1540.tiptoe 脚尖，比喻为小心翼翼，悄悄，期待。With Christmas coming, the children were on tiptoe. 孩子们满心期待圣诞节的到来。She tiptoed out of the room. 她蹑手蹑脚地走出了房间。The Chinese people still tip toe around the June 4. 中国人仍旧尽量不提六四话题。

日期：2009-04-20　20:16:25

　　1541.In China, there is a frantic race to keep up with the Joneses. Everyone wants to get rich overnight. 中国，现在人人都在疯狂地你追我赶，攀比谁更有钱。大家都想一夜暴富。keep up with the Joneses 与他人攀比。
　　1542.Why does the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence? 邻居为什么总是看上去要比我生活得更好？（直译是：邻居家的草为什么看上去总是更鲜艳？）
　　1543.The issue we face are too great and too immediate to ignore. 我们面临的挑战既严峻又迫在眉睫，容不得置若罔闻。We have to tackle the issue now.我们现在得处理这问题。
　　1544.That will open a whole can of worms. 这会带出一系列的问题、麻烦。
　　1545.China is gradually getting rid of the vestiges of its communist past. But the one child policy of the 1980s and 1990s planted a time bomb, and its effects are just starting to be felt. 中国正在逐步摆脱曾经搞共产主义的痕迹，但是八十年代九十年代的一胎化政策埋下了定时丨炸丨弹，恶果现在慢慢可以感觉到了。

　　1546.这三个说法都是“我们一定得克服困难”：We must overcome difficulties. We must break down the barrier. We must overcome hurdles to fulfill our dreams.
　　1547.settle 解决问题，settle a dispute / argument解决纷争/ 争论，也可以说solve a dispute。have an account to settle 有个问题还没有了结。I failed in my exam last year. I have an account to settle! 去年我高考失利，这是我要了结的问题。He has a few scores to settle. 他还有几个问题要待解释清楚。I have a score to settle with John since he insulted me at our party. 我还有笔账要跟约翰算，因为他在我们的晚会上侮辱了。这里的have a score to settle = have an account to settle 跟某某算账。

　　1548.由 alcoholic 发展出的几个词：workaholic, 工作狂， Let me tell you he is a workaholic. 我告诉你吧，他是个工作狂。She is a shopaholic. 她喜好逛商店。He is a sexaholic. 他一天到晚只热衷一件事，就是性。He is a dataholic. 他什么消息都收集。
　　1549.They are strange bedfellows. 他们是对头却联手。
　　1550.pillow talk 床上悄悄话，枕边语，It is a documented fact that couples who enjoy pillow talk have happier relationships. 研究证明，懂得享受枕边语的夫妻过得更幸福。

日期：2009-04-24　22:59:56

　　1542. Why does the grass always looks 这里的looks 应该是look, 还有很多错误，望大家指正。
　　1551.I didn’t understand what she was getting at until it suddenly hit me. She was asking for money. 我一直没搞清她究竟想要什么，忽然我才恍然大悟，原来她是在问我要钱。it hit me, 忽然明白。hit是口语，书面语为dawn。
　　1552.也可以说，it dawns upon me, 我忽然明白，我最后突然明白。It dawned upon me that I think therefore I blog. 我忽然明白了过来，我思故我写博客。
　　1553.These women have beauty, brains and substance. They have the whole package. It is unbelievable that they are still single and available. 这些女性集美貌、才智与财富于一身，什么都不缺。难以置信的是，她们竟都还在待字闺中。substance 财富，内涵，the whole package, 全套，什么都有，available 仍旧可以出手、出嫁，单身。

　　1554.Guys still hit upon her despite the fact that she has kids and leads a happy married life. 虽然她有好几个孩子，过着幸福的家庭生活，但还是有些男人对她有意思。hit upon搭话想发展关系，或者说，She is still approached by guys despite…虽然…仍旧有些男人还是想要接近她。He tried his luck with her. 他想碰碰运气看能不能和她好上。

　　1555.Guys often come up to her with pick up lines.还是常有些男人来跟她搭讪想跟她好。pickup lines男人找女人时想的一些开场白。
　　1556.A divorced man expresses deep loneliness and the sense that he will live the rest of his life in the penalty box. 一位离异的男人流露出严重的孤独感，觉得他这一辈子都会生活在惩罚中。the penalty box 球赛中犯规球员被罚下场而呆的地方。Don’t leave me in the penalty box forever. 不要老是把我晾在一边。

　　1557.I know what you need. You are not here to buy boxes. You buy what is inside them. 我知道你的需要，你来这里不是要买包装，而是里面的产品。（不做买椟还珠之事的意思）
　　1558.A good teacher needs a bag of tricks. 一个好老师得有很多的好方法。这里的tricks不是诡计，而是好的法子。
　　1559.things这个词的常用语很多，很实用：Things will be okay. 一切都会好的。Will things really be okay? 一切果真都会变好吗？Things happen, you know.你要知道，这类（坏）事总会发生的。注意，这里的things指不太好的事。Things fall apart now.一切无可挽回。Things to be remembered. 要做的事（列出一个清单）。All things considered, you need to go. 所有因素都权衡后，你还是应该去。He is a man who can get things done. 他是一个能实干的人。Things don’t look good. 形势看来不妙呀。Things don’t happen for a reason. We just find reason in what happens. 事情的产生并没有理由，我们不过是在为这些所发生的事去找理由。All things are bright and beautiful. 一切都光明与美丽。也有人说，Not all things are bright and beautiful. 并不是所有的事都光明美丽。

　　1560.Everything happens for a reason. 一切事的发生必有原因。

日期：2009-04-28　06:22:50

　　1561.Let’s re-cap what we have covered. 我们再来回顾一下我们所讨论过的内容。re-cap 也作recap，可以为名词：the meeting recap.会议简要。
　　1562.I spent many pointless hours in that city. 在那个城市，我度过了许多无所事事的时光。pointless, useless, meaningless, fruitless, aimless, purposeless, 都是一个意思。网上聊天大多是pointless。To chat on line is a time-waster. 网聊就是消遣时间。
　　1563.I am not where I want to be just yet, but I am getting there. I am striving to be the whole package. 我尚未达到理想目标，但是我会达到的，那就是一无所缺。Whoever marries me has to take my whole package deal. 想要娶我的人得满足我的所有要求。You will get the world class service—the whole package. 你会得到顶级服务，一样不缺。比较以前学过的well-rounded，指的是人的全面发展； the whole enchilada也是整体，全部。

　　1564.He cannot understand you since he was not there. 他没有与你一起成长，不会能理解你的。
　　1565.You never know what will happen, so be prepared. 你无法预料前面要发生的事，所以还是做好准备吧。