1. 一根筋儿 one track-minded
别跟他较劲了。他一根筋儿，你还不知道?
Stop reasoning with him. Don’t you know he is one track-minded?
Example:
You feel chocked to work with those who are one track-minded.
A one track-minded person will not understand what you intend.
2.败家子 a black sheep
这个败家子，他几乎毁了他爸爸的产业
This black sheep almost ruined his father’s business.
Example:
Joe is the black sheep of his family. He splashed nearly a hundred thousand U. S.
dollar in a few year.
Dick is a black sheep, always bringing trouble to his family.
Jimmy is the black sheep of his family.Apart from playing hookey, he is also
shoplifing a lot.
3.他那号人 people of his sort, people of his kind
你怎么知道我会变卦?我可不是那号人，整天喜怒无常，说变就变。
How could he think I would go back on my words? I am not his sort, who is fickle
and always blowing hot and cold.
我可不是你那号人，整天唠唠叨叨，总爱挑人的不是。
I am not your sort, who is always keeping harping on things and trying to find
fault with others.
干吗怀疑她?她可不是你那号人，办事总是偷偷摸摸的。
Why should you suspect her? She is not your sort, who is always doing things on the
sly.
我可不是你那号人，老爱占别人的便宜。
I’m not your sort, who always wants to get the best of others.
Dialogue:
Mary: I can’t believe I’m down and out. I have to pinch pennies.
John: You can turn to me when the chips are down.
Mary: I know... but...
John: Come on, Mary. I know you can always get out from under. But I’m always glad
to help.
Mary: Thank you all the same, John. But I think I can work things out and stand on
my own feet again.
4. 难对付的人 a tartar / a hard nut to crack
Want him to follow your order? No way! He’s a tartar -- a hard nut to crack.
Dialogue
John: I’d like you to meet my friend, Linda. She’s a very nice girl to know.
Mary: I ran into her the other day at the fruit market.
John: How did you like her?
Mary: She’s indeed swell. (她确实很棒)
John: That’s why we hit it off.(hit it off: easy to get along)
Mary: But I don’t like he boyfriend. He really turns me off.
John: You mean Jack?
Mary: Yeah. He’s a tartar. Each time I met him he would jump down my throat. I can’
t understand why Linda should love a man like him.
John: That’s what things are like. A nice girl usually married herself off to a
man whom other people dislike . I hope you wouldn’t marry a tartar like Jack.
5.大人物 a bigwig/ a bigshot
Mr. Li is one of the bigwigs in this district. Nobody dares to take his offense.
6. 令人扫兴的人 a wet blanket
She’s a real a wet blanket. She started quarreling with Li Ling when everyone of
us was in high spirits.
7.马屁精 an apple-polisher
她真是个马匹精，整天围着老板眉来眼去的。
She’s a real apple-polisher for the way she’s crawling around the boss and making
eyes at him.
8.乡巴佬 a hayseed
She insisted that she would not marry herself off to a hayseed, no matter how rich
he was.
9.当二把手 play second fiddle
I feel it worth playing second fiddle to Mr. Wang. He’s so capable.
10.嘴甜的人 be honey-lipped
她的嘴特别甜，可会见什么人说什么话了。
She’s so honey-lipped that she knows how to tailor her words to please the ears of
different people.
不能翻译成：sweet-mouthed
11. 老古董 a stick-in-the-mud
You may regard my husband as a stick-in-the-mud, but on my part I like his
personality of that kind.
12. 扫帚星 a jinx
She’s said to be a jinx, who would bring bad luck to whoever she marries.
13. 外粗内秀的人 a rough diamond
She’s a rough diamond. Although she seems to be careless, she does everything tip-
top.
14.海量 have a hollow leg
你想罐醉他?他可是海量，从来没醉过。
Want to drink him under the table? Well... you can never do. He’s got a hollow
leg, you know.
15. 不分上下 be neck and neck
The two teams have been playing for two hours, and yet, they are still neck and
neck in their scores.
16. 绞尽脑汁 to rack one’s brain
He had racked his brain, but hadn’t been able to work out the answer to the
problem.
17. 真了不起 really something
他真了不起，竟然一个人对付了那么多的对手。
He overwelmed so many of his opponents alone. He’s really something.
18.昙花一现 a flash in the pan
那个歌星也只是昙花一现，出了几张唱片就销声匿迹了。
That singer was only a flash in the pan. He disappeared into the air after having
made one or two records.
Dialogue:
Tom: People said that the singer was a knowout. She was pretty and her performance
brought the house down.
Sue: But the hit was only a flash in the pan. Her fame as a good singer didn’t
last long.
Tom: Why was that?
Sue: There are many one-day stars like her. They all disppear into thin air.
Tom: But that shouldn’t be the case with her. She seems to have all the making for
a star.
Sue：That’s the way of life.
19.一窍不通 not know beans about something
How can you let him into the business of selling life insurance? He doesn’t know
beans about insurance business at all.
Example:
这是他第一次到中国来。他对中国的文化和风土人情一窍不通。
This is his first visit in China. He doesn’t know beans about Chinese culture and
their way of life.
20.寡不敌众 be outnumbered
她很勇敢，但终因寡不敌众，被那帮人打晕过去。
The girl was brave enough, but as being ournumbered, she was finally knocked into
the middle of next week by the gang.
快去跟小伙伴一起学起来吧~
