Unit One
核心语汇

action

Everyday Expressions
Now it’s time to take action. (现在是该行动的时候了。)
The action is set in Paris. (事情发生在巴黎。)
The action lasted five hours. (战斗持续了5个小时）
She decided to take a legal action against him. (她决定起诉他。)
The action took place in a mountain village. (这个故事发生在一个山村里。)
　　
Street Talks
If you guys are going to bet on the basketball game, I want a piece of the action. (算我一份)
Action stations, everyone! The president has arrived! (各就各位)
Lights, camera, action! (What a director would say when shooting a film.（灯光、摄像、开拍！）(导演用语)
He likes being part of the action. (他喜欢参与。)

Proverbs
Actions speak louder than words. 行动胜于语言。
Don’t judge a man’s actions at first sight; give them a second look. 乍看难评人，再看认得清。

animal

Everyday Expressions
We should protect animals.
Drinking alcohol releases the animal in man. (喝酒使人兽行大发。)

Street Talks
A: Rebecca, I got a D in maths this term. What do I do?
B: Sorry about that, Freddie. Cheer up! You can make it next term.But frankly speaking, if you weren’t such a party animal, you’d have more time for studying. （喜欢参加聚会的人）
A: Joanna usually talks to animals and toys.
B: Poor Jo. If only she had a healthy family!
Youth is/are full of animal spirits. （精力十分旺盛）
That fighter is really an animal when he steps in the (boxing)ring. （当这个拳击手开始比赛的时候，他立刻变成了一个真正的野兽。）

baby

Everyday Expressions

She is expecting a baby. (她怀孕了。) 注：baby的性别不明时，通常用 it 来指代。
Don’t be such a baby! (不要这样孩子气！)
Hey babe, you’d like another drink?

Street Talks
A: Rosemary, will you go to the movies with me tonight?
B: I wish I could, Jo. But my baby’s taking me out to dinner tonight. (情人）
A: Tom, I need your help. It’s out of control here.
B: Come on, dear. You can make it. Come on! Give the talk. The whole plan is your baby. (由你负责）
Angela has a baby face.
Don’t cry, baby girl. That’s all right.
Hi baby(babe), would you like me to take you home?
A: That wasn’t hard at all.
B: No, like stealing candy from a baby.

Proverbs
The rich get richer and the poor get babies. 富人发财，穷人得子。
beauty

Everyday Expressions
She was a famous beauty in her youth.
We shall never forget the beauty of the old Beijing.
The beauty of this machine is its simplicity. (这机器的优点在于简单。)
　　
Street Talks
A: Mom it hurts.
B: This black eye you got in the fight is a real beauty,huh?!
A: Please! Mom!
Saving petrol, you know, that’s the beauty of buying a small car.
The beauty of his new job is that he works his own hours. (flexible hours)
A: Why don’t you come with us?
B: I need my beauty sleep, you know. (我需要大睡一场)

Proverbs
Beauty is but skin-deep. 红颜易变。
Beauty without virtue is a flower without perfume. 貌美而无德，犹如花之无香。
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. / Beauty lies in lover's eyes. 情人眼里出西施。

Everyday Expressions

She killed two birds with one stone by shopping and visiting the museum on the same trip. (她出门一次，既买了东西又参观了博物馆，真是一举两得。)
She is a strange bird.

Street Talks
A: I’ll never be a telephone operator! That job is for the birds（毫无价值的/无聊的）
B: That’s you! Personally, I think it’s an interesting job.
A: Gee, you are one strange bird. (古怪的人)
A: Hi Rick,guess what, Wallace’s twenty years old and doesn’t Know about the birds and the bees.
B: You’re kidding!
C: Hey guys, what’re you talking about?
A: We’re talking about Wallace.
C: What about him?
B: Jack says Wallace doesn’t know about the birds and the bees!!!
C: That explains why he’s a bird-watcher! (喜欢盯着女人看的男人)
A: What are you doing up here?
B: I want to get a bird’s eye view of the campus. I don’t think I’ll ever be an early bird.
A: Do you see that?
B: What?
A: That guy just gave you the bird!
　　
Proverbs
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
一鸟在手胜于两鸟在林。[明天得一百不如今天得五十/到手的东西才是可靠的]
Birds of the same feather flock together.
羽毛相同的鸟会结群在一起。[物以类聚]
The early bird catches the worm.
早起的鸟有虫吃。[捷足先登。]
Kill two birds with one stone.
用一个石头打死两只鸟。[一箭双雕，一举两得]

body
　　
Everyday Expressions
Swimming is the best way to tone your body. (增强体质。)
The mind governs the body. (精神支配肉体。)
Congress is a legislative body. (国会是立法机关。)
There’s something wrong with the body of a letter.

Street Talks
You’ve got the body and I’ve got the brains.(You’re good-looking,I’m smart.)
A: Where did you bury his body? (尸体)
B: On the the back hill.

A: Dad, I found a dealer!
B: Over my dead body will you sell this house. (除非我死了）

A: It’s illegal to write this kind of article. You see?
B: I’ll write whatever I want to!

A: But they’ll put you in prison,dear?!
B: They can imprison my body, but not my mind.

A: I do not think Tracy is very good-looking.
B: But you’ve got to love that body!

Proverbs
A little body often harbours a great soul.
莫道身躯小，伟人寓其间。

boy

Everyday Expressions
Put out that troublesome boy. (把那个捣蛋的男孩赶出去。)
Cheer up, my boy!
The bell boy is very responsible.
Oh, boy ,what a beautiful girl!

Street Talks
The cowboys in that movie are mostly nature boys.
(男性味十足的男人)
A: Oh, boy! Look at that! (哎！哇！）
B: What’s up?
A: That house is on fire!

A: Mr. Smith, your son saved his classmate from drowning this morning!
B: That’s my boy! (好小子)

A: Boy, you’re in trouble!
B: Why?
A: Mom found out you’ve been skipping school.

You’d better listen to me, boy!
Hey, don’t fight! He’s my boy. (buddy)
I went to the bar with the boys last night.

Proverbs
As the boy is, so is the man.
三岁看老。

business

Everyday Expressions
It’s your business to take care of the kids. (你的职责是照顾孩子。)
What line of business are you in? (你从事那一行？)
John wants to go into business when he leaves university.

Street Talks
A: Hi Bob, how’s business? (情况如何)
B: Just okay.
A: Okay, enough small talk. Let’s get down to business/talk business. (谈正题吧)
B: Good idea.
A: Since we’re good friends, you don't have to pay me.
B: No, I can’t accept it. Business is business.
A: Joanna, will you go out with me tonight?
B: I’d like to, but I’m afraid I can’t. I have another date
　　tonight.
A: With who?
B: David! C’mon! It’s none of your business. (你就别管了)
A: Why are you so happy?
B: Well, the bank just called and agreed to finance us. So we are in business now, buddy!
A: Hi Jane where’s your husband?
B: He’s away on business.
I majored in bookkeeping in business school.
There is a war going on, for God’s sake! We can’t go on business as usual.
Be careful, these guys mean business.

谚语Proverbs
Business makes a man as well as tries him.
事业既会考验人，也会造就人。
Business is the salt of life.
事业是人生之盐，不可缺少。
Business neglected is business lost.
疏忽必失。
car

义 Everyday Expressions

He goes to school by car.

Cafe cars are operated on trains by the Railways. (列车上有吸烟休息室的餐车由铁道部门经营。)

I go to work by street car every day. (有轨电车)

生活用语Street Talks
This train has a restaurant car. (餐车 BrE)
If George hadn’t wrapped his car around a tree, he’d be here
to cut his birthday cake tonight. (高速驾车撞上某物)
There was a car jack this morning in the east part of city. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The perputrator is still al large.
A: Would you mind giving me a push? My car has stalled. (熄火)
B: My pleasure.
A: Can I borrow your car tonight?
B: Just make sure you don’t wreck it.
A: Nancy, you want to go to a movie now?
B: Sorry, I can’t leave now. I’m car pooling today.
chance
义 Everyday Expressions
Bill left everything to chance. (每件事都听其自然。)
John wants to go abroad when he gets a chance.
This ideal stands a good chance of realization.
　　

生活用语Street Talks
A: Sally, I was wondering if I, I could borrow…Well I mean…Imean borrow…
B: Money? Me lend you money! Not a chance! (全无机会)
A: Well Mr. Black, I appreciate your interest in our company,
but I doubt you can do this job properly.
B: I’m sure I can do it well. I’ve always wanted to be the best in whatever I did. Give me a chance. (给我一次机会吧)
A: I wish I could. But you even don’t have a B.A, so I’m sorry to say there’s no chance. (不可能)
B: You’re questioning my ability? I tell ya, I can make it! I’ll talk to your boss.
A: Mr. Black, I don’t think my boss will talk to you. It’s a Chinaman’s chance.
B: You think so? Let’s take a chance! (让我们试试看）
A: Well, the debate was fair.
B: Yeah, you said it. Each opponent had a chance to speak.
A: As chance would have it, I ran into Ron today. (很凑巧）
B: Do you have a cigarette by chance? (凑巧)
A: VV, would you lend me 50,000?
B: Fat chance!
What about my chances to got this job?
Are you from China by any chance?

谚语Proverbs
Chance dispenses life with unequal justice.
人生际遇，难得平等。
Whom chance often passes by, it finds at last.
错过机会的人，最终还会找到机会。

child(ren)

义 Everyday Expressions

Tom’s first child died two days after he got divorced.

My wife is a child in financial matters. (我的妻子不善于理财。)
n. 产儿，产物
His books were the children of his brain.
生活用语Street Talks
A: Daddy, uncle Willie is too fat.
B: Huh! He’ll be angry when he hears that.
C: Let it be, honey. He’s only a child. Children and fools speak the truth.
A: Children enter school at five, don’t they?
B: Yes. And in secondary school, children get more advanced knowledge.
A: That’s not fair!
B: Stop acting like such a child! (别这么幼稚。)
A: Was the test difficult?
B: Child’s play. (小儿科。)
I’m a real wild child. I like to drink, chase women, and smoke weed. (大麻)
谚语Proverbs
Children and fools cannot lie.
孩子和傻子，不会说谎。
Children are poor men’s riches.
孩子是穷人的财产。
The child is father of the man
童年的经历可决定成年以后的性格（三岁看大）。

clock

　　义 Everyday Expressions
I set my alarm clock for 6.30. (我把闹钟拨到6点半响。)
This old car has clocked up another 50,000 kilometers. (这部老爷车已经行驶了5万公里）
He clocked 9.6 seconds for the 100 meters. (他用9.6秒跑完100米）
生活用语Street Talks
A: Damn George, he’s trying to kill the clock. (为保持分数而拿着球拖延比赛时间）
B: We’ve got to stop him. Come on!
If ya don’t shut up, buster, I’m gonna clean your clock! (狠揍你一顿)
The new regulations will put the clock back by 50 years.
(新的规章是开倒车，要退回50年前的水平。)
A: All staff in the company are required to clock in. (记录上班时间)
B: Clock in? You mean punch in? (同样表示记录上班时间）
A: Yes!
B: Do we have staff who usually clock in late?
A: Sometimes, yes.
B: Well I used to set my alarm clock for exactly 7 o’clock
　　a.m. I’m sure I won’t be late for work.
Let’s stay the clock babygirl, and enjoy ourselves. (忘记时间)
　　
谚语Proverbs
A clock that stands still is better than one that goes
wrong.
不走的钟比不准的钟更好。

company

义 Everyday Expressions
I don’t feel at home in Alice’s company. (觉得不自在。)
George keeps his own company. (独来独往)
This company laid off 100 hands. (人)
公司名通常简写为: Co.例：史密斯公司--- Smith Co.
a company of players (演出团)
生活用语Street Talks
A: Jack doesn’ t enjoy the company of the opposite sex!
（不喜欢与异性作伴）
B: What a queer bird! (多奇怪的人啊！)
C: No, I don’t think so. I think he’s glad of Joanna’s company!
A: See, they’re over there!!!
A: What does your son do f0or a living?
B: He works for a shipping company.
　　 A: John and Kate are keeping company. (谈恋爱）
B: Well I don’t think they are serious.
Leo got tired of the espionage game and quit the Company.
(间谍活动;美国中央情报局)
　　 Parents usually remind their kids to avoid the company of
strangers. (避免与陌生人交往)
　　谚语 Proverbs
Better go it alone than to be in bad company.
宁可一人独往，莫与坏人为伴。
You may know a man by the company he keeps.
只见其友则知其人。