bury the hatchet (和好/重新和睦相处)

• 例句：After years of rivalry, the two companies decided to bury the hatchet and collaborate on a new project.
• 翻译：经过多年的竞争，两家公司决定和解并合作一个新项目。

Caught between a rock and a hard place (进退两难)

• 例句：When her job requires her to choose between her career and family, she feels caught between a rock and a hard place.
• 翻译：当她的工作要求她在事业和家庭之间做出选择时，她感到进退两难。

Cut to the chase (讲到点子上/坦率)

• 例句：Can we cut to the chase? I have another meeting in 10 minutes.
• 翻译：我们可以直入正题吗?我10分钟后还有一个会议。

Put your foot down (坚决拒绝)

• 例句：When her son asked to stay out late again, she had to put her foot down and say no.
• 翻译：当她的儿子再次要求晚归时，她不得不坚决拒绝。

A stitch in time saves nine (及时行乐/约束解琐)

• 例句：It's better to fix that leak now rather than wait for it to get worse—a stitch in time saves nine.
• 翻译：最好现在就修好漏水的地方，而不是等到情况变得更糟——及时行乐。

Time is money (时间宝贵/信仰必须确定)

• 例句：To maximize profits, the company focused on efficiency, knowing that time is money.
• 翻译：为了最大化利润，公司专注于效率，知道时间就是金钱。

Strike while the iron is hot (趁热打铁/尽早投资)

• 例句：When the investors showed interest, the entrepreneur struck while the iron was hot and secured the funding.
• 翻译：当投资者表现出兴趣时，这位企业家趁热打铁，确保了资金。

Variety is the spice of life (改变会有奇迹/改变分辩明)

• 例句：She loves to travel and try new foods, believing that variety is the spice of life.
• 翻译：她喜欢旅行和尝试新食物，相信改变是生活的调味品。

Actions speak louder than words (行动更重于文字/行动提拔说话)

• 例句：He promised to help the community, and his actions speak louder than words as he volunteers every weekend.
• 翻译：他承诺要帮助社区，他的行动比言语更响亮，因为他每周末都来做志愿者。

Jump on the bandwagon (跟随流行/合作有礼)

• 例句：Many politicians jump on the bandwagon and support popular causes to gain public support.
• 翻译：许多政治家为了获得公众支持而跟风，支持受欢迎的事业。

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (草地总是美丽让人憧憬)

• 例句：He thought that working for a different company would be better, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
• 翻译：他认为在另一家公司工作会更好，但总是觉得另一边的草更绿。

Every cloud has a silver lining (失望中也有希望/末了的解决)

• 例句：Although she didn't get the job, she remained optimistic, believing every cloud has a silver lining.
• 翻译：尽管她没有得到那份工作，但她保持乐观，相信黑暗中总有一线光明。

You can't judge a book by its cover (不能以貌取人)

• 例句：You can't judge a book by its cover; his quiet demeanor hides a brilliant mind.
• 翻译：你不能以貌取人;他安静的举止下隐藏着一个卓越的头脑。

Don't bite off more than you can chew (不要做超过你能力的事)

• 例句：I wanted to take on too many projects at once, but my mentor advised me not to bite off more than I could chew.
• 翻译：我想一次承担太多项目，但我的导师建议我不要承担超出自己能力范围的事情。

Prevention is better than cure (预防勝于治疗/全备之道)

• 例句：The company invested in safety equipment to prevent accidents, understanding that prevention is better than cure.
• 翻译：公司投资于安全设备以预防事故，明白预防胜于治疗。

Necessity is the mother of invention (必要性是发明的母亲)

• 例句：Unable to find a suitable tool for the job, he invented a new one, proving necessity is the mother of invention.
• 翻译：找不到合适的工具来完成这项工作，他发明了一个新的，证明了“必要性是发明的母亲”。

No pain, no gain (不劳无获)

• 例句：She trained hard every day, knowing that no pain, no gain when it comes to achieving her fitness goals.
• 翻译：她每天都努力训练，知道要实现她的健身目标，就必须付出努力。

Practice makes perfect (熟能生巧)

• 例句：He practiced the piano every day, believing that practice makes perfect.
• 翻译：他每天练习钢琴，相信熟能生巧。

A penny saved is a penny earned (省则得)

• 例句：By saving a little each week, she discovered that a penny saved is a penny earned.
• 翻译：通过每周节省一点，她发现省则得。

The early bird catches the worm (捷足先登)

• 例句：I always arrive at work early, because the early bird catches the worm.
• 翻译：我总是早早到达工作地点，因为捷足先登。

Look before you leap (三思而后行)

• 例句：Before making any large financial decisions, it's important to look before you leap.
• 翻译：在做出任何大的财务决策之前，重要的是要三思而后行。

Haste makes waste (欲速则不达)

• 例句：We need to work efficiently, but we also need to remember that haste makes waste.
• 翻译：我们需要高效工作，但我们也必须记住欲速则不达。

Don't put all your eggs in one basket (切勿孤注一掷)

• 例句：Investing all your money in one stock is risky; don't put all your eggs in one basket.
• 翻译：把所有的钱都投资在一只股票上是有风险的;切勿孤注一掷。

Two heads are better than one (三个臭皮匠赛过诸葛亮)

• 例句：When solving complex problems, two heads are better than one, so let's work together.
• 翻译：在解决复杂问题时，三个臭皮匠赛过诸葛亮，所以我们要一起工作。

Variety is the spice of life (变化是生活的调料)

• 例句：He enjoys trying new activities because variety is the spice of life.
• 翻译：他喜欢尝试新的活动，因为变化是生活的调料。

Don't count your chickens before they hatch (切勿过早乐观)

• 例句：We have a plan, but let's not count our chickens before they hatch.
• 翻译：我们有一个计划，但让我们不要过于乐观。

A picture is worth a thousand words (画面胜于文字)

• 例句：Instead of trying to explain the process, he showed them a diagram, knowing a picture is worth a thousand words.
• 翻译：他没有试图解释这个过程，而是给他们看了一张图表，知道画面胜于文字。

Actions speak louder than words (行胜于言)

• 例句：He said he would support the cause, but his actions speak louder than words, and he hasn't donated yet.
• 翻译：他说他会支持这个事业，但他的行动比言语更响亮，他还没有捐款。

Actions speak louder than words (行胜于言)

• 例句：He wanted her to understand how much he cared about her, so he showed her what he could do - actions speak louder than words.
• 翻译：他想让她知道他有多在乎她，所以他向她展示了他能做什么——行动胜于言辞。

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (情人眼里出西施)

• 例句：She was admiring a painting and knew that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - everyone had their own opinion about what was beautiful.
• 翻译：她在欣赏一幅画，知道美在于观者的眼中——每个人对于美都有自己的见解。

Don't judge a book by its cover (不可以外表论断)

• 例句：He's quiet and unassuming, but don't judge a book by its cover; he's actually a very successful entrepreneur.
• 翻译：他很安静，不张扬，但不要以貌取人;实际上他是一个非常成功的企业家。

Still waters run deep (深水静流)

• 例句：She may seem calm and collected on the surface, but still waters run deep, and she's actually very knowledgeable.
• 翻译：表面上她可能看起来平静而有自制力，但深水静流，她实际上非常博学。

The grass is always greener on the other side (隔岸风景好)

• 例句：He always thought that working for a startup would be more exciting, but the grass is always greener on the other side.
• 翻译：他一直认为在初创公司工作会更令人兴奋，但隔岸风景好，事实并非如此。

Quality over quantity (质优于量)

• 例句：When buying a new computer, I believe in quality over quantity; it's better to have a system that lasts.
• 翻译：购买新电脑时，我相信质优于量;拥有一个耐用的系统更好。

Practice what you preach (言行一致)

• 例句：As a fitness instructor, he always practices what he preaches, maintaining a healthy lifestyle himself.
• 翻译：作为一名健身教练，他总是言行一致，自己保持着健康的生活方式。

Birds of a feather flock together (物以类聚)

• 例句：The group of artists often spent time together, proving that birds of a feather flock together.
• 翻译：这群艺术家经常一起度过时光，证明了物以类聚。

Rome wasn't built in a day (冰冻三尺非一日之寒)

• 例句：She's learning to play the guitar, but she knows that Rome wasn't built in a day and it takes time to get good.
• 翻译：她正在学习弹吉他，但她知道冰冻三尺非一日之寒，做好一件事需要时间。

Life is a rollercoaster (生活就是过山车)

• 例句：He's been through a lot lately, but he says life is a rollercoaster and you have to enjoy the ride.
• 翻译：她最近经历了很多，但她说生活就是过山车，你必须享受这个过程。

Keep your eyes on the prize (眼睛要朝前方)

• 例句：Despite the challenges, she kept her eyes on the prize and continued to work hard towards her goal.
• 翻译：尽管面临挑战，她仍然眼睛要朝前方，继续努力实现自己的目标。

Fortune favors the bold (大胆者得大奖)

• 例句：He decided to invest in a new business venture, believing that fortune favors the bold.
• 翻译：他决定投资一个新的商业项目，相信大胆者得大奖。

Give credit where credit is due (顾全大局)

• 例句：The team won the game, but it was her strategy that led them to victory, so credit where credit is due.
• 翻译：团队赢得了比赛，但这归功于她的策略，所以顾全大局，应该给予她认可。

Count your blessings (心存感恩)

• 例句：Even though she was facing difficulties, she made a point to count her blessings each day.
• 翻译：尽管她面临困难，但她每天都会数算自己的幸福。

Look both ways before crossing the street (过马路要双面看)

• 例句：When crossing the busy intersection, it's important to look both ways before crossing the street.
• 翻译：在穿过繁忙的十字路口时，过马路要双面看是很重要的。

Take one step at a time (一步一个脚印)

• 例句：Learning a new language can be overwhelming, but taking one step at a time makes it more manageable.
• 翻译：学习一门新语言可能会令人不知所措，但一步一个脚印地学习会让它更容易管理。

Life is what you make it (生活由自己定义)

• 例句：He believes that life is what you make it, so he's always looking for ways to improve his circumstances.
• 翻译：他相信生活由自己定义，所以他总是在寻找改善自己境遇的方法。

Every day is a new beginning (每一天都是新的开始)

• 例句：No matter how bad yesterday was, every day is a new beginning and a chance to start fresh.
• 翻译：不管昨天有多糟糕，每一天都是新的开始，有机会重新开始。

Good things come to those who wait (好事只需细品)

• 例句：She was patient in her career, knowing that good things come to those who wait.
• 翻译：她在职业生涯中很有耐心，知道好事只需细品。

There's no time like the present (现在才是要行动的时候)

• 例句：He decided that there's no time like the present to start his own business.
• 翻译：他决定现在才是要行动的时候来开始自己的事业。

Every little bit counts (每一份细微之力都有价值)

• 例句：Even though the donation was small, they knew every little bit counts towards helping the community.
• 翻译：尽管捐款不多，他们知道每一份细微之力都有助于帮助社区。