1. have some buttons missing 精神失常
2. get the inside track 占明显的优势
3. have one’s ticket punched 有做某事的合法资格或权利
4. hayseed 乡下人，乡巴佬
5. a headache 令人头疼的事情
6. head for… 走向……， 向……走去
7. a headliner 最引人注目的人
8. head trip 大胆、新颖的见解；奇谈怪论
9. hell to pay 不堪设想的后果
10. hex 不吉祥的东西；祸根
11. high-hat 自命不凡的人
12. be high on… 热衷于……，沉醉于……
13. hit it off with someone 与某人有交情
14. high-ups 上层人物
15. be hinky 形迹可疑
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习惯用语
1. squeeze someone out of… 把某人从……中排挤出去
2. be still wet behind the ears 太没有经验的，幼稚的
3. get an upper hand 占上风
4. there’s no way 没有办法，没有可能
5. talk big 吹牛
6. gimmicks 花招
7. Evils bounce back.. 恶有恶报
8. do any evil things 做恶事
9. die by one’s own hand 自取灭亡；自杀
10. put someone in the picture 把真相告诉某人
11. Good wine needs no bush. 酒香客自来
12. begin to see light 开始明白
13. the local authorities 地方当局
14. a job to do… ……不是件容易的事
15. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. 有志者事竟成
16. look up to someone 高看某人一眼
17. think twice 三思
18. be acquainted with… 熟悉……
19. Opportunities knock only once. 机不可失。
20. not in favor of… 不赞同 ……
21. under the table 不正当的
22. above the board 光明正大地
23. be on the watch out 警惕
24. stick out like a sore thumb 特别扎眼
25. give someone some sugared pill 给某人点甜头
26. have someone eating out of one’s hands 使某人服服帖帖
27. the layout of… 某地的情况
28. throw cautions to he wind 不管三七二十一
29. watch one’s steps 办事小心谨慎
30. blow the whistle on… 检举……
31. be on edge 坐立不安
32. have a hunch that… 预感到
33. writings on the wall 危险信号
34. be off the beams 走邪路
35. be too self-conceited 过分自负
36. play it safe 办事稳妥
37. twiddle one’s thumbs 闲得无聊
38. rack one’s brains 绞尽脑汁
39. be on pins and needles 如坐针毡
40. take one’s shirt off one’s back 全力帮助
41. the cards are in one’s hands 有成功的把握
42. let the cat out of the bag 泄露秘密
43. Come back with flying colors.凯旋而归。
44. get in with someone 为了某种目的和某人套近乎
45. take charge of… 负责……
46. put out a feeler 试探某人的反应
47. keep someone at bay 牵制住某人
48. have a card up one’s sleeve 有个王牌，妙计
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A: You must have some buttons missing（神经有点失常）. How can you think you can squeeze them out of （排挤出去）the business line. They’re all doing a booming business.
B: Maybe you’re still wet behind the ears（太幼稚）. Everything is in the picture. We are getting an upper hand（占上风）over them. You’ll soon see what I can do.
A: I know we are gaining an upper hand（占上风）, but there’s no way（没有可能）for us to squeeze them out of the line.
B: I have got the inside track（占有明显的优势）. I’ll soon let you know the advantage.
A: Stop talking big（别吹牛了）. Any gimmicks（花招）will not help you to accomplish that goal. Besides, I don’t see any point in doing that, and it won’t do us any good. Evils bounce back（恶有恶报）, you know?
B: I won’t do any evil things（做恶事）to them. I’ll let them die by their own hand（自取灭亡；自杀）.
A: I’m puzzled. Can you put me in the picture（把真相告诉我）about what you are thinking of doing?
B: Good wine needs no bush（酒好客自来）. I’ll expand our business range and improve our service. Besides, I’ll engage myself in a price game. Cheaper prices are the great attractions.
A: I think I’m beginning to see light（开始明白）. But expanding the business requires a large sum of money. Besides, we do not have our ticket punched for doing something else.
B: I know we’re not having the license（没有营业执照）to sell alcohol and soft drinks, but I’ll soon have our ticket punched for that business.
A: We’re strangers here. How can we get the approval from the local authorities（地方当局）? It’s quite a job（不是件容易的事）to have this sort of ticket punched here.
B: Where there’s a will, there’s a way（有志者事竟成）. You see, the officials are all hayseeds and they look up to（高看，看得起）outsiders. A small amount of money will be enough to please them.
A: I now know what you are going to do. Bribe them. But that’s quite a headache. It’s risky business. You must think twice（要三思）.
B: I’ve thought about it many times and now I’m quite sure of what I’m doing.
A: But we’ve been here for only two years and we are not acquainted with（熟悉）the local customs yet. We’d better wait till the chance arrives.
B: Opportunities knock only once（机不可失）. Time is money, you know?
A: I know. But I’m not in favor of（不赞同）any business under the table（不正当的）. We have been doing everything above the board（光明正大）. I do not want to be heading for a doom.
B: What did you say? Am I heading for a doom? I’m trying to upgrade our business.
A: One fact I must remind you of is that you’re already become a headliner in this area, and some of the local restaurant bosses are already on the watch out（警惕起来）for you. I don’t want you to stick out like a sore thumb（特别扎眼）.
B: I know how to please the hayseeds. I give them some sugared pill （给点甜头）and I can have all of them eating out of my hands （让他们服服帖帖）.
A: I know you’re marvelous at making a head-trip, but doing things in a strange place involves a lot of difficulties and risks.
B: In some cases you’re right. But now I’m no longer a stranger here. I’ve already go the layout of（正当情况）this small city and the local social customs.
A: But you still need to be careful. A minor misstep will cause great trouble for us. You can’t throw cautions to be wind（不管三七二十一）.
B: I know that. And I’m not heading for（没有找）any trouble. I’ve learned to watch my steps（办事小心谨慎）since my childhood.
A: But if someone blows the whistle on （检举）your bribing the officials, there will be hell to pay. I’m indeed frightened at that.
B: There are many ways to bribe. I know which way works better.
A: Since you told me what you were going to do, I’ve been on edge（坐立不安）all the time. And now I have a hunch that（预感到）there must be a hex（不吉祥的东西） in your insistence on doing the sort of thing.
B: It’s all because of your being too frightened. I haven’t seen any writing on the wall（危险信号）. My sixth sense tells me I’m right and I am not at all off the beams（没有走斜路）.
A: Don’t you know that you are being too self-conceited（过分自负的）? I’m indeed worried stiff（急得要命）about you being a high-hat. That can be a hex, too.
B: Don’t make such a judgment of me before you get the proof. I’ve told you that I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m playing it safe（办事稳妥）.
A: It would be too late if I got the proof. We’d better play it safe.
B: How do you play it safe? Sitting here all day and twiddle your thumbs（闲得无聊）?
A: Don’t talk to me like this. I am a woman, a woman who prefers a peaceful life.
B: I’m not doing anything that threatens your peace. I’m racking my brains（绞尽脑汁）for a better business.
A: I know. But you said you were going to bribe the local officials. That makes me feel as if I am on pins and needles（如坐针毡）.
B: Calm down, Lora. Let me put you in the picture（了解真相）. I hit if off with one of the township officials and I have already consulted him about all that. He said that he would take his shirt off his back（全力帮助）so long as I submit all the necessary documents.
A: I didn’t know the cards are in your hands（有成功的把握）. You should have told me earlier.
B: I was thinking of giving you a surprise. I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag（泄露秘密）before I came back with flying colors（凯旋而归）.
A: I could never imagine you should have cultivated（亲热）one of the local high-ups. How did you get in with him（套近乎）?
B: I got to know him at a dinner party. I was sitting next to him and we hit it off at the first sight.
A: You are lucky. But do you think the official could be of some help?
B: Some help? He could be of great use to us in here. He takes charge of（负责）the department.
A: I think you had better play it safe by putting out a feeler（试探……的反应）to him. If you find anything hinky（可疑的）, you can keep him at bay（牵制住）and avoid future trouble.
B: Don’t be so suspicious. I know him pretty well. I can assure you of his honesty with us.
A: That’s good. But you still need to have a card up your sleeve（有个王牌）. We cannot afford（承担不起）any risk.
B: That’s for sure. Well, I’ve invited him to dinner the day after tomorrow. Please come and let your own judgment feeling tell you if he’s reliable.
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