英语 Idioms 汇总

unit1
1. Breath of life 生命的气息
Poetry and art are the breath of life to her.
诗歌和艺术是她的生命之源。
2. Garden of Eden 伊甸园
Life is no Garden of Eden at the moment.
现今的生活没有乐土。
3. Adam and Eve 亚当和夏娃
I don’t remember when all this took place. Perhaps it was when Adam and
Eve lived.
我不记得这所有的事是何时发生的，也许是在很久很久以前。
There is a tendency of longevity 长寿 on his mother’s side. Both his
grandpa and grandma lived to be over ninety —lived to be Adam and Eve,
as they say.
在他母亲那系有长寿的趋向。他的外祖父和外祖母都活到了九十多岁，就像
他们说的，要长命百岁。
4. Adam’s profession 亚当的职业
He has always been thinking of engaging in Adam’s profession when he
retires.
他总是想要在退休后从事园艺工作。
5. Bone of one’s bones and flesh of one’s flesh 骨中骨，肉中肉

I hold myself supremely blest—blest beyond what language can express;

because I am my husband’s life as fully as he is mine. No woman was ever nearer
to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely bone of his bones and flesh of his
flesh.融为一体 －－Jane Eyre

The trade union was bone of the bones and flesh of the flesh of the
workers.
工会和工人们休戚相关。

unit2
1. Fig leaves 无花果叶
Come and see this picture of Tom in his babyhood—without even a fig leaf on.
快来看这张 Tom 一丝不挂的婴儿照。
2. Curse of Adam 亚当的诅咒
His father died young and the curse of Adam kept him from continuing his schooling
as he had to help his mother support a big family.
他的父亲英年早逝，这苦难使他不能继续上学因为他要帮他母亲撑起整个大家
庭。

3. by the sweat of one’s brow 一个人额头上的汗水

In the sweat of their brow, the peasant couple sent all their children to university.
在辛勤劳作下，这对农民夫妇把他们的孩子全送进了大学

4. For dust you are and to dust you will return 因为你是尘土，你将回归尘土
I see no point accumulating material possessions by the sweat of one’s brow. After
all, for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
我认为辛苦工作来积攒物质财富毫无意义。毕竟，人生不带来死不带去。

5. Brother’s keeper 兄弟的守护者

Is the ideal philosophy 哲学 "every man for himself" or "I am my brother's keeper”?
“人人为己”或者“帮助他人”是理想的哲学吗？

6. Forbidden fruit 禁忌之果

A: I told Tom he was not allowed to eat ice-cream today, but you know---
我告诉汤姆他今天不准吃冰激凌，但是你知道的——
B: Well, forbidden fruit tastes better; and this is especially true of kids.
是的，被禁止的总是更美味的，尤其是对孩子来说。

7. Fall from grace 堕落

He had been the king’s favorite, and his sudden fall from grace surprised
everyone.
他曾是国王的宠臣，他的突然失宠惊呆了每个人。

8. Noah’s Ark 诺亚方舟

Strong will and hard work are like a Noah’s Ark which saves people from their
sufferings.
强烈的愿望和努力工作就像是救命稻草把人们从苦难之中解救出来。

9. Dove and olive leaf 鸽子和橄榄叶

His coming to power may help bring the dove and olive leaf to the Middle East.
他的上台可能会给中东地区带来和平。
They are flying flag of dove and olive leaf instead of skeletons, for the first times in
forty years’ civil war.
在四十年内战中，他们第一次高举和平的旗帜而不是死亡之旗。

10. The Tower of Babel 巴别塔

He is more fond of empty talk than solid work, so all his plans are the Tower of Babel.
他更喜欢空谈而不是实干，所以他的计划全是纸上谈兵。
A tower of Babel of voices could be heard from the schoolroom.
叽叽喳喳的声音从教室里传来。
His further statement, instead of shedding light on the situation, set up a tower of
Babel among the listeners.
他进一步的阐述，没让情况更明朗，反倒让听者更迷惑了。

unit3
1. land of promise/ the promised land 应许之地
America was the promised land for many immigrant families.
对许多移民家庭来说美国是一片乐土。

2. Sodom and Gomorrah 所多玛和蛾摩拉

The village had a reputation as a latter-day Sodom and Gomorrah.
这个村庄在后世有罪恶之城之称。

3. burning sulfur (fire and brimstone) 硫磺烈火

She thinks that one will suffer fire and brimstone after death if he has
done wrong.
她认为人如果犯了错的话死后会受地狱之火。
When the disorderly students finally saw the principal, she was
breathing fire and brimstone.
当混乱的学生终于看到校长的时候，她正火冒三丈。

4. (as Curious as) Lot’s wife 罗德的妻子

Curious as Lot’s wife, she has made himself unpopular among her
friends.
她在她的朋友中不受欢迎因为她的八卦。

1. Sell one’s birthright for a mess of stew/pottage 为了一顿炖菜

出卖一个人与生俱来的权利
Jason has given up his legal studies to work on an oilrig 石油钻台 ,
and although he’s earning a lot, it seems to me that he’s sold his
birthright for a mess of pottage.
杰森放弃了他的法律研究去致力于石油钻台，尽管他赚了很多，但在我看来他
捡了芝麻丢了西瓜。

2. My brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth

skin. 我哥哥以扫是一个有毛的人，我是一个光滑的皮肤的人。
He wanted me to take the exam for him by sticking my photo onto his
exam certificate but I refused. I loathed the idea of cheating on the
test. Besides, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with
smooth skin.
他想让我代他考试通过把我的照片贴在他的考证上但我拒绝了。我痛恨考试作
弊的想法，另外，我们俩截然不同。

3. The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of
Esau
Jacob’s voice and Esau’s hand 雅各的声音，以扫的手
Be cautious, for in the market nowadays there exist so many articles
that are Jacob’s voice but Esau’s hand.
谨慎一点，现金的市场上有很多假冒伪劣产品。

1. coat of many colors / Joseph’s coat 约瑟的彩衣

After his successful negotiation with a foreign company, our boss
gave him a coat of many colors.
在他成功地和一家外国公司谈判后，我们的老板很器重他。

2. corn in Egypt (Gen:41) 诶及的玉米

Though that is a small country, its natural resources are as rich as
corn in Egypt.
尽管这是一个小国家，它的自然资源取之不尽用之不竭。

3. Benjamin’s portion / mess 本杰明的部分

We put the same effort in that business, but Benjamin’s mess of the
profit went to him.
我们在这笔生意上付出了同样多的努力，但是利益的大部分都给了他。

unit4
1. Land flowing with milk and honey 流着牛奶和蜂蜜的土地
This part of China is considered to be a paradise on earth, a land flowing with milk
and honey.
中国的这一部分被认为是人间天堂，是一个美丽富饶的地方。

2. Bring the Israelites out of Egypt 把以色列人带出诶及

Many state-run enterprises are operating a low profit level or even without profit at
all, where workers are looking to the managers to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
许多国营企业正处在一个低利润甚至是零利润的运营状态中， 工人们都希望管
理者能带他们走出困境。

3. Harden one’s heart 使人的心变硬

Sorrow and trouble either soften the heart or harden it.
悲伤和烦恼不是使人心软，就是使人心狠。
Don't hide your hurts and pains and feelings inside where they will harden your
heart.
不要隐藏你的伤痛、痛哭和感觉，它们会使你的心麻木。

4. Golden Calf 金牛
Anything can become a golden calf.
任何东西都能成为崇拜对象。
Today’s youth grew up from a culture, in which most people worship the golden calf.
现在的年轻人在一种大多是人都拜金的文化中成长。

5. Stiff-necked 脖子硬的
He is so stiff-necked that he insists on going the wrong way in spite of the sensible
advice from his family and his friends.
他是如此顽固以至于他不顾亲朋好友合理的建议坚持他错误的道路。

unit5
1.Philistine: 非利士人 （an uncultured person)
a philistine government.
庸人政府。
a Philistine attitude to the arts
对艺术不感兴趣

2.Samson’s hair 参孙的头发

----You seem to have an inexhaustible energy. Where’s your Samson‘s hair?
----I think it‘s the desire to achieve success.
----你似乎有无穷无尽的力量。你的力量之源在哪里？
----我想是对取得成功的强烈渴望。

3. David and Goliath 大卫和歌利亚

The match looks like being a David and Goliath contest.
比赛看上去像是一场力量悬殊的较量。

4. Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands 扫罗杀死千千，大卫
杀死万万
Compared with those heroes, I did very little indeed. Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.
与那些英雄相比，我做的实在太少，差距还很大。

3. David and Jonathan 大卫和约拿单

Among the members of his church there was one young man, a little older than
himself, with whom he had long lived in such close friendship that it was the custom
to call them David and Jonathan.
在他的教会中有一个比他大一点的和他一直住在一起的年轻人，他们的这种亲
密友谊被叫做生死之交。
4. Letter of Uriah 乌利亚的信
Look at its contents: I do not again carry the letters of Uriah.
看它的内容，我再也不好心当成驴肝肺了。

5. One little ewe lamb 一只小母羊

Her daughter Nancy is an ewe lamb to her.
她的女儿南希是她的心肝宝贝。

6. as wise as Solomon 像所罗门一样聪明

If you are in trouble, get Chris to advise you. He's as wise as Solomon.
如果你有麻烦，让克里斯给你建议，他十分聪明。

We have many retired professionals as senior consultants in our company, who are
wise as Solomon and rich in experience.
我们有许多退休的专业人员作为我们公司的资深顾问，他们非常聪明而且有经
验丰富。

unit6
1. The Magi (Matt. 2)
The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought
gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas present.
Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones,--- ——from The Gifts of the
Magi by O. Henry

2. Devil can cite scripture for his own purpose 魔鬼也能引经据典为自己辩护

The murderer was eloquent in defending himself on the court. Devil can cite
scripture for his own purpose.
凶手在法庭上为自己辩护，简直是死不悔改。

3. Salt of the earth, light of the world 地球的盐，世界的光

You should not have cheated a girl like her who has always been the salt of the earth.
你不应该欺骗像她那样青春常在的女孩子。
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth.
让我们为社会的精英们干杯。

4. The sun shines on the evil as well as on the good 阳光照在善与恶上

-Don’t you think it a waste to treat the sick murderer before he is sentenced to
death?
难道你不认为在生病的杀人犯除以死刑之前治好他是一种浪费吗？
-Well, the sun shines on the evil as well as on the good, or you may call it
humanitarianism.
 好吧，善恶应被平等相待，或者你可以称之为人道主义。

5. Serve two masters 侍奉二主

If your mother can’t get along with your wife, you will find yourself difficult to serve
two masters and make them both happy.

如果你的母亲不能跟你的妻子好好相处的话，你会发现你两边不是人，而且很
难让她们两个人都开心。

6. Tomorrow will worry about itself 明天会担心它自己

Let’s go. Don’t try to do tomorrow’s work. Tomorrow will worry about itself.
走吧。不要试图做明天的工作，船到桥头自然直。

7. Lost sheep / stray lamb 迷失的羔羊

In a way we are all lost sheep, for to err is human. So we constantly need
guidance in our lives.
某种程度上来说我们都是迷途的羔羊，因为犯错是人的本能。所以我们在生活
中经常需要引导。
8. Prodigal son 浪子
The old man cast off his prodigal son and disinherited him.
老人断绝了与他的不肖儿子的关系，并剥夺了他的继承权

9. Kill the fattened calf 杀了肥牛犊

They gave him a welcome by killing the fattened calf.
他们设宴来给他接风。

10. Judas kiss 犹大的吻

Beware that your flatterer gives you a Judas kiss.
小心拍你马屁的人背后捅你刀子。

11. Peter’s tear 彼得的眼泪

Realizing what wrong he had done her, he shed Peter’s tears.
意识到他对她做了什么错事，他流下了悔恨的泪水。

12. Carry / bear the cross 背着十字架

He will always bear the cross of guilt for what he did.
他将为他的所作所为承受内疚的痛苦。