1. chew the fat 闲聊
2. chicken-livered 胆小的，胆怯的
3. chicken out on… 因胆怯而退缩，临阵脱逃
4. chill out 歇一会儿
5. china doll 娇媚的女子
6. white mule 酒
7. chin music 应酬话，闲聊
8. clam up 保持沉没
9. clip joint 高消费的场所
10. clock-watcher 老看钟点等下班的人
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习惯用语
１. brain storm 广泛议论
２. shoot the breeze 闲聊
３. have a barrel of fun 很开心
４. make fun of… 开……的玩笑
５. make up one’s mind 下定决心
６. see eye to eye 看法一致
７. see an angle 看到好处
８. have the gall to do… 有胆量去干……
９. talk sense into… 开导……
１０. embark on… 开始专心干……
１１. be a barking dog 没心肺的人
１２. whistle in the dark 嘴上逞强
１３. give up… 放弃……
１４. Opportunity knocks only once. 机会难得。
１５. Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁。
１６. cannot be more wrong 大错特错
１７. do tip-top 干得很棒
１８. public relations公共关系
１９. be hush-hush 不能声张的事
２０. white mule trafficking 贩酒
２１. a dangerous and risky business 冒很大的风险的生意
２２. make big bucks 赚大钱
２３. doom 毁灭
２４. be in the dark about… 对……一无所知
２５. medicinal stuff 医药成分
２６. be confronted with… 面临……
２７. put in one’s two cents worth 为某人说句好话
２８. bump into… 撞见
２９. be in a hurry 仓促地
３０. treat someone to… 用……招待某人
３１. cost an arm and a leg 价格昂贵
３２. pinch pennies 花钱节俭
３３. splurge 挥霍
３４. goof off 开小差
３５. knock off 收工，下班
３６. give someone the bag 解雇某人
３７. blow one’s own trumpet 自吹自擂
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A: Where did you go last night?
B: I was in Sally’s place. We were chewing the fat and brain storming（议论）for a business line.
A: You must have had great fun shooting the breeze（闲聊）with her.
B: Yeah. We had a barrel of fun（很开心）. I enjoy talking and making fun of（开玩笑）each other.
A: Have you made up your mind（下决心）and decided on what you do?
B: Sort of yes. But we have a lot of difficulties.
A: Did you see eye to eye（看法一致）with Sally on what to do?
B: Well, she saw an angle（看到好处）in what I suggested, but she didn’t seem to have the gall to（有胆量去）start on the business.
A: She is chicken-livered, I suppose?
B: Yeah. But I talked sense into（开导）her and encouraged her to embark on（开始专心干某事）the project.
A: But she sometimes seems to be a barking dog（没心没肺的人）, not afraid of anything.
B: She is only whistling in the dark（嘴上逞强）. She is actually a very shy girl.
A: Did you talk her into doing what you aim at?
B: At first she seemed to have the determination, but soon changed her mind and wanted to chicken out on it.
A: If I were you, I would find another girl. I wouldn’t like working with a chicken-hearted（胆小的人）person like her.
A: What will you do now? Give up（放弃） the business?
B: Of course not. And I won’t chill out. Opportunity knocks only once（机会难得）.
A: You should strike while the iron is hot（趁热打铁）.
B: You are right. I will have another talk with her about that.
A: But I don’t think a china doll like Sally with be of great help in doing business.
B: You cannot be more wrong（大错特错）. I need her for a special role.
A: A special role? What can a china doll do?
B: There are many important things she can do. She’ll do tip-top（干得很棒）in public relations（公共关系）.
A: I now know what you mean. But she doesn’t seem to be intelligent enough to do the job well. By the way, what exactly are you thinking of doing?
B: It’s hush-hush（不能声张）for now.
A: Not for white mule trafficking（贩酒）, I suppose.
B: Of course not. That is a dangerous and risky business（冒很大的风险的生意）.
A: But that’s the quickest way to make big bucks（赚大钱）.
B: That’s also the way to doom（毁灭）yourself.
A: But you have only giving me your chin music, I’m still in the dark（一无所知）about what exactly you are going to do.
B: Well, I’m thinking of an import business.
A: I know it’s an import business. But what items do you want to import?
B: A sort of medicinal stuff（医药成分）from China.
A: Did you say you are confronted with（面临）a lot of difficulties?
B: Yeah. It’s hard to get a license（执照）. And we need to rent an office, too.
A: Why don’t you ask Frank to help? He might be able to put in his two cenworth（说句好话）.
B: When I mentioned that, he clammed up, obviously refusing to help.
A: You were talking to him at the wrong time, I suppose.
B: You are right. I bumped into（撞见）him and hurried to let him know what I am going to do. And he seemed to be in a hurry（仓促地）, too.
A: Why don’t you give him a ring and ask him to have a drink? Mood is very important, you know?
B: I know that. I thought I would treat him to a dinner（请吃顿饭）in a good restaurant, but most of the restaurant nearby are clip joints（高消费场所）. It costs you an arm and a leg, you know?
A: It’s not the time for you to pinch pennies（节俭）. It’s the time for you to splurge （挥霍）a bit.
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B: I didn’t expect to see you at this hour. You must have goofed off（开小差）again.
A: Goofed off? Maybe, but I’m not a clock-watcher. I finished doing what I should and then knock off（收工）an hour earlier.
B: You’ll be sorry if the boss finds it out. He may probably give you the bag（解雇）.
A: I’m sure of what I’m doing. He depends on me for many important things.
B: Don’t blow your own trumpet（自吹自擂）. You will have to be careful.
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To be continue......................................