習語集錦【23】

1. Act up to something: act according to one's principles,etc. 根據原則等行事

　　Example: Mr Lin claims to have high principles, but he doesn't always act up to his proclaimed ethics.

　　2. Actions speak louder than words: what we do is more important than what we say. 行動勝於語言

　　Example: To prove that he is an honest person, Jim behaved himself. Actions speak louder than words.

　　3. Adapt oneself to something: make oneself suitable for something. 適應於

　　Example: When you go to a foreign land, you must adapt yourself to the new customs there.

　　4. Beat a （hasty）retreat: go away in a hurry. 倉皇撤退；匆匆走開

　　Example: When the rascals saw the policeman, they beat a retreat.

　　5. Beat about the bush:（in the negative）go round a subject instead of coming directly to the point. 柺彎抹角地說。

　　Example: If you have anything to say, go straight to the point. Don't beat about the bush.

　　6. Beat down （a price）: lower the price by bargaining. 降低某物價格

　　Example: Since $30 is too expensive, you can beat down the price as you wish.

　　7. Carry all / everything before someone: be completely successful.完全成功

　　Examples: 1. In school, Sam carried all before him.

　　2.The soldiers carried everything before them and gained the control of the place.

　　8. Defraud someone of something:deceive someone so as to get or keep something wrongly or illegally. 從某人処騙取某物

　　Example: The cashier defrauded the boss of thousands of dollars.

　　9. Defuse a situation:make the situation less harmful or dangerous. 緩和危急侷麪。

　　Example: The police chief succeeded in defusing the situation before any real trouble started.

　　10. Defy someone to do something: challenge someone to do something. 激某人做不願做的事

　　Example: Since you are a brave man, I defy you to fight that bully.

　　11. Eat away something:destroy something by chemical action. 腐蝕

　　Example:The acid has eaten away the metal bit by bit.

　　12. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die: We should enjoy ourselves while we can because life is uncertain. 生命無常應自我享受

　　Example: Life is full of imponderables. Hence, let's eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

　　13. Eat humble pie: be more respectful or apologetic than one has been before. 賠禮

　　Example: If his wife excused herself, would he not make her eat humble pie again?