Be the change you want to see in

整理来自公众号'独霸上海的妖怪'

• do/work wonders for sb / sth 表示”为...创造奇迹，取得惊人的成效“( to be very effective in solving a problem)，可以替换我们熟悉的have a good effect on sb/sth。我们来简单造几个句子：

  • 这双鞋显得你腿超瘦：These shoes do wonders for your legs.
  • 这本书会对你的事业有很大帮助：This book will do wonders for your career.
  • 这种学英语的方法对我们产生惊人的效果：This way of learning English has worked wonders for us.

• talk turky 表示”认真地谈论”，相当于talk sth seriously，一般用于谈生意的时候。

• pluck up the courage to do sth，表示“鼓起勇气做某事”(to make yourself do sth even though you are afraid to do it)。

  • 比如我喜欢上了一个男孩，犹豫了很久，“我终于鼓起勇气约他出来”，这时便可以说：
    I finally plucked up the courage to ask him out.
  • syn. get up the nerve to do sth

• pluck本身也可以作名词，指“胆识，意志，胆识”(courage and determination)，比如◇It takes a lot of pluck to do what she did. 她这么做需要很大的胆量。近义词还有courage, bravery, mettle, valour。

  • pluck作动词本义是“拔，拉，扯”，比如◇She plucked out a grey hair. 她拔掉了一根灰白头发。

• surprise, surprise 表示“这有什么好奇怪的，这不奇怪”，当你认为某事不足为怪时，便可以评论这句话。比如：

  • One of the candidates was the manager's niece, and surprise, surprise, she got the job. 求职者中有一个是经理的侄女，结果她被录用了。这有什么奇怪的呢。

• agree to differ / disagree 表示“同意各自保留意见”

• give sb a ring 不是给某人一个戒指的意思，而是指”给某人打个电话“，比如：

  • I’ll give you a ring later in the week.这个星期晚些时候我会给你打电话。
  • The phone is ringing off the hook. 表示”电话响个不停“。

• use/turn sth to one's advantage 表示“利用某事物，将某事物转化为有利条件”(to use something that you have or that happens in order to achieve something )。比如“

  • 她很好地利用了家族的人脉：She used his family connections to good advantage.
  • 只要在她面前暴露了软肋，她就会利用这点达到她的目的：Show any weakness in front of her, and she'll use it to her advantage.

• pickle本义是”泡菜，腌菜“，引申为”困境，窘境“，in a pickle表示”处于困境，处境窘迫“，英文释义是in a difficult or unpleasant situation。

  • 比如Companies find themselves in a pickle when their markets change.公司在市场发生变化时会发现自己身陷困境。
  • syn. in a jam / in a bind

• go on about 表示“唠叨，抱怨，发牢骚”，相当于to keep talking about something, in a way that is boring or annoying。比如：

  • 他总是没完没了地说他的孩子：He is aways going on about his children.
  • 她总是没完没了地说她的男朋友：She is aways going on about her boyfriend.

• boss sb around / push around, order around, lord it over 对...发号施令”(to tell sb what to do in an aggressive and / or annoying way)。比如：

  • I'm sick of you bossing me around! 我讨厌你对我指手画脚。

• let sb in on sth 表示“让...得知，向...透露”(If you let someone in on something that is a secret from most people, you allow them to know about it)。比如：

  • Are you going to let them in on your plans? 你是不是打算让他们知道你的计划呀？

• reason with sb 是一个动词短语，指"和...讲道理，规劝"(to talk to sb in order to persuade them to be more sensible)。

• stomach也可作动词，本义是”吃得下“，意思引申为”欣然接受，欣赏“( to approve of sth and be able to enjoy it; to enjoy being with a person)，一般用于疑问句或否定句，比如：

  • I can't stomach violent films.我不喜欢暴力片。
  • Rob found Cathy’s attitude hard to stomach.罗布觉得凯茜的态度让他受不了。

• hit it off (with sb) 表示“与某人一拍即合、一见如故，合得来”(if two people hit it off, they like each other as soon as they meet)。

• This hard for me to say. 这是口语里很高频的表达，表示”这句话我很难开口，难以启齿“，后面往往用but引出难以启齿的话。有点像汉语里”有句话我不知道当讲不当讲“，但一般只要这句话一说出来，就是要讲的了。