1. baloney 胡说八道
2. bang for the buck 货真价实
3. do a bang up 干得很棒
4. Barbie Doll 没有头脑的人，徒有其表的人
5. a bargaining chip 讨价还价的本钱
6. no bam-burner 没什么了不起
7. a basket case 走投无路，无依无靠
8. bat around 无所事事
9. bat the breeze 闲扯
10. beat a dead horse 争论已经解决了问题
习惯用语
1. running short 短缺
2. be going up 物价上涨
3. sheer baloney 纯粹是一派胡言
4. through the grapevine 传闻，小道消息
5. be run off one’s feet 忙不过来；疲于奔命
6. There’s no fire without smoke. 无风不起浪。
7. may come in handy 会有用得着的时候
8. enough for… 足够……
9. get on someone’s nerves 使某人心烦
10. do something for nothing 没事找事
11. purchase important items 买大件物品
12. do tip-top 干得很棒
13. be convinced of… 相信
14. put away… 把……放过来
15. carry chips on one’s shoulder 爱争吵，好生气
16. brains 聪明的，智慧的
17. flog a dead horse 做无用功，瞎耽误工夫
18. get down to one’s brass tacks 开始干正事
19. have another fish to fry 另有事情得做
20. tidy up… 整理
21. have many irons in the fire 同时有许多事情要做
22. do first things first 先干主要的事
23. depend on…取决于……
24. be regarded as… 被认为是……
25. bargain with 讨价还价 ，争论
26. be considerate 体谅人
27. twiddle one’s thumbs 闲得无聊
28. pound the pavement 忙着找工作
29. get laid off 被解雇
30. be to blame 应该责怪
31. an unskilled worker 没有技术的人
32. be in the same boat 处境相同
33. use one’s noodle 好好动动脑筋
34. bring home the bacon 谋生
35. pull the strings 暗地里使劲
36. not give someone a tumble 不理睬某人
37. keep an ear open 注意听着
38. stay idle 闲呆着
39. the provider 养家糊口的人
40. bone up on…专心干……
41. keep one’s fingers crossed 等着好消息，
42. The darkest hour is nearest dawn. 曙光就在眼前
43. Actions speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩
44. let someone down 让某人失望
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A=Frank B=Susan
A: You seem to be crazy! Why are you buying a lot of cotton-made things?
B: Don’t you know that cotton is running short（短缺）this year? Prices will be going up（上涨）.
A: That’s sheer（纯粹是）baloney! Why do you always believe things through the grapevine（传闻）?
B: Shops have been run off their feet（忙不过来）now. There’s no fire without smoke（无风不起浪）.
A: Listen! It’s mid-summer now. What do we need them for?
B: They may come in handy（会有用得着的时候）. Besides, these items can be true bang for the buck（货真价实）.
A: True bang for the buck? They’re enough for ten years’ use.
B: Stop getting on my nerves（别烦我）! I’m not doing something for nothing（没事找事）！Didn’t you say that I often do a bang-up job on purchasing important items（买件大物品）for the family, Frank?
A: I did think you had done everything tip-top（干得很棒）. But this time you have done a different thing.
B: You won’t be convinced of（相信）my right decision until prices are going up（物价上涨）.
A: Do you want to convince me of spending of lot of money on things that we have to put away（放起来）in the warehouse?
B: I don’t carry chips on my shoulder（不愿和你吵）. But you’ll soon realize…
A: Realize what?
B: You will realize I am right.
A: Sometimes you look like brains（聪明的）, and sometimes you’re simply a Barbie Doll.
B: I don’t know if I am a Barbie Doll or you are one.
A: Maybe I am a Barbie Doll, but I won’t do Barbie Doll things.
B: Well, I am not going to flog a dead horse（瞎耽误功夫）. Let’s get down to our brass tacks（干正经事）and tidy these things up.
A: Can I be excused for the job? I’ve some other things to do.
B: Have another fish to fry（另有事做）again? Well, you don’t have a bargaining chip today. Finish tidying up（整理）these things before going away.
A: Can’t you be sensible and considerate? I indeed have many irons in the fire（同时有很多事要做）.
B:I have many irons in the fire, too. But let’s finish first things first（先干最主要的事）.
A: Why do you often think of my business as no ban-burner?
B: That’s because you haven’t done anything great.
A: That depends on（取决于）how you look at it. Everything can be great and everything can be not.
B: Show me a thing you have done that can be regarded as（被认为是）being great before bargaining with（争论） me.
A: I’d be a basket case if you think of me that way. I need your understanding.
B: I know. I know. But you always bat around without doing things useful.
A: Can’t you be more considerate（体谅些）? I need your encouragement.
B: All right. Do what you can do now instead of twiddling your thumbs（闲得无聊）.
A: Let’s now talk like sensible people. How long have you been batting around?
A: I know I haven’t done anything great. But jobs are scarce. I have been pounding the pavements（忙着找工作）since I got laid off（被解雇）. But I’m still trying to find a job.
B: Who is to blame（怨谁呢）for all this? And who would hire an unskilled worker（没有技术的人）?
A: In fact, there are many people in the same boat（处境相同）. Some guys have been batting around for many years.
B: I don’t want you to be one of these guys. You will have no use your noodle（好好动动脑筋）and bring home the bacon（谋生）.
A: All right. I’ll go and have a talk with John. I’ll ask him to help me.
B: Did you have a talk with John yesterday?
A: Yeah, we had a good talk and he concerned about my plight（我的处境）.
B: Did he say that he could help you to find a job?
A: At first we only batted the breeze（闲扯）about modern life and modern pressure. Then I asked him if he could pull the strings（暗地里使劲）.
B: What did he say? Not giving you a tumble（不理睬）, I think?
A: He promised that he would keep an ear open.
B: I don’t like to beat the dead horse, but you can’t stay idle（闲呆着）like this. You’re actually the provider（养家糊口的人）.
A: I know. But you are actually beating the dead horse（争论已经解决的问题） again and again
B: Make sure that I won’t. I mean, you must bone up on（专心干）something.
A: Of course I’ll do something. I’m just thinking of what to do. And… keep your fingers crossed（等着好消息吧）. The darkest hour is nearest down（黑暗即将离去，曙光就在眼前）.
B: Actions speak louder than words（事实胜于雄辩）, Frank. You can’t let me down（让我失望）again.
The End of Part 4
To be continue............................................