1.) Better Late Than Never.

遲來(lái)總比不來(lái)好。

This idiom is simple but effective. It implies that a belated achievement is better than not reaching a goal at all. One might say, “The achievement is long overdue, but it’s better late than never.”

這個(gè)成語(yǔ)是簡(jiǎn)潔而有效的。這意味著，一個(gè)遲來(lái)的成果總比一個(gè)沒(méi)有實(shí)現(xiàn)的成果要好。有人可能會(huì)說(shuō)，“這個(gè)成果應(yīng)該是老早就有的，但遲到總比沒(méi)有好。”

2.) On the Spur of the Moment.

一時(shí)沖動(dòng)

This popular saying denotes a spontaneous or sudden undertaking. For example, “Linda and Louis drove to the beach on the spur of the moment.”

這一流行語(yǔ)說(shuō)的是自發(fā)的或突發(fā)奇想的事情。例如，“琳達(dá)和路易斯因?yàn)橐粫r(shí)沖動(dòng)開(kāi)車去海邊的?！?/p>

3.) Once in a Blue Moon.

千載難逢

A blue moon is a colloquial term applied to the second full moon in one month. This idiom means something is rare or infrequent. For example, “Homebodies Mary and James only go out once in a blue moon.”

“一個(gè)藍(lán)色的月亮”是一個(gè)不太正式的俗語(yǔ)，用于描述在同一個(gè)月里面看到兩次圓月。這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)的意思是稀有和不常見(jiàn)。例如，“Mary和James很注重家庭，因此很少出去”。

4.) Living on Borrowed Time.

活在借來(lái)的時(shí)間里，時(shí)日無(wú)多或劫后余生

Following an illness or near-death experience, many people believe they have cheated death. Here’s an example: “After Jim was struck by lightning, he felt like he was living on borrowed time.”

因?yàn)椴∪敫嚯粱蛘哂羞^(guò)瀕臨死亡的體驗(yàn)，很多人都相信，他們騙過(guò)了死神。例如，“在Jim被雷電擊中之后，他感覺(jué)自己活在借來(lái)的時(shí)間中”。

5.) In the Interim

與此同時(shí)，在此期間

This frequently used phrase is interchangeable with “in the meantime,” which is another time-related saying. It denotes a period of time between something that ended and something that happened afterwards. For example, “The boss will be back next week. In the interim, the workers will be stocking shelves and cleaning.”

這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)可以和”in the meantime”互換，這也是另外一個(gè)與時(shí)間相關(guān)的俗語(yǔ)。它的意思是，在某件事結(jié)束之后，但又在另外一件事開(kāi)始之前。例如，“老板會(huì)在下周回來(lái)。在此期間，工人們?cè)谇謇砗蛿[放貨架”。

6.) In Broad Daylight

在光天化日之下

When something occurs in broad daylight, it means the event is clearly visible. Here’s an example: “Two coyotes brazenly walked across the lawn in broad daylight.”

在光天化日之下發(fā)生的事情，意味著這件事情是清晰明了的。這有個(gè)例子，“兩只狼在光天化日之下肆無(wú)忌憚的地穿過(guò)草坪?！?/p>

7.) Against the Clock.

爭(zhēng)分奪秒

This common idiom means time is working against a project or plan instigated by a group or an individual. For example, “In movies, writers love to create countdowns where the main characters are working against the clock.”

這一常見(jiàn)成語(yǔ)是指一個(gè)由群體或個(gè)體組織的項(xiàng)目在和時(shí)間賽跑抗?fàn)帲磿r(shí)間不足，必須爭(zhēng)分奪秒）。例如，“在電影里面，作家們喜歡在主角們爭(zhēng)分奪秒工作的時(shí)候，插入倒計(jì)時(shí)?！?/p>

8.) All in Good Time

一切上天都自有安排

Patience is an uncommon virtue. When individuals are inpatient, friends often assure them that things will happen eventually. Here’s an example: “Rachel thought she was going to become an old maid, but her mother assured her she would find the right person and get married all in good time.”

耐心是一種罕見(jiàn)的品質(zhì)。當(dāng)一個(gè)人不耐心的時(shí)候，朋友們都會(huì)安慰他說(shuō)，最后一切都會(huì)變好的。例如，“Rachel覺(jué)得她嫁不出去了，但是她的媽媽安慰她說(shuō)你終會(huì)找到屬于你的另一半，然后和他一起步入婚姻的殿堂”。

9.) Big Time

超級(jí)，最高水平

This versatile, informal idiom is used to denote something of extreme severity. For example, “Johnnie knew he was going to be in big-time trouble.” It can also mean to reach the top of one’s profession. For example, “When he landed the position as vice president, he knew he had reached the big time.”

這個(gè)用途廣泛的非正式成語(yǔ)可用來(lái)描述一些極其嚴(yán)重的事情。例如，“Johnnie知道他將會(huì)有大麻煩了。”它也可以表示為，達(dá)到某人事業(yè)的頂峰。例如，“當(dāng)他上任副總裁的位置時(shí)，他知道他已經(jīng)達(dá)到了事業(yè)的頂峰”。

10.) The Time is Ripe.

時(shí)機(jī)成熟

When the time is ripe, it’s advantageous to undertake plans that have been waiting for awhile. Here’s an example: “Raphael was planning a trip overseas, and the time was finally ripe.”

當(dāng)時(shí)機(jī)成熟之際，實(shí)行已經(jīng)醞釀好的計(jì)劃是有利的。例如，“Raphael正在計(jì)劃一次海外旅行，現(xiàn)在時(shí)機(jī)終于成熟了”。

11.) Have the Time of Your Life.

享受你的生活

The 1980s movie Dirty Dancing turned this idiom into a song that became one of the film’s most iconic tracks. The time of your life means you’re enjoying an unforgettable, exhilarating experience that cannot be recreated. For example, “Genevieve had the time of her life touring Italy.”

八十年代的電影《辣身舞》把這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)編成了一首歌，并且這首歌成為了電影中最具代表性的曲目。你生命，是一個(gè)難忘，愉快，并且不可再現(xiàn)的過(guò)程。例如，“吉納維芙正在意大利享受她的旅行?！?/p>

12.) Time is Money.

時(shí)間就是金錢。

If time is going to waste, money isn’t being made. This popular idiom attributed to Ben Franklin is frequently used in relation to business or employment. Here’s an example: “It’s wise to use every minute productively because time is money.”

如果浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，那么也無(wú)法創(chuàng)造金錢。這是富蘭克林的一句名言，經(jīng)常用于描述商業(yè)或者雇傭之間的關(guān)系。以下是一個(gè)例子，“有效地利用每一分鐘是明智的，因?yàn)闀r(shí)間就是金錢?！?/p>

These idioms about time are used frequently in writing and conversation. With these idioms and expressions, anyone can express abstract ideas in a colloquial manner.

這些關(guān)于時(shí)間的俗語(yǔ)在寫作和會(huì)話中經(jīng)常會(huì)用到。有了這些俗語(yǔ)和表達(dá)，任何人都可以用一個(gè)通俗的方式來(lái)表達(dá)一些抽象的意思。

（來(lái)源：滬江英語(yǔ)  編輯：Julie）