牛津高阶上对idiom的解释是“a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words”，即“不能靠单个词的字面意思来理解的成语”，它又举了个例子-‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake. 确实，类似这种“把猫从袋子里放出来”的表达如果不了解其来源(This expression may have its origin in an old trick where one person pretended to sell a piglet in a bag to another, although the bag really contained a cat. If the cat was let out of the bag, then the trick would be exposed. 以前有奸商用猫来假装值钱的小猪装在袋子里卖给顾客，等回到家猫从袋子里跳出来这个把戏才被识破)，确实无法理解它是“不小心泄露秘密”的意思。不过英文中还有一些成语，仅靠字面意思就可以很清楚的知道含义，下面举几个例子，看看是不是一眼就能看透!

　　1. one’s heart bleeds for someone = one sympathizes very deeply with someone or the phrase can be also said sarcastically to mean the opposite.

　　“我的心为你流血”就是“极度同情某人”，不过现在通常用讽刺的语气来说，表明说话者认为对方一点儿也不值得同情。例如：

　　My heart bleeds for Nathan who missed his chance to meet his sister who was given up for adoption 10 years ago.

　　类似的表达还有my heart goes out to somebody (used to say that you feel a lot of sympathy for somebody) 例如：

　　Our hearts go out to the families of the victims.

　　2. as blind as a bat = having very bad eyesight, not able to see well.

　　“像蝙蝠一样瞎”那视力就真的不是很好吧。例如：

　　She’s as blind as a bat without her glasses.

　　3. make a beeline for = go rapidly and directly towards.

　　想象一下蜜蜂飞回蜂窝的场景，就是go straight towards something / somebody as quickly as you can, 例如：

　　The hungry tourists made a beeline for the buffet that featured delicious food from all over the world.

　　4. work like a beaver / dog / horse = to work steadily and industriously or to work very hard and energetically.

　　我们常说“累成狗”，可能是因为像狗一样工作了吧… 例如：

　　He worked like a beaver to clean the house.

　　I worked like a dog all summer to earn enough cash to buy my guitar, and it was all worth it.

　　5. an armchair critic = a person who knows about a subject only by reading or hearing about it and criticizes without active experience or first-hand knowledge. Another common variant is armchair traveler, meaning ‘someone who travels in imagination only’.

　　只是坐在椅子上了解世界，而不是亲身经历的评论家和旅行者，例如：

　　Ignore the armchair critics and get professional advice from the experts before you start your business.

　　Don’t let him discourage you when he’s just an armchair traveler who’s never been out of the country!

　　The last thing we need are words of wisdom from an armchair critic.

　　6. throw the baby out (or away) with the bathwater = discard something valuable along with other things that are inessential or undesirable, to lose something that you want at the same time as you are trying to get rid of something that you do not want. The phrase is often used in the negative as a warning against such thoughtless behavior.

　　本来要倒洗澡水，结果把洗澡的baby也一起扔了，所以一般用于否定句，提醒对方不要做这么蠢的事情，例如：

　　Parts of this strategy are brilliant, so let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water and abandon the entire project.

　　Even if we don’t necessarily like the whole scheme, we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bath water.

　　7. easy as ABC = extremely easy or straightforward. A child’s first spelling or reading book was commonly called an ABC, hence its metaphorical use to mean the basic elements of something.

　　纯字面意思，简单到不行，例如:

　　The questions Mr. Gillis prepared for the quiz is as easy as ABC.

　　8. an Aladdin’s cave = a place full of valuable and wonderful objects. From the Arabian Nights tale of Aladdin, who found the magic lamp in a cave.

　　熟悉阿拉丁的故事便会理解，例如：

　　Not many are aware of this but he has an Aladdin’s cave of special edition Nike shoes.

　　The shop is a real Aladdin’s cave of unusual gift ideas.

　　9. draw a blank = to get no response or result, a blank was originally a lottery ticket that did not win a prize

　　白纸一张，毫无结果，例如：

　　There were so many signs linking him to the murder but the investigators drew a blank.

　　10. turn a blind eye = ignore or pretend not to notice.

　　装瞎卖傻，例如：

　　He doesn’t like his daughter’s fiancé but he is willing to turn a blind eye and accept him as his son-in-law.

　　The authorities were either unaware of the problem or turned a blind eye to it.

　　11. a blind spot = an area into which one cannot see, an aspect of something that someone knows or cares little about. If somebody has a blind spot about something, they ignore it or they are unwilling or unable to understand it.

　　视觉盲区或(因为主观不喜欢或客观学不会而造成的)知识盲区，例如：

　　I like science but math is a blind spot for me.

　　I have a blind spot where math is concerned.

　　12. have people rolling in the aisles = make an audience laugh uncontrollably, to be very amusing. It is based on the idea of uncontrollable laughter, causing people watching a show to fall on the floor in the aisles (the long narrow spaces between rows of seats in a theatre).

　　因为太搞笑，观众都笑倒在过道上，例如：

　　Russell’s jokes had everyone rolling in the aisles.

　　13. a rotten (or bad) apple = a bad person in the group, typically one whose behavior is likely to have a corrupting / bad influence on the rest. With reference to the fact that a rotten apple causes other fruit with which is it in contact to rot.

　　一个烂苹果搞坏整筐水果，特别像中文里的“一条臭鱼搅得一锅腥”、“害群之马”，例如：

　　Despite the occasional bad apple, I enjoy working with our regional sales team.

　　Jeremy is really a bad apple. After five minutes with my usually well-behaved kids, they’re all acting out.

　　14. argue the toss = Dispute a decision or choice already made. Toss is the tossing of a coin to decide an issue in a simple and definite way according to the side of the coin visible when it lands.

　　抛硬币做好的决定，有人不同意要argue，例如：

　　I agree with the CEO’s decision, although some employees will argue the toss.

　　Their decision to fire me was unfair, and I will argue the toss until the day I die!

　　15. alive and well = still existing and active. It’s often used to deny rumors or beliefs that something has disappeared or declined.

　　这个通常被用来打破某事物已经消亡的传言，例如：

　　Many may disagree but chivalry is still alive and well in Melbourne.

　　I’m glad to see chivalry is alive and well! Thank you for holding the door for me.

　　Electronic music is huge now, but guitar-driven rock is still alive and well.

　　I was glad to hear you’re alive and well.

　　这个让我想起另一个类似表达-going strong (to continue to be healthy, active or successful), 例如：My grandmother is 90 and still going strong.

　　16. rise from the ashes = be renewed after destruction. In classical myth, the phoenix was a fabulous bird which, when it became old, sacrificed itself upon a funeral pyre and was born again from the ashes with renewed youth.

　　凤凰涅槃重生，例如：

　　With the failing economy, there are serious doubts that the company shares can rise from the ashes.

　　Can a new party rise from the ashes of the old one?

　　17. have one’s cake and eat it = enjoy the advantages of two mutually incompatible situations, have it both ways.

　　鱼和熊掌都要，例如

　　David can’t have his cake and eat it. He must decide if he wants the promotion or moves to another country.

　　You’re never going to save enough money to buy a house if you keep buying expensive appliances and cars. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.