英语语法练习:美语常用固定用法（2）

 　　. to let off steam：to give vent¹ to one's anger

　　（发泄、出气，像放掉蒸汽以减少压力似的。这与"to fly off the

　　handle"意思相近，但比"to lose temper"委婉客气些 ）

　　What will you do if your wife lets off

　　steam?（假如你太太大发脾气的话，你该怎么办呢？)

　　(因为谈论的对象使对方的太太，所以语气要委婉客气些)。

　　但是谈到第三者，就可不必太委婉，可用 lose temper:

　　What will you do if one of your staff lose temper?

　　（如果你的同事冲你发脾气你该怎么办呢？）

　　Occasionally we should be given a chance to let off

　　steam.（我们应该不时的发泄一下情绪。）

　　8. to pay through the nose: to pay too much for something or excessively

　　expensive （花费太多，代价过高，与" to cost an arm and a leg" 意义相近）

　　Don't pay through the nose when you buy the furniture. (不要花太多的钱买家具。)

　　Some women paid through the noses for their jewelry².

　　(有些女人花大把的钱购买珠宝首饰。)

　　9. to take center stage：to be in the spotlight³

　　(引人注目的中心人物；以某人为公众瞩目的对象)

　　Mrs. Lin always takes center stage at a party. (林太太总能成为宴会上的焦点。)

　　President Bush takes center stage wherever he goes.

　　(布什总统不论走到哪里，都是公众瞩目的焦点。)

　　His constant taking center stage could deprive him of his privacy.

　　(他好出风头的毛病让他毫无隐私可言。)

　　10. to drag（one's）feet：to procrastinate⁴ or

　　postpone（慢慢的拖延，行动迟缓，拖拖拉拉）

　　It is not a good idea to drag your feet when the work needs to be done.

　　(拖延工作是不好的。)

　　No employers like for their employees to drag their feet on any project.

　　(工作拖拖拉拉的员工总是不受欢迎的。)

　　11. to paint（someone or oneself）into a corner：to trap oneself or someone; to

　　be in trouble（使自己或某人陷入困境, 应该注意的是即使主语是复数形式，corner

　　仍然用单数）

　　Don't try to paint yourself into a corner. (不要让自己身陷困境，无法脱身。)

　　After a heated debate with his boss, Mr. Chen has painted himself into a corner

　　(和老板激烈的争辩之后，陈先生处境十分不妙。)

1 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

2 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 procrastinate   

v.耽搁，拖延

参考例句：

• Most often we procrastinate when faced with something we do not want to do.面对不想做的事情，我们经常拖延。
• It's easy to procrastinate when the deadline seems infinitely far away.当最终期限总是遥遥无期时是很容易延期的。