1. He is a man of family.
他是一个世家子弟。
2. They robbed his safe.
他们洗劫了他的保险柜。
3. We cannot exaggerate its importance.
它的重要性再怎么强调也不为过。
4. He stopped to think over his way of life.
他停下来思考他的人生道路。
5. We found some fine needles in the cave.
我们在洞穴里找到了一些很细的骨针。
6. I am no wiser than before.
我和以前一样笨(言下之意:我还是不懂)。
7. There is nothing jogging as means of exercise.
慢跑是运动的最好方式。
8. The worth of a thing is best known by the want of it.
缺乏的时候才知道它的宝贵(转译为物以稀为贵)。
9. My uncle remembered me on my birthday.
我的舅舅送了我生日礼物(等于give me a birthday gift)。
10.His success is out of the question.
他的成功是不可能(out of question才译为毫无疑问的)。
11.Three weeks ago, no one in this world was happier than I.
三个星期之前,我是世界上最幸福的人。
12.This is a mere apology for soup.
这是一个不可称其为汤的汤(深层意思:这个勉强可以称作汤)。
13.Catch me doing it!
我决不会做这种事情/我才不会做这种事情(有不懈一顾的意思)。
14.We are here today and gone tomorrow.
我们今天还在,明天就死去(深层意思:人生之短暂,人生如朝露)。
15.He was a soldier of fortune.
他是一个为了钱而去打仗的士兵(他是一个雇佣兵,又称:mercenary)。
16.Living, as he does, in the country, he does not know the bustle of city life.
在乡村生活的他不知道城市生活的喧闹。
17.She is a homely woman.
她是一个朴素的女人(homely meal:家常便饭;family man顾家的男人)。
18.It is a long lane that has no turning.
人生的道路都是曲折的(类似的句子还有:It’s an ill bird that fouls its own nest.)。
19.I am quite at fault.
我感到迷惑不解(而I am quite in fault.为我错了之意,一个介词可以使句子意思大相径庭)。
20.We could not have solved so many complicated problems but that electronic computers had not been invented.
要不是发明了电脑,我们是不可能解决这么复杂的问题。