English Idioms 英文成语

【资料图】

1. throw a wrench in the works

（throw a wrench in the works = complicate matters：使事情复杂化）

英文解释：A wrench is a type of tool, and if a wrench accidentally gets caught in machinery, the machine will malfunction or stop working. Note: The British English form of this idiom is “put a spanner in the works.” 扳手是一种工具，如果扳手不小心卡在机器上，机器就会发生故障或停止工作。注：这个习语的英式英语形式是“put a spanner in the works”。

例句：Just when I'd finally organized my five kids' weekday schedules, my daughter's dance teacher threw a wrench in the works by changing her class from Wednesday to Thursday. 就在我终于整理好我五个孩子的工作日日程安排时，我女儿的舞蹈老师把事情搞复杂化了她把课从周三改到了周四。

2. the bottom line

（the bottom line = the essential fact：最重要的事实）

英文解释：This idiom comes from accounting - you can do lots of calculations, but the final most important number is on the bottom line. So the expression "the bottom line" can be used in any situation to mean the essential fact. 这个习语来自会计学——你可以做很多计算，但最重要的数字写在最下面。所以“the bottom line”这个表达可以用在任何情况下来表示最重要的事。

例句：We can debate strategy and tactics all day long,but the bottom line is that we need to win Saturday's soccer game, otherwise we'll be disqualified from the tournament：我们可以辩论一整天的战略战术，但最重要的是我们必须赢得星期六的足球比赛，否则我们就会被取消比赛资格

3. jack of all trades

（jack of all trades = a person who has many different skills：一个拥有许多不同技能的人）

英文解释："Jack" is a common name in English, and a "trade" is an old word for a job in a specific area of expertise. Sometimes this idiom has a positive connotation, since it describes a person with many different abilities who is useful in various situations - however, sometimes this idiom is used with a negative connotation. There is an expression "jack of all trades, master of none" which means that the person can do a lot of things, but is not really very good at any of them; his knowledge is all superficial. “Jack”在英语中是一个常见的名字，而“trade”是一个比较旧的词，指的是某一特定专业领域的工作。有时，这个成语有积极的含义，因为它描述了一个有各种不同能力的人--然而，有时这个成语的含义却是负面的。有一种说法，“jack of all trades, master of none”，意思是人能做很多事情，但并不是很擅长，他的知识都是肤浅的。

例句：My uncle has worked as a painter, a truck driver, a stonemason, and a plumber. He's a jack of all trades. 我叔叔当过油漆工、卡车司机、石匠和水管工。他是个万事通。

4. burning the midnight oil

（burning the midnight oil = working very late into the night：工作到深夜；熬到深夜）

英文解释：In the past, before there was electrical power, you needed to use an oil lamp to provide light if you wanted to work at night. Even though we no longer use oil lamps, the idiom "burning the midnight oil" continues to be used in modern English to describe working very late.过去，在没有电力之前，如果你想在夜间工作，你需要使用油灯来提供照明。即使我们不再使用油灯，“burning the midnight oil”这个习语在现代英语中仍然被用来描述工作到很晚。

例句：I'm in charge of organizing an international conference with 2,000 people. The event starts on Friday, so I'll probably be burning the midnight oil every day this week. 我负责组织一个2000人参加的国际会议。活动从周五开始，所以这周我可能每天都要熬夜了。