1. Monkey business – 愚蠢、调皮或欺诈性的行为；愚蠢或浪费时间的活动
Our accountant has been fired as there was some monkey business with the books.
我们的会计因为账目出了些问题而被解雇了，肯定是有些猴子的勾当。
Are you still fiddling about with those old tools? Stop the monkey business and get some new ones.
你还在摆弄那些旧工具吗？别再搞这些猴子的勾当了，换些新的吧。
2. Rat race – 令人精疲力尽且重复的例行公事，为成功而不懈奋斗的忙碌生活
I’m so tired of the rat race. I’d love to retire and move to the country.
我已经厌倦了这种老鼠赛跑。我想退休去乡村生活。
She started to work from home as she couldn’t stand the rat race at the office.
她开始在家工作，因为受不了办公室里的老鼠赛跑。
3. Cat burglar – 偷偷摸摸的小偷，通常通过高处的窗户、天窗等进入建筑物
Grandfather’s old telescope has disappeared from the loft. It must have been a cat burglar that took it.
爷爷阁楼里的那个旧望远镜不见了。肯定是贼猫偷走了。
The inspector was surprised by the exploits of a cat burglar who only stole from upper floors and attics.
检查员对一名只偷高楼层和阁楼物品的贼猫的行径感到惊讶。
4. Top dog – 团体中最重要的人，具有主导地位或最高权威的人
I don’t want to be the top dog at our company, I just do my job as well as I can.
我不想成为公司里的大人物，我只是尽我所能地做好我的工作。
Peter is the top dog at English in our class.
彼得是我们班英语科的大人物。
5. Cash cow – 可靠的收入来源；能赚钱的产品或服务
Our company’s cash cow is the sales department, which makes enough income to finance the developers.
我们公司的摇钱树是销售部门，它能够为开发人员提供足够的收入。
The publisher saw the new bestseller as a cash cow.
出版商将新畅销书视为摇钱树。
6. Eager beaver – 热情的努力工作者；对开始任务非常兴奋的人
The new secretary is an eager beaver. Although she comes to work at seven every day, she’s the last to leave in the evening.
新来的秘书是个急性子。尽管她每天早上七点上班，但晚上却是最后一个离开的。
Don’t be an eager beaver, we have plenty of time to do this job.
别急成性急的人，我们有足够的时间完成这项工作。
7. Road hog – 危险或不考虑他人的驾驶者，不顾安全和他人的自私驾驶者
Sorry that we’re so slow, but there is no way to overtake that road hog in front of us.
很抱歉我们开得这么慢，但是前面那个路霸根本没法超车。
A road hog nearly ran me over at the crossing as he failed to stop at the sign.
一个路霸差点在过街处撞到我，他没有遵守交通标志停车。
8. Black sheep – 团体中不受欢迎的成员，被厌恶的人，因为行为偏差而引起羞耻或尴尬的人
Don’t be surprised that he doesn’t want to take over father’s business, he’s always been the black sheep of the family.
别惊讶，他不想接手父亲的生意，他一直都是家里的黑羊。
They called me the black sheep as I didn’t want to go to the pub and play billiards with them.
他们叫我黑羊，因为我不想和他们一起去酒吧玩台球。
