1. on the hot seat 心神不定；难受
2. on the level 诚实、坦率；明人不做暗事
3. on the lam 被警方通缉抓拿的
4. on the needle 吸毒成瘾
5. on the take 接受贿赂
6. be over the hill 人到中年或已过中年
7. palm something off 甩掉手中的次品
8. par for the course 预料之中的事
9. pass the buck 推卸责任
10. payoff 一笔贿今
11. pay someone off 给某人一笔好处费
12. pay through the nose 付过高的代价
13. pick up the tab 承担费用；付费
14. a piece of cake 轻松容易的事情
15. pin someone down 得到明确的答复、允诺、消息等
16. pink collar workers 粉领（秘书、教员、护士、推销员）
17. pin someone’s ears back 教训某人
18. pipe dream 痴心妄想
19. pitchman 在街头兜售小件商品的小贩
20. play around 在工作中吊儿郎当
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习惯用语
1. be out of one’s elements 极不适应
2. be at a disadvantage 处于不利地位
3. not have a card up one’s sleeve 没有对策
4. tip the scale 扭转局面
5. be at one’s wits’ end 智穷力竭
6. use one’s noodle 开动脑筋
7. strike a bargain 占个便宜；敲竹杠
8. be on the ball 很精明
9. make it hot for… 故意刁难……
10. Misfortune never comes singly. 祸不单行。
11. be engaged in drug trafficking 从事贩毒的活动
12. make bundles 赚大钱
13. have a big drag with someone 在某人面前很吃得开
14. common sense 常识
15. get enough payoffs 得到足够的好处费
16. rack profits for oneself 为自己捞油水
17. toe the line 守纪律，行为本分
18. drop something like a hot potato 赶紧抛弃某事
19. be bound to… 肯定会……
20. see the writings on the wall 看到危险信号
21. get conned 上当
22. be sold for a song 卖得特别便宜
23. make some profits 赚些钱
24. be wet behind the ears 太没经验了
25. pennies won’t fall from heaven 天上不会掉馅饼
26. Nothing rang the bell. 没有觉察有什么不对头的地方。
27. one’s song and dance 某人的花言巧语
28. Wit once bought is worth twice taught. 一次亲身经历胜过老师两次教诲
29. chalk it up to experience 买个教训
30. be taken in 上当
31. dog-eat-dog 竞争激烈
32. ward off… 避开……
33. be in the seventh heaven 十分高兴
34. rise to the bait 上钩
35. a fair play 公平的
36. A-class 一流的
37. clip joints 要价特别高的饭店
38. cost an arm and a leg 价格昂贵；宰人
39. go back on one’s words 说话不算数
40. let someone get away with it 放了某人
41. go easy on… 对……手下留情
42. give someone a dose of his own medicine 以其人之道还治其人之身
43. not let someone go Scot-free 不会轻易饶了某人
44. get goods on… 抓到……的把柄
45. call it quits 算了吧
46. like a breeze 轻而易举地
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A: The boss seemed to be on the hot seat in the second round of the business talks. And he will be out of his elements（极不适应）in the later talks.
B: Yeah. He has been at a disadvantage（处于不利地位）since the first round. He doesn’t seem to have a card up his sleeve（没有对策）.
A: Do you think his assistant can tip the scale（扭转局面）a bit? If he’s at his wits’ end（智穷力竭）, they will be finished.
B: Well, things may take a turn for the better（有好转）. But he does need to use his noodle（开动脑筋）.
A: You’re right. He must be using his head, or he wouldn’t be able to strike a bargain （占个便宜）.
B: Strike a bargain? Others are all on the ball（很精明）. They are not on the level in doing their business.
A: That makes things even more difficult for the boss. I think they’re trying to make it hot for（故意刁难）him.
B: Misfortune never comes singly （祸不单行）. Just as he’s having a hard time, his brother is on the lam.
A: His brother? Do you mean Robert?
B: Yeah. Robert is now on the lam. It’s reported that he got involved in（有牵连）a murder.
A: I hear that Robert used to be a big boss, too. And he’s also a man with a history（有犯罪历史）.
B: You’re right. He and his wife are known to be on the needle and Robert is engaged in drug trafficking（从事贩毒活动）. But last week he involved himself with a murder.
A: That has something to do with his drug trafficking, I think?
B: Most likely. But he did make bundles（赚了大钱）in the business.
A: He must have a big drag（吃得开）with Customs officers who are on the take, or he wouldn’t succeed in the business. That involves a lot of risk, you know?
B: It’s a common sense（常识）. Officers that are on the take will probably give traffickers the green light（开绿灯）if they get enough payoffs（得到足够的好处费）.
A: But most of these officers are section chiefs（部门头头）. They use their power as a means to rack profits for themselves（为自己捞油水）.
B: Most of these people are over the hill. They are making the best use of（充分利用）their power. But most young officers still toe the line（守纪律）.
A: These officers should drop this bad conduct like a hot potato（赶紧放弃）, or they are bound to（肯定会）end up jailed（到头来进了监狱）.
B: They do not see he writing on the wall（看到危险信号）. It’ll be too late when they have realized that. By the way, have you sold out all your imported merchandise（进口货）?
A: Someone is trying to help palm off the goods, but so far they are still the headache. I don’t know what I can do about these goods.
B: That’s actually the par for the course. You got conned（上当）in the purchase.
A: They were still sold for a song（卖得特别便宜）. I thought I could make some profits（赚些钱）out of them.
B: You were still wet behind the ears（太没有经验了）. Pennies won’t fall from heaven（天上不会掉馅饼）.
A: Nothing rang the bell（没有觉察有什么不对头的）. I didn’t think they were palming them off to me.
B: But wit once bought is worth twice taught（一次亲身经历胜过老师的两次教训）. I will just chalk it up to experience（买个教训）.
A: It sounds as if you had greatly appreciated their ‘kindness’.
B: Yeah. I also gave them some payoffs. I thanked them for the price. Your stupidity is really one for the books（蠢到家了）. You must feel ashamed for what you have done.
A: I’ve realized my stupidity now. But I don’t think I can be taken in（上当）again.
B: Other people give payoffs for bigger profits, but you pay them off for a bigger loss.
A: I know. I know. I can’t seem to survive in this dog-eat-dog（竞争激烈的）world of business. Have you got conned（受骗）, Lucy? Few people seem to be able to ward off（避开）a fraud.
B: Well, I sometimes pay through the nose for some merchandise. But I usually won’t get conned.
A: Girls are usually more careful in their business transactions. But paying through the nose for something is plain too common. And if you think the purchase gives you a feeling of satisfaction, it’s worth the money you pay.
B: You seem to be in the seventh heaven（十分高兴）. You must have palmed off the goods.
A: Well, I put the buyer in the picture（跟他讲清楚）about the merchandise, and he was willing to buy the whole lot from me.
B: What about the price? You must have sold them for a song（廉价卖出）, or there wouldn’t be another guy who is willing to rise to the bait（上钩）.
A: Well, I’m willing to let him strike a bargain（敲竹杠）. By the way, shall we go and have a drink? I’ll pick up the tab.
B: Why not? But I can treat you back next time. It’s a fair play（公平竞争的）, isn’t it?
A: Fair enough. But do you have a particular place in mind?
B: Depends on how much you would like to spend. There’re several class-A （一流的）restaurants in the next street.
A: Well, I won’t go to the clip joints（要价特别高的饭馆）. They would cost me an arm and a leg（宰人）.
B: Maybe we can go to the Kingston Restaurant. The atmosphere is soothing and the price is reasonable. But do you think you can afford（买得起）a bottle of French Champagne?（香槟酒）
A: That’s a piece of cake. I’ve been longing for it since last May.
B: Has the buyer come to you for the merchandise?
A: Well, he went back on his words（说话不算数）.
B: I’m awfully sorry to hear that. There must be someone who was working behind the scene and trying to stop him from buying them, or he wouldn’t change his mind so quickly.
A: I’ve had the feeling, too. But I cannot pin him down. Who can that guy be?
B: Think about those people that he often keeps company with. That may give you a clue（线索）.
A: Well, he often keeps company（来往）with some pink collar workers. Lena, Marie, Nina are the few names I can remember.
B: What does Lena do?
A: She’s a salesperson. Well, that reminds me. It must be Lena who did that.
B: But you must make sure it was Lena who did that.
A: What if she admits doing that?
B: If I were you, I would pin her ears back and tell her what I think.
A: That doesn’t help solve anything. Even if I’m sure of what she has done, I will let her get away with（放了她）it.
B: Why should you go easy on（手下留情）a girl like her?
A: Why should I go hard on her? She hasn’t done anything wrong.
B: She loused up（破坏）your business. You should give her a dose of her own medicine（以其人之道还治其人之身）.
A: That’s unreasonable. And I have been on speaking terms（见面说话）with her. I know she is not a bad girl.
B: You must have had some pipe dreams, or you wouldn’t let her go Scot-free（不会轻饶了她）.
A: I do not have any pipe dreams about her, but being tolerant won’t do me anything wrong. Besides, I haven’t got goods on （抓到把柄）her wrong doings.
B: All right. Let’s call it quits（算了巴）. But are you going to become a pitchman, going from door to door and selling your goods?
A: No, I won’t. I’ll just keep an ear open（注意听着）for an opportunity. I might be able to sell them recently.
B: But you just seem to be playing around with the sales. I mean you’re so light hearted（无忧无虑的）
A: I never take anything so seriously unless I have to. Things won’t go easy on you unless you go easy on（轻松对待）them.
B: Well said. But don’t you feel choked with the faulty goods?
A: Forget it. Maybe I can sell them like a breeze （轻而易举地）. I don’t want to force myself on（强迫自己）anything.
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To be continue……………………………………………………………………………