第五篇 工作，机会和运气
　　第三节

19.好日子不多了one’s days are numbered

他意识到自己好日子没几天了，不禁感到一阵凄凉和恐慌。

He felt a rush of chilled feeling of anxiety when he realized that his days were numbered.

20.有点玄乎 a bit iffy

依我看，他们的成功有点玄乎

As far as I can see, their success is a bit iffy.

21.走上坡路be on the up grade

走上坡路比走下坡路要难得多

It’s much more difficult to be on the up grade than on the down grade.

22.受某人恩宠be in somebody’s grace

他们家的孩子都很受人恩宠

Every child in his family is in good graces of other people.

23.开门红get off to a flying start

我们公司一成立就来了个开门红：在开业后的第一周就得到了三笔大宗订单

Our company got off to a flying start when it opened to business: we got three big orders during the first week of opening.

24.跟白给的一样便宜 be a steal/be for a song

这部车他只花了300美元，跟白拣的一样。

He spent only 300 dollars in the car, which was simply a steal.

25.坐失良机miss the boat

他说他为错过那样好的机会而感到非常遗憾

He said that he was very much regretted about having missed the boat.

26.一帆风顺pan out

你不能期望事情总是一帆风顺的呀！

You can’t always expect things to pan out each time, can you?

27.碰钉子get the cheese

他没想到在那个公司会碰钉子。

He didn’t expect to get the cheese in that company.

　　第四节

28.在火葬场工作work as a funeral furnisher

老李已经在火葬场工作了二十多年了。

Lao Li’s been working as a funeral furnisher for more than 20 years.

29.吊儿郎当play around

我可不喜欢让我的孩子整天吊儿郎当的，一点正经事都不干。

I don’t want my children to play around all day and do nothing useful.

30.棘手的问题a ticklish question

面对那些棘手的问题他也显得束手无策了。

He seemed to be at his wits end before those ticklish questions.

31.难办的事sticky business

他发现这件事特别难办，同意不好，不同意也不好。

He found it a sticky business: he could neither agree nor disagree.

32.稳扎稳打play for safety

在这种情况下，我们应该稳扎稳打，切勿操之过急。

Under such circumstances we should play for safety against making haste.

33.干苦差事hold the baby

为什么把这个苦差事留给我一个人干？

Why should I be left holding the baby alone?

34.饭碗儿one’s bread and butter

我不能放弃教书，那是我的饭碗。

I can’t give up teaching, for it’s my bread and butter.

35.忙得不可开交 have one’s hands full

王燕白天上班，下班后还要照顾家里，简直是忙得不可开交。

Wang Yan has her hands full with working full time during the day and taking care of the family the rest of the time.

36.没那回事 nothing of the sort!

别听他们胡说八道，根本就没那回事。

Don’t be fooled by their babbling. Nothing of the sort!