我们汉语中有很多成语和俗语，英语中也是一样的。不同语言中的俗语代表着不同国家的文化，我们在理解这些俗语的时候可不能只看字面意思哦。
1. lame duck:不中用的人
A lame duck manager cannot bring his business back on to the normal track.
一个无能的经理无法把他的企业重新拉回正常经营轨道上去。
2. double whammy:双重灾难，祸不单行
Yestersay I had a real whammy. My boss fired me, and my wife asked for a divorce.
我昨天真是祸不单行。老板把我炒鱿鱼，我太太又要求离婚。
3. fool's paradise: 黄粱美梦
A: Does the chairman realize that our company's business is going downhill?
董事长知道我们公司的业务在走下坡吗?
B:I don't think so. I'm afraid he is still living in a fool's paradise.
我想他不知道。他恐怕还在做他的黄粱美梦呢。
4. all washed up 彻底完蛋
Did you hear that Gloria's marriage is all washed up? She found her husband was seeing another woman, so she packed up, took the kids and moved out. Now she's suing for divorce.
你听说了没有,，格洛里亚的婚姻是彻底完蛋了。她发现她的丈夫有外遇，因此她收拾起自己的东西，带着孩子搬出去了。现在，她向法院申请离婚。
5.out of thin air: 凭空，无中生有地
Unfortunately, I can't just conjure up the money out of thin air!
遗憾的是，我可不能用戏法凭空变出钱来。
6.Get a foot in the door 迈出了第一步
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.
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，她下课后和我一起喝咖啡了。
7. basket case 毫无能力和希望的情景
I'm really worried--our company is losing so much money these days that if things don't get better in the next two months we'll be a basket case and have to go out of business.
我真是非常担心，我们公司这些日子亏损了那么多钱，要是在今后两个月里情况没有好转的话，我们就彻底没有希望，只好倒闭了。
8. been around the clock 精通，有经验，是个老手
Let' s ask Justin how to deal with this situation. He' s been around the clock a few times.
去问问贾斯丁怎么处理这种事，他非常有经验。
9.give /pay lip service to 只是说说而已，不采取实际行动
Politicians often pay lip service to many important issues during an election but they don' t fulfill their promises once they are elected.
政客们在大选中对很多大事都只是嘴上工夫而已，一旦当选就没人会履行诺言。
10. down and out 穷困潦倒
John is a big spender and never thinks of saving a penny. So since he lost his job last month, he has been completely down and out.
约翰花钱大手大脚从来不知道存钱。所以，上个月丢了工作以后就完全落魄了。
来源：原版英语 日期：2010年5月14日
