1. an easy digging 轻而易举
2. eat the damage 忍受损失
3. eat dirt 忍气吞声
4. live high on the hog 生活富裕
5. eat one’s words 认错服输
6. ego trip 为显示自己才能而干的事情
7. elbow-bender 爱吃喝，讲交际的人
8. a face card 重要人物
9. a fair shake 公平的待遇
10. a fag end 一事无成
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习惯用语
1. nurse something back to life 使某人恢复元气
2. rack one’s brains 绞尽脑汁
3. be at the end of one’s tether 智穷力竭
4. get lost 迷失方向
5. Never say die. 从不气馁。
6. The darkest hour is the nearest dawn. 黑暗即将来临，曙光就在眼前。
7. The devil takes the hindmost. 谁落后谁就要倒霉。
8. loopholes 漏洞
9. not have a strong hand 没有铁的手腕
10. eat humble pie 含垢忍辱
11. gang up on… 合伙对付……
12. a different way of management 不同的管理办法
13. go in for… 从事……
14. star from scratch 从零开始
15. not a piece of cake 没那么容易
16. not a joking matter 不是闹着玩的
17. amount to… 就等于……
18. throw in the towel 认输
19. play into someone’s hands 正中某人的下怀
20. be caught short 手里的钱很紧
21. equal to… 就等于……
22. play someone down 拆某人的台
23. bite the bullet 紧咬牙关，顶住
24. keep a stiff upper lip 坚强不屈
25. turn the tables 反过手来
26. think of doing… 打算干某事
27. use someone’s influence 利用某人的权势
28. dance attendance on… 对……大献殷勤
29. be not cut out for… 不适合干……
30. get some loan 弄一笔贷款
31. Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水。
32. get the ball rolling 起步
33. buckle down on… 开始努力干……
34. brain storming 翻来覆去地思考
35. join hands 联合，联手
36. back someone up 支持某人
37. make one’s own efforts 自己努力
38. make bombs 赚大钱
39. not go one’s way 事与愿违
40. Never say die. 不要气馁。
41. a ray of hope 一线希望
42. give someone a treat 款待某人
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A: Do you think we can nurse our business back to life（使……恢复元气）?
B: It’s not an easy digging. We’ll have to rack our brains（绞尽脑汁）and think of some effective measures.
A: I seem to be at the end of my tether（智穷力竭）. I have got lost（迷失方向）and don’t know where I’m going.
B: Never say die（不要气馁）. The darkest hour is the nearest dawn（黑暗即将过去，黎明就要到来）.
A: I know it in principle, but in practice I don’t know what to do. We can’t eat the damage, can we?
B: Of course not. What we have to do now is to find out where the shoe pinches.
A: Other companies have been trying to squeeze us out of the line. That’s where the shoe pinches.
B: The devil takes the hindmost（谁落后谁就倒霉）. We must find out our own loopholes（漏洞）.
A: One loophole of ours is that we do not have a strong hand（没有铁的手腕）. We’ve been so weak in dealing with other people. We can’t eat dirt any longer.
B: You’re right. We can’t eat humble pie（含垢忍辱）. But to avoid that, we have to become stronger.
A: How can we become stronger while other companies are ganging up on（合伙对付）us?
B: I understand that. But we must revitalize（振兴）our business by a different way of management（不同的管理方法）.
A: By a different way of management? That’s not the way to revitalize our business. We need to go in for（从事）a different line of business, I’m afraid.
B: Give up our business and start from scratch（从零开始）? That’s not a piece of cake（没那么容易）. And it’s not a joking matter（不是闹着玩的事）, either. That amounts to（就等于）throwing in the towel（认输）. You don’t want to play into their hands（正中下怀）, do you? And they are all living high on the hog while we are caught short（手里的钱很紧）. Where do we get the money to start a new business?
A: Well, I’ll have to eat my words and follow your way of （按照）thinking. I thought we could do better in a new business. I didn’t think…
B: One thing you must know is that giving up hope equals to（就等于）giving up life. Besides, other companies are trying hard to play us down（拆我们的台）. We must bite the bullet（顶住）and keep a stiff upper lip（坚强不屈）. We must turn the tables（反过手来）.
A: I’ve been thinking very hard these days and I came up with a （想出个）good idea about turning the tables.
B: Came up with a good idea? No idea is a good idea, I’m afraid.
A: Really a good idea. I am thinking of（打算）borrowing some money from my uncle. And we can use the money to expand the business. It’s a good idea, isn’t it?
B: It sounds more like your ego trip（为显示自己的才能而干的事情）. We can’t rely on（依靠）other people.
A: But they thrive（发家） by relying on （依靠）other people. Can’t you see these elbow-benders taking VIPs to restaurants and major hotels? What are they doing? They are using their influence（利用他们的权势）.
B: I know that. But I’m not the person who will make use of （利用）other people’s influence. We’re no good at（擅长）dancing attendance on（对……大献殷勤）those important people. We’re not cut out for（不适合干）doing that, you know?
A: I didn’t and I don’t want to dance attendance on anyone. I just wanted to get some loan（弄一笔贷款）from my uncle. Blood is thicker than water（血浓于水）, isn’t it?
B: Yes, but in the first place we must work out some measures to get our business going again. We have to get the ball rolling（起步）with our own efforts.
A: I agree. But to have confidence is one thing, to get things going is another thing. We can’t just talk, we’ll have to buckle down on（开始努力干）something.
B: That’s right. We have to buckle down on things that we aim at. Through several days of brain storming（翻来覆去地思考）, I now come to the conclusion that we’ll join hands（联合，联手）with one or two small but promising companies. And we need to have a face card to back us up（给我们当靠山）, too.
A: But didn’t you say that you would not dance attendance（献殷勤）on anyone?
B: I didn’t and I am not dancing attendance on anyone. I need a fair shake and I will give everyone a fair shake. What I want to do now is to have someone to back us up（支持）.
A: That amounts to（等于）relying on others instead of making our own efforts（自己努力）.
B: But we do need someone who helps us to get somewhere（达到某种目的）. Making our own efforts is important, but assistance is equally so（也同样如此）.
A: We come to one fag end after another and I also wish that we could make bombs（赚大钱）, too. But things just don’t go our way（事与愿违）.
B: Never say die（不要气馁）. I’ve now seen a ray of hope（一线希望）and wish that we can make a good start（有个良好的开端）again.
A: That’s important. We must buckle down and get the ball rolling（使开始,起步）.
B: I can’t agree more. I’ll give someone a treat（款待某人）in the Grand Hotel this weekend and I hope he will be glad to help us to sort things out.
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