1.sock away

　　存钱

　　You should sock away a certain amount each month.

　　你每个月都应该存一笔钱。

　　2.live from hand to mouth

　　收入勉强糊口

　　Bob had a little money socked away, so he didn't have to live from hand to mouth.

　　鲍勃存下来了一点钱，所以日子还算过得去。

　　3.live off the fat of the land

　　靠土地产出的食品来过活

　　How hard can it be to strike out on your own and live off the fat of the land?

　　你是得多艰苦才靠地吃饭啊?

　　4.make hay while the sun is shining

　　一有机会就挣钱或把钱存下来

　　While he had been successful at his job, he had made plenty of hay while the sun was shining.

　　他的工作干得很成功，也就存了不少钱。

　　5.in the twinkling of an eye

　　一刹那，眨眼的功夫。

　　Things could go terribly wrong in the twinkling of an eye.

　　眨眼的功夫事情就变得一团糟。

　　6.as free as a bird

　　无拘无束

　　I found the reasons for his decision to throw in the towel and become free as a bird compelling.

　　我发现了他认输的理由后，就再也无拘无束了。

　　7.get one's ducks in a row

　　为了完成某事而做好充分的准备。

　　Bob was very careful not to let on what he was thinking to anyone until he got all his ducks in a row.

　　鲍勃非常小心，他没有告诉任何人自己的想法，直到做好充分的准备。

　　8.salt of the earth

　　社会中坚

　　Bill was salt of the earth.

　　比尔是一名社会精英。

　　9.on the spur of the moment

　　一时冲动

　　He knew that such a decision couldn't be made on the spur of a moment.

　　他知道，不能一时冲动就作出决定。

　　10.by the seat of one's pants

　　凭本事，凭直觉

　　He did wonder if things might be a bit more interesting if he gave living by the seat of his pants a go.

　　他想知道，如果当初他凭本事谋生的话，会不会比现在有意思点。

　　11.money to burn

　　花不完的钱

　　Sure, he never had money to burn, but he managed to get by.

　　当然，他从来没有花不完的钱，但他还是成功了。

　　12.the powers that be

　　指代掌权者

　　Certainly, he never questioned the powers that be.

　　当然，他从来没有质疑过那些掌权者。

　　13.tag along

　　尾随他人

　　Bill repeatedly told Bob that tagging along with everyone else would eventually get boring.

　　比尔一次次地告诉过鲍勃，尾随他人是件很无聊的事。

　　14.throw in the towel

　　放弃

　　I found the reasons for his decision to throw in the towel and become free as a bird compelling.

　　我发现了他认输的理由后，就再也没有任何顾虑了。

　　15.jack-of-all-trades

　　身兼多职的人

　　Bill made his living as a jack-of-all-trades.

　　比尔为了谋生身兼多职。

　　16.not able to see the forest for the trees

　　太执着于细节，导致忽视了更加重要的部分。

　　The more he pondered the idea the more he came to realize that he wasn't able to see the forest for the trees.

　　他越想越觉得自己因为执着细节，忽视了真正重要的部分。

　　17.tilt at windmills

　　同假想的敌人或威胁作战

　　he still felt he was tilting at windmills.

　　他仍觉得自己在同假想的敌人作战。

　　18.get a new lease on life

　　对生活持一个新的态度

　　these memories of Bill came flooding back as Bob began to to prepare to get a new lease on life.

　　当鲍勃决定重新开始生活时，那些关于比尔的记忆又奔涌而来。

　　19.the prime of life

　　生命全盛期

　　However, Bob was in the the prime of life and he was ready for adventure.

　　但是，鲍勃此时年富力强，他准备好了迎接冒险。

　　20.throw something down the drain

　　浪费

　　How can you throw all you've worked for down the drain?

　　你怎么可以浪费自己的劳动成果呢?

　　21.lose one's marbles

　　陷入疯狂

　　He's lost his marbles.

　　他真是疯了。

　　练习

　　•He's a smart man because he has ____________ a lot of money for his retirement.

　　•I'm sure you'l feel _________________ once you graduate from college.

　　•Ever since I got the new job, I feel like I've gotten _________________.

　　•You'll be surprised how quickly your child will grow up. It sometimes seems that it happened ____________.

　　•My grandfather was a ______________________. He did everything!

　　•Too many people around the world have to ____________________. It's horrible!

　　•Of course, ___________________ do nothing to help the truly needy.

　　•Sometimes it seems like I'm ________________ by trying to start a new business.

　　答案

　　•socked away

　　•as free as a bird

　　•a new lease on life

　　•in the twinkling of an eye

　　•jack-of-all-trades

　　•live from hand to mouth

　　•the powers that be

　　•tilting at windmills

（编辑：何莹莹）