万圣节总脱不了吸血鬼、女巫、 魔鬼、 骷颅头这些意象，而英文里也有不少和这些恐怖情境相关惯用语，现在就来应景学习一下这些还蛮常出现在英语世界当中的生活用语 ~
blood run cold :
直译是血液冷了，比喻极其恐怖，令人毛骨悚然、不寒而栗
Just hearing his name made my blood run cold.
光是听到他的名字就让我不寒而栗
Meg heard a tapping on the window that made her blood run cold.
Meg听见有人敲窗户吓得毛骨悚然
dig one’s grave :
直译是自掘坟墓，和中文的用法相同，比喻自作孽、自取灭亡
You are digging your own grave.
你真是自掘坟墓啊 !
Tim dug his own grave when he made fun of his boss.
Tim取笑他的老板真是在自找麻烦
like a bat out of hell :
直译是地狱飞出的蝙蝠，比喻速度飞快、极迅速地
The cat ran away like a bat out of hell.
那只猫突然迅速地跑开
Debbie took off like a bat out of hell.
Debbie 飞快地离开了
playing devil’s advocate :
直译是魔鬼代言人，比喻支持反向意见，捍卫其立场或观点
I’m playing the devil’s advocate so that you know what the opposition will think.
我持相反意见，因此你可以了解对手的想法
In fact, I don’t believe that. I am just playing devil’s advocate.
事实上我并不相信那件事. 我只是故意唱反调而已。
skeleton staff :
比喻运作一个公司或机构所需最基本工作人员的人数
The hospital has a skeleton staff on weekends.
周末时这医院只有最基本的工作人员上班
They’ll be operating with a skeleton staff until after the holidays.
他们将会以最精简的人力维持运作到假期之后
stabbed in the back :
直译是背后被捅一刀，比喻被所信任者陷害或背叛
Jenny was stabbed in the back by people that she thought were her friends.
Jenny曾被一些她视为朋友的人背叛
When Paul was in trouble, all his friends stabbed him in the back.
当Paul有麻烦时，他所有的朋友都在背后捅他一刀
witch – hunt :
直译是捕猎女巫，比喻政治迫害的行动
The lawyer described the prosecution as a witch – hunt.
律师认为这一指控纯粹是政治猎杀
The President said that the investigation into the scandal was nothing more than a
witch – hunt.
总统表示对这一丑闻的调查的真正目的无非是政治迫害
