throw in the towel – surrender, give up. 投降;放弃

注解:throw in 是“扔进”,towel是“毛巾”。该表达来源于拳击,把毛巾扔近赛场里表示的是投降的意思。

例句:When he realized that there was no way he was going to finish the race, he finally threw in the towel.

当他意识到他比赛没有希望的时候,他认输了。

720. throw one’s weight around – use one’s influence in a showy manner. 使用权势或关系产生影响

注解:字面理解“把某人的重量扔来扔去”。weight是“体重,重量”。用于形容通过移动自身的体重就影响整条船的姿态,说明此人体重很大。当然这里不是说物理重量也不是真的船,而是一个人的权势在社会组织上的影响力。

例句:Because she was the boss’s daughter, she liked throwing her weight around the office and tell everyone what to do.

因为她是老板的女儿,她喜欢在办公室里用自己的关系指挥别人。

721. throw the book at – punish severely for breaking rules or the law. 依法处置

注解:我们都知道book是“书”的这一层含义,但是book还有另外一层名词的含义是“规章制度”。字面理解“把规章制度扔向某人”其实可以想象成描述的是法官宣判结束以后把法律书一合然后仍在桌上的场景。

例句:They have a lot of evidence against that criminal. They are going to throw the book at him at the trial.

他们有很多犯罪的证据,他们会依法处置他。

722. tickled pink – very happy. 高兴极了

注解:tickle是“挠痒痒”,pink在这个表达中是很满足很完美的状态。你在抓别人痒痒的时候,被抓痒痒的人是不是笑得开心得不行了?

例句:I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go home. I was tickled pink that the party had finally ended.

我感觉不舒服回家休息时发现聚会已经完结了我感到完美。

723. tide someone over – help someone through a shortage. 帮人度过难关

注解:tide是“潮汐”。17实际的时候出现的一个航海用词。 表示没有风的时候船也可以跟着潮汐洋流慢慢飘到目的地。 在现代的用法中可以理解为某人遇到麻烦没有风(没有自己的收入),依靠别人的潮汐(借钱/资助)来凑合航行(过日子)。

例句:Can you please loan me $10 and tide me over until I get paid next week?

你能借我10块钱帮我撑到下一张工资单吗?

724. tie the knot – get married. 结婚

注解:tie既是名词也是动词,作为名词是“领带”,作为动词是“扎紧;捆绑”。所以“扎领带”的英文是“tie a tie”。knot 是“绳结”。字面理解“打结”。这个表达其实源于西方古代一个习俗,新婚夫妇要用绳子在手上连起来一年零一天不能分开才算正式结婚。后被用于表示“结婚”使用。

例句:She will tie the knot this spring.

她今年春天会结婚。

725. tied down – restricted by family or job responsibilities. (因家庭或工作)身负重担

注解:字面理解“捆绑下降”。形容一个人被各种家庭工作负担所缠身。

例句:When you have children, pets and a mortgage, you feel tied down.

当你有了孩子,宠物和房贷,你会觉得身负重担。

726. tight squeeze – difficult situation financially. 处境困难;收紧裤腰带

注解:tight是“拉紧”,squeeze是“挤压”。字面理解“拉紧挤压”,形容的就是收紧裤腰带这一动作。以前的人们如果经济上有困难,就会吃不饱,肚子瘪了,就要勒紧裤腰带。后来人们把收紧裤腰带作为某人遇见经济困难,遇见经济危机的一种表达方法。

例句:I don’t have the money for that now. I am in a tight squeeze.

我现在手头紧,我正在收紧裤腰带过日子。

727. tighten one’s belt – economize, spend and use less. 收紧裤腰带

注解:详见tight squeeze 。

例句:Since he has taken a cut in his salary, the family has needed to tighten their belt.

自从他的薪水被降以来,他们家就收紧了裤腰带。

728. till the cows come home – for a long and indefinite time. 猴年马月

注解:直译为“等到牛回家的时候”,牛一般都是很悠闲得吃草从来不急着回家。喻指猴年马月。

例句:If you let him play video games first he won’t start on the homework until the cows come home.

如果你让他先打游戏的话他玩到猴年马月才会开始写作业。