如果说一个人毫无畏惧地“咬开子弹”，就是指他在面对逆境时表现出了莫大的勇气。这个短语使人回想起19世纪50年代一次危险的军事演习。那时候，士兵们配备了英式的恩菲尔德步枪。使用之前，他们必须先咬下子弹头，这样才能使里面的弹药暴露出来让火花引燃。这个过程充满了危险，尤其是在战役进入白热化阶段的时候。它要求士兵坚定沉着、勇敢无畏，因为哪怕是一丁点儿的走神或犹豫都可能危及士兵自身。
Blow hot and cold 反复无常
People who waver in their opinions and quickly change from being enthusiastic to showing disinterest are said to "blow hot and cold". The saying can be traced to one of Aesop's Fables. It was a cold winter's day, and the freezing traveler was blowing on his stiff fingers. Mystified, a satyr23) wanted to know what he was doing. The man explained to him that, with his breath, he was warming his chilled fingers. Taking pity on him, the satyr invited the man to his home for a hot meal. This time, he watched him blowing on the food, which intrigued24) him all the more25). Inquiring why he did so, his guest explained that he was blowing on the stew to cool it down. There and then the satyr told the traveler to leave at once. He was not prepared to entertain, or even mix with26), someone who could "blow hot and cold from the same mouth".
人们表达意见时摇摆不定，突然从满怀热情变得漠不关心，这种行为就被描述为“一会儿吹热气一会儿吹冷气”。这个习语可追溯到《伊索寓言》中的一个故事。寒冬里的一天，一个快要冻僵的旅人正对着自己僵硬的手指呵气。森林之神萨梯很迷惑，想知道他在做什么。这个人向他解释说，呼出来的热气可以温暖冻僵的手指。萨梯很可怜他，就邀请他到自己家里吃一顿热腾腾的饭。这时，他注意到这个人又在向食物吹气，这让他越发不解。萨梯问客人为何这么做，客人解释说向炖菜上吹气能使之冷却下来。萨梯随即要求这个旅人立刻离开，他不想款待甚至不想和这样的人交往，因为这个人竟然能“用同一张嘴巴一会儿吹出热气一会儿吹出冷气”。
Break a leg 大获成功
To wish an actor prior to his going on stage to "break a leg" is a well-known practice. A pretty strange wish, actually it is meant magically to bring him luck and make sure that his performance will be a success. From the superstitious27) age it was thought that jealous forces, always present, are only too anxious to spoil any venture28). A good luck wish would alert and provoke29) them to do their evil work, whilst a curse will make them turn their attention elsewhere. The underlying principle is the belief that if you wish evil, then good will come. I'm sure it's called reverse psychology these days.
在演员登台前祝愿他“折断一条腿”是一种广为流传的做法。真是十分奇怪的祝福，但实际上这是希望它能神奇般地带给接受祝福的人好运，确保他的演出成功。从迷信时代开始，人们就认为无时不在的“嫉妒心”会使人焦虑不已，从而毁掉一切机会。一个好的祝愿会提醒和激发“嫉妒心”施展邪恶的伎俩，但一个诅咒却能将它们的注意力转移到别处。隐含的道理就是：如果你想要厄运的话，好运反而将会降临。我相信现如今人们称之为“逆反心理”。
Bury the hatchet30)言归于好
To bury the hatchet means to create peace. With hostilities at an end, the hatchet was no longer needed, and therefore could be disposed of. Now a merely figurative expression, the phrase is based on an actual practice of North American Indians. When negotiating peace, they buried all their weapons: their tomahawks31), scalping knives and clubs32). Apart from showing their good faith, simultaneously33) it made it impossible for them to go on fighting.
“把斧子埋起来”意味着想要达成和解。当双方的敌意消除后，斧子便无用武之地，就可以丢掉了。虽然现在人们仅仅使用这个短语的比喻义，它却是来源于北美印第安人的真实习俗。在和谈期间，他们会把印第安战斧、剥刀和棍棒等所有武器埋起来。这种行为除了可以表示他们的诚意外，还让他们不可能再继续参与战争。
By hook or by crook 不择手段
The achievement of a goal with determination, by fair means or foul34), is described as getting things done "by hook or by crook". The origin of this phrase is linked with an early British practice, at a time when forests were still the exclusive property of royalty. For any unauthorized commoner, then, to gather firewood in them was a crime, poor people being the only exception. Though they were not permitted to cut or saw off branches, they were free to remove withered timber from the ground or even a tree, doing so by means of either a hook or a crook.
下定决心达到目的而不顾采取的手段正当与否，这种做法被称为“用钩子或曲柄杖”做成某事。这个习语的由来和英国早期的习俗有关。当时森林仍然是皇室的私有财产，因此对于任何一个未经许可的平民百姓来说，在森林中拾柴火是一种违法行为，但穷人算是特例。虽然他们无权砍伐或锯掉树枝，但可随意拣走地上甚至是树上的枯枝，用钩子也好，曲柄杖也罢。
1. not least: 尤其，特别
2. apprenticeship [E5prentIsFIp] n. 见习(期)，训练(期)
3. foot [fut] vt. 支付(账单或费用)
4. for keeps: <口> 持久地，永久地
5. novice [5nCvIs] n. 新手，生手；初学者
6. derivation [7derI5veIFEn] n. 起源，由来
7. bizarre [bI5zB:(r)] adj. 异乎寻常的；怪诞的
8. anatomy [E5nAtEmI] n. (动植物的)结构
9. digit [5dIdVIt] n. 手指；足趾
10. endow [In5dau] vt. 认为……具有某种特质(with)
11. realm [relm] n. 界，领域；范围
12. sinister [5sInIstE(r)] adj. 左边的，在左边的；凶兆的，不祥的
13. ominous [5CmInEs] adj. 不祥的，不吉的
14. the occult: 神秘学；神秘仪式
15. vanity [5vAnEtI] n. 虚荣(心)；虚夸
16. dandy [5dAndI] n. 花花公子，纨绔子弟
17. elaborate [I5lAbErEt] adj. 精心计划(或制作)的；精巧的
18. adversity [Ed5v\:sEtI] n. 厄运；逆境；(经济方面的)窘境
19. cartridge [5kB:trIdV] n. 子弹；弹药
20. ignite [I^5naIt] vt. 点燃，点火于，使燃烧
21. fraught [frC:t] adj. [一般作表语]充满的，伴随着的(with)
22. deviation [7di:vI5eIFEn] n. 背离，偏离
23. satyr [5sAtE(r)] n. 萨梯(森林之神，具人形而有羊的尾、耳、角等，性嗜嬉戏，好色)
24. intrigue [In5tri:^] vt. 使困惑；使迷惑
25. all the more: 更加，越发，格外
26. mix with: 使同流合污；使交流
27. superstitious [7sju:pE5stIFEs] adj. 迷信的；与迷信有关的；受迷信思想支配的
28. venture [5ventFE(r)] n. 运气，机遇
29. provoke [prEU5vEuk] vt. 激起，引起
30. hatchet [5hAtFIt] n. 短柄小斧
31. tomahawk [5tCmEhC:k] n. (北美印第安人作武器或工具用的)印第安战斧
32. club [klQb] n. 大头棒；棍棒；用于恐吓(或逼迫)人的东西
33. simultaneously [7sImEl5teInIEsly; 7saI-] adv. 同时发生地；同步地
34. foul [faul] adj. 奸诈的；不正当的