1473.They got married last week and we all pitched in with expensive gifts for them. 他们上周结婚了，我们都凑了钱，给他们买了贵重的礼物。pitch in 大家凑钱干件事 They all pitched in to help the earthquake victims.他们把捐的钱合起来去帮助地震灾民。
　　1474.to empty the ocean with a spoon 精卫填海。The task before him is so enormous it feels like he is trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. If all goes well, to master two foreign languages may be completed in 30 years. 他面前的十分艰巨，看起来就如同精卫填海一般（看起来有点像天方夜谭），如果一切顺利的话，他要掌握两门外语或许三十年后可以完成。

　　1475.You know he"d leave no stone unturned, no avenue of appeal unconsidered. 你知道他能考虑的方案已经都考虑过了，能想的办法都已经想过了。leave no stone unturned, （找宝藏时）每块石头都翻过了，意即什么办法都想过了。
　　1476.He had a close call with the accident. 他与事故擦肩而过。相当于a narrow escape. That skier just missed the tree--what a close call. 滑雪者与树擦肩而过，真是险啊。也可以说a close shave, That was a close shave, nearly leaving your passport behind. 好险，差点把护照给落下了。
　　1477.The under-funded fill-in teachers literally live hand to mouth and cannot afford basic living essentials. 代课老师薪水不足，吃了上顿没下顿，很多生活的必需品也买不起。
　　1478.He is scared to death / half to death. 他吓得要死 / 他吓得半死。What happens if you get scared half to death twice? 如果你两次吓得半死，那会怎样一种情形呢？
　　1479.I live off what I make. 我赚多少就花多少。They find it hard to live off the money they make. 他们发现靠他们赚的那点钱生活的确不易。

　　1480.Given the nature of the threat, we can"t go back to business as usual. 考虑到所面临的威胁，我们不能再走老路（不能老调重弹）。go back to business as usual 故伎重演，老调重弹。

日期：2009-03-20　19:16:16

　　1481.Washington needs adult supervision. 美国政府需要有效的监督。Washington 华盛顿，这里指美国政府。adult supervision, 成人监护，指小孩太小，不能单独行动，一定要有大人在一旁看守。此句的意思是美国政府像小孩一样，需要大人的监督。Our government lacks adult supervision for a long time. 我们的政府长时间缺乏有效的监督。

　　1482.USA is a cultural mélange.美国是个文化大熔炉。Globalization will bring a cultural mélange to China. So don’t be surprised that many people want to learn English. 全球化将给中国带来文化大熔炉，所以见到很多人想学英语时就不要大惊小怪了。熔炉，更通俗的说法是melting pot.American society has often been described as a melting pot. 人们通常用熔炉来描述美国社会。

　　1483.He thought he would have a world of infinite possibilities when he graduated from college, but what he got was only unemployment. 他以为大学毕业后会拥有一片天高任鸟飞的机会，但是他面对的却是失业。a world of infinite possibilities一个机会无限的世界。或者说a promising future。College education offers a promising future to young people. 大学教育给年轻人提供了一个美好的前途。

　　1484.thinking and thought 都是名词，意思一样，只是后者是可数名词。You need to organize your thoughts around his strengths, and you’ll concentrate on him as a whole instead of on his imperfections. The couples who do this stay together longer. 你应该时刻想到他的长处，这样你就会来检视他的整体为人，而不只看到他的不足。凡能这样做的夫妻都会有牢固的婚姻。

　　1485.We’re not suggesting you try to love his annoying behavior. But you can learn to flip your thinking so you look to the positive. 我们并不觉得你该爱他那些烦人的行为举止，但是你可以学着换个角度来思维，去看他的长处。
　　1486.Spring has sprung. 春天已春意盎然。第二个spring是动词。
　　1487.rebel with a cause 造反有理，rebel without a cause, 无理取闹。
　　1488.This woman is verbally abusive. 这个女人骂人骂得厉害。（这个女人很会骂人。）
　　1489.She is snooping through his things for some evidence that he is not faithful. 她暗中翻他的东西，看看有没有他不忠的证据。snoop through, 暗中去乱翻别人的东西。Don’t snoop through my phone messages, OK? 你不要去暗中翻看我手机的留言，好不好？
　　1490.With the exam only five weeks distant, he is working hard. 他现在开始用功了，因为离考试只有五个礼拜了。这里的distant就是away的意思。distant relatives, 远房亲戚，distant cousins 远房表兄，There is a pretty girl in some far and distant place. 在一个遥远的地方，有一位好姑娘。

日期：2009-03-20　20:33:37

　　1482.USA is a cultural mélange.美国是个文化大熔炉。Globalization will bring a cultural mélange to China. So don’t be surprised that many people want to learn English. 全球化将给中国带来文化大熔炉，所以见到很多人想学英语时就不要大惊小怪了。熔炉，更通俗的说法是melting pot.American society has often been described as a melting pot. 人们通常用熔炉来描述美国社会。还有一个类似的概念：a cultural mosaic,马赛克文化 这个概念强调的是，各个不同的文化和平共处，各自保留其特点。熔炉的概念是，大家都融合在一起了，各自的特点也同时消失。


日期：2009-03-28　09:27:55

　　1491.不久前被抓去坐了好些天的牢，便想起坐牢的几种说法：He is in jail. He is in prison. He is behind bars. He is taken into custody. (口语）He is incarcerated.(书面语)He is having his incarceration.
　　1492.He is sentenced for five years for speaking out against corruption. 他因公开揭露腐败而获刑五年。Guo Feixiong is arrested on charges of attempt to overthrow the government. 郭被捕，罪名是阴谋颠覆政府。The judge sentenced the 15-year-old boy to a maximum of 10 years in juvenile jail. 法官给这个15岁的男孩判了10年的最高量刑，他将在少年犯监狱服刑。He is sentenced to life in jail. 他获得终生监禁。或者说：他被判了无期徒刑。He is going to spend the rest of his life in prison.他将在监狱中度过余生。

　　1493.Legal system normally involves three parts: police, prosecutors and judges.司法制度一般包括了三个部分，丨警丨察，检察官，法官。 If he doesn’t confess, he will be under pursuit or persecution. 如果他不坦白交代，就会被追究责任或被起诉。People convicted of possessing child pornography are likely to have sexually abused many children. 被定罪窝藏儿童黄色资料的人一般也会对儿童进行性侵犯。