安老師英文寫作教室

三心兩意

in two minds

My wife thinks we should go to South Korea for our holiday, but I'm still in two minds about it.

三番兩次

again and again; over and over (again); time and (time) again; time after time

I've told my son again and again not to run a red light. (to run a red light：闖紅燈)

三緘其口

hold one's peace/tongue

In spite of the fact that he made provocative remarks, I held my peace/tongue.

三思而後行

look before you leap

Look before you leap when doing business on the Web.

三句不離本行；說行話；談論工作上的事情 (這成語通常帶有貶義，暗示這些關於工作的言談讓人覺得很無聊)

(to) talk shop

They did nothing but talked shop, and I came home early because it was so boring.

三個臭皮匠勝過一個諸葛亮

two heads are better than one

Two heads are better than one.

大同小異；半斤八兩

(very) much of a muchness

The two articles are very much of a muchness.

大相逕庭

poles apart

They are poles apart in their political attitudes.

千方百計

by hook or by crook; leave no stone unturned (或 no stone be left unturned)

I know this work looks difficult, but I'll finish it by hook or by crook.

The police left no stone unturned to catch Taiwan's most wanted fugitive Chang Hsi-ming (張錫銘) and they succeeded.

He promised no stone would be left unturned to get his wife back.

千載難逢

once in a blue moon

My wife and I rarely, if ever, eat out. So, when I told her last night "let's eat out and go to see a movie", she was very surprised and said that's really once in a blue moon.

寸步不離

at one's elbow

His wife was always at his elbow whenever an important decision had to be taken.

(像) 大海撈針

(like) looking/searching for a needle in a haystack

Trying to find a book we want in so many books is just like looking for a needle in a haystack.

口是心非；言不由衷

with one's tongue in one's cheek (adv.); tongue in cheek (adv.); tongue-in-check (adj.)

He described me as an excellent teacher, but he said it tongue in cheek/with his tongue in his cheek.

That's a tongue-in-cheek remark/reply.

大驚小怪；小題大作

make a mountain out of a molehill

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill when you know I look about ten years younger than I really am. (I look about ten years younger than I really am. 我看起來比實際年齡年輕大約10歲)

小題大作；殺雞用牛刀

break a butterfly on a/the wheel (「小題大作」亦可用 "make a meal out of" 和 "make a mountain out of a molehill" 來表示)

I know what I've done is wrong, but there's no need to break a butterfly on a wheel/to make a meal out of it.

大發雷霆

do one's nut

When I told him what she had said about him, he did his nut.

大獲全勝；所向披靡

sweep the board; carry (or sweep)  all/everything before one

I swept the board at the casino last night.

Although I hadn't done well at high school, I carried all before me at university.

亡羊補牢，猶為未晚

lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

It is never too late to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted.

小洞不補，大洞吃苦 (及時一針勝九針)

a stitch in time saves nine (經常略為 "a stitch in time")

You should try and repair your car before it becomes worse. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine.