1  SPICE THINGS UP

增添情趣

You’ve probably guessed by now that to spice things up means to make them more interesting or exciting.

你可能已經(jīng)猜到spice things up意為使事情變得更加有趣。

例句：

Instead of just buying Sam a birthday gift, let’s spice things up by taking him out for dinner.

不要只給湯姆買一個生日禮物，我們帶湯姆出去吃飯吧，這樣會更有趣一點。

2  A PIECE OF CAKE

輕松的事，小菜一碟兒

A piece of cake refers to a task or job that’s easy to complete or accomplish.

A piece of cake指一件很容易完成的任務(wù)或者是工作。

例句：

I expected the English test to be difficult but it was a piece of cake.

我以為英語考試很難，但是不過就是小菜一碟。

3  COOL AS A CUCUMBER

鎮(zhèn)定自若

Cucumbers have a refreshing taste and leave you with a cool, calm feeling. So if you’re cool as a cucumber, you’re someone who’s very calm and relaxed.

黃瓜口感清爽，讓人感覺平靜。所以如果你像黃瓜一樣讓人感覺平靜，那你一定是一個非常冷靜和放松的人。

例句：

My friend is nervous about taking his driving test but I’m cool as a cucumber.

我的朋友很擔(dān)心他的駕駛考試，但是我很冷靜。

4  COUCH POTATO

電視迷

A couch potato refers to someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch watching TV.

A couch potato指整天坐在沙發(fā)上看電視的人。

例句：

After my uncle retired from his job, he became a couch potato.

我叔叔退休后成了一個電視迷。

5  BRING HOME THE BACON

成功，謀生

To bring home the bacon means to make an income or earn a living to support your family.

Bring home the bacon意為賺錢養(yǎng)家。

例句：

Ever since her father was injured, she’s been working two jobs to bring home the bacon.

父親受傷后，她就做了兩份工作來養(yǎng)家糊口。

6  IN HOT WATER

有麻煩，陷于困難

When someone is in hot water, they’re in a bad situation or serious trouble.

當某人處于水深火熱之中時，說明他陷于困境或者遇到了麻煩。

例句：

My brother is in hot water for failing all his college classes.

我哥哥因掛掉大學(xué)所有的科目而陷入麻煩之中。

7  COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES

無法相提并論

Apples are very different from oranges both in looks and taste. It’s hard to compare two things that are so unlike each other. So then, to compare apples and oranges is to compare two very different things.

無論是味道還是外觀，蘋果和橘子都很不一樣。很難去比較完全不同的兩種東西。因此，比較蘋果和橘子就是比較兩種完全不同的東西。

例句：

I’m not sure which I enjoy more—pottery or dancing. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.

我不確定自己更加喜歡哪一個 — 陶藝還是舞蹈。這兩者無法相提并論。

8  NOT ONE'S CUP OF TEA

不喜歡...

If something is not your cup of tea, it’s an activity you have no interest in, don’t enjoy or don’t do well in.

如果用not your cup of tea來形容某事，這就說明你對某件事并不感興趣，不喜歡也不擅長。

例句：

Camping is really not my cup of tea so I’m going to visit my friend in New York instead.

我真的不喜歡露營，所以我打算去紐約拜訪我的朋友。

9  EAT LIKE A BIRD

胃口小

How much does a bird eat? Not very much, right? So to eat like a bird is to eat very little.

一只鳥能吃多少東西？吃不了多少，對吧？所以eat like a bird意為吃的非常少。

例句：

Don’t trouble yourself cooking such a big meal. I eat like a bird.

你就不要費勁兒做飯了，我吃的很少。

10  EAT LIKE A HORSE

胃口大

Now, a horse is much bigger than a bird. So how much do you think a horse eats? That’s right, to eat like a horse is to eat a large amount of food.

馬比鳥大得多了。那么一匹馬能吃多少東西呢？就是這樣，eat like a horse說明吃的東西很多。

例句：

My mother has to cook a lot of food when my brother comes to visit. He eats like a horse.

弟弟來我家的時候我媽媽會煮很多食物，因為他的胃口很大。

（來源：滬江英語）