容易用错的习语，你中招了吗？（一）
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许多母语为英语的人可能都不知道有些关于choices, options, 和alternatives的习语。实际上，在写这篇文章的时候，我发现了一些我从来没听过也听不懂的习语。因为许多习语的用法都很老，并且涉及我们今天没有或并不使用的东西。 因此我们列表中关于choices, options或者 alternatives的25个习语是最常用的、最容易理解的。 1. Beggars can’t be choosers 乞丐没有选择的余地 A person who is in a position of poverty or has no power to bargain with cannot choose what they will be given. 一个处于贫穷状态或者没有权利讨价还价的人不能选择他们被给予什么。 I want the new iPhone, but it’s too expensive, so I will have to settle for the old one. Beggars can’t be choosers! 我想要新的iphone，但它太贵了，我只好将就旧的用了。没钱的人不能挑肥拣瘦！ 2. Damned if you/I do, damned if you/I don’t 左右为难 This idiom describes a situation that offers two different options, both of which will have undesired consequences. 这个习语描述一种情况，在这种情况下有两种不同的选择，无论怎样选择，结果都不尽人意。 I don’t know what to do! I am damned if I do, damned if I don’t! 我不知道做什么！我怎样做都不对。 3. Hedge your bets 两面下注 If you hedge your bets, you are avoiding committing yourself entirely to something. 如果你两面下注，那么你就是在避免把自己完全投入到某件事情上。 Until they pay you for the first job, hedge your bets and wait for the payment. 在他们付给你第一份工作的钱之前，先两面下注，等待付款。 4. In a quandary 进退两难 When you are in a quandary, which means you are doubtful, you are unsure of what decision or action to take during a difficult situation. 当你处于窘境之时，这说明你很怀疑，你不确定在这种困难的状态下应该做什么决定或者采取什么行动。 What are you going to do? Wow! You are definitely in a quandary! 你打算怎么办？哇！你真的是进退两难！ 5. In two minds 犹豫不决 Two people have very different ways of thinking because they have two separate minds. So, to be in two minds describes how we feel when we cannot decide whether to do one thing or another. 两个人的思维方式截然不同是因为他们思考的大脑完全不同，所以当不能决定做哪件事情的时候，我们就可以用in two minds来描述我们的感受。 I am in two minds about ending my relationship with Kenny; he is adorable, but I don’t think he is my type. 我对结束与肯尼的关系这件事情犹豫不决；他值得崇拜，但是我认为他不是我喜欢的类型。 6. It’s a no-brainer 毫无疑问，很简单。 When the decision is so obvious and requires little or no thought, it is said to be a no-brainer. 当决定很明显，很少需要甚至根本不需要思考的时候，就可以用it’s a no-brainer来表示。 My homework is a no-brainer today. 今天的家庭作业很简单。 7. It’s a win, win. 双赢 A situation that will have beneficial results for everyone involved is called a win-win scenario. 对每个人都有好处就叫做双赢。 Alice is going to the movies and Mary is going shopping, it’s a win-win. 爱丽丝要去看电影，玛丽要去购物，这简直双赢。 8. Keep my options open 保留选择权 A person who does not commit to any one thing because they like to be able to choose what they want to do at the last possible moment. 一个人不承诺任何事情，是因为他们想在最后一刻选择自己想做的事情。 I haven’t decided which University I am going to yet. I would like to keep my options open. 我还没有决定我要上哪所大学，我想保留我的选择权。 9. My way or the highway 我说了算 It means the listener must either do what that person says or go away; they have no choice or alternative. 这意味着听者要么做别人所说，要么走开；他们没有选择的权利。 It’s my way or the highway; please do as I tell you. 我说了算；请按我告诉你的做。 10. On the fence 保持中立，抱观望态度 A fence divides two sides, so if we are on the fence, we are undecided. We are in the middle. 栅栏分两部分，所以如果说we are on the fence，那就说明我们还没有决定。我们正保持中立。 I was on the fence about which company to work for because both had offered me great jobs. 至于在哪家公司工作我还在抱观望态度，因为他们都给我提供了很好的工作。 11. Out of the frying pan into the fire 每况愈下，越来越糟 A frying pan is used to describe a bad situation because it is a hot and unfriendly place to be.However, a fire is even worse than a frying pan. Therefore to go out of the frying pan into the fire means to go from a bad situation to an even worse one. A frying pan主要用来描述一个糟糕的情况，因为既炎热又不友好。然而，火甚至比煎锅表达的意思还要糟糕。因此，走出油锅进入火场意味着从一个糟糕的局面走到更加糟糕的境地。 Susie went out of the frying pan into the fire when she screamed at the customers. 当苏西对顾客大喊大叫时，情况就更加糟糕了。 |
