13 Common Idioms about Money and Finance 13 个关于金钱和金融的常见习语 1. A penny saved is a penny earned 省一分钱就是赚一分钱 Advice saying that it’s good to save money. When money is saved, it is as good as money that is earned. 这是一条建议，说明存钱是好的。省下来的钱就等于赚到的钱。 She runs her own business and does all the work herself because she believes that a penny saved is a penny earned. 她经营自己的生意，所有工作都亲力亲为，因为她相信省一分钱就是赚一分钱。 When I travel, I prefer to stay at a hostel instead of an expensive hotel because I think that a penny saved is a penny earned. 旅行时，我宁愿住旅馆也不住昂贵的酒店，因为我认为省一分钱就是赚一分钱。 John doesn’t make a lot of money, so he’s very cautious in using his money. He supposes that a penny saved is a penny earned. 约翰赚的钱不多，所以他花钱很谨慎。他认为省一分钱就是赚一分钱。 2. Beyond one's means 超出某人的能力范围 To spend more money than you can afford. 花钱超出自己的承受能力。 The trip was just beyond our means. 这次旅行超出了我们的能力范围。 The living expenses in big cities are beyond my means, so I’d rather live in the suburbs. 大城市的生活费超出了我的承受能力，所以我宁愿住在郊区。 Can I see a cheaper one, please? This expensive fridge is just beyond my means. 能看看便宜点的吗？这个贵的冰箱真的超出我的能力范围了。 3. Someone's bread and butter 某人的生计 Someone’s basic income, someone’s livelihood, a job or activity that helps you earn money for your living. 某人的基本收入，某人的生计，一份帮助你维持生计赚钱的工作或活动。 His family’s bread and butter comes from his small business. 他家的生计来自于他的小生意。 Tutoring is her bread and butter right now. 现在家教是她的生计。 I am financially dependent on my parents but I am going to earn my bread and butter after I graduate. 我现在经济上依赖父母，但我毕业后将自食其力。 4. Cut one's losses 及时止损 To stop doing an activity that causes losses or damage, to withdraw from a bad situation before it gets worse. 停止会导致损失或损害的活动，在情况变得更糟之前退出不良境况。 They decided to stop the unprofitable project to cut their losses. 他们决定停止那个无利可图的项目以止损。 To cut our losses, we must be cautious in dealing with this financial issue. 为了止损，我们在处理这个财务问题时必须谨慎。 A real finance manager must know how to cut our losses in case our business doesn’t work out. 一个真正的财务经理必须知道如何在我们的生意不成功时及时止损。 5. Down-and-out 一贫如洗的；失意的 (adj) having no money, no job and no home 形容词：没有钱，没有工作，没有家。 (n) a person who has no money, no job and no home 名词：一个没有钱，没有工作，没有家的人。 She left him when he was down-and-out. 在他落魄时她离开了。 That old man is a down-and-out, coming over twice a week to take the leftover food. 那位老人是个穷困潦倒的人，每周来两次拿剩饭。 After the bankruptcy, he became a down-and-out. 破产后，他变得一贫如洗。 6. Dutch treat / Go Dutch 各自付账 /AA 制 Dutch treat: a situation or a meal in which each person pays for himself or herself. Dutch treat：一种每个人为自己付钱的场合或餐。 Go Dutch: to pay one’s own share instead of for the whole meal. Go Dutch：支付自己的那份而不是付整个餐费。 It was our first date and we had a Dutch treat dinner together. 这是我们的第一次约会，我们一起吃了 AA 制的晚餐。 Why don’t we go Dutch? Sharing is always good. 我们为什么不 AA 制呢？分享总是好的。 Let’s go Dutch today. I’ll pay for my order. 今天我们 AA 制吧。我付我点的东西。 7. Money talks. 金钱万能。 Money is so powerful, it can get things done or help a person get his or her own way. 金钱如此强大，它可以办成事情，或者帮助一个人如愿以偿。 That she won the beauty pageant is understandable. Money talks. 她赢得选美比赛是可以理解的。金钱万能。 Who doesn’t think that he will be promoted? His dad is a millionaire and money talks. 谁不认为他会被提拔？他爸爸是百万富翁，金钱万能。 Don’t worry. I can handle this scandal. I’ll see Mr. George, the chief editor of the newspaper, as money talks. 别担心。我能处理这个丑闻。我会去见报社的总编辑乔治先生，因为金钱万能。 8. Bring home the bacon 养家糊口；取得成功 To go out to work and earn money for the family, to succeed and achieve what you want. 出去工作为家庭赚钱，取得成功并实现你想要的东西。 In my family, my dad is the one who brings home the bacon while my mom stays at home and takes care of us. 在我们家，我爸爸是养家糊口的人，而我妈妈在家照顾我们。 Finally, I got a job after two years of unemployment. I can bring home the bacon now. 终于，失业两年后我找到了一份工作。我现在能养家了。 We work so hard on this YouTube series because we hope that it will bring home the bacon. 我们在这部 YouTube 系列上如此努力，因为我们希望它能为我们带来收入 / 成功。 9. At all costs 不惜一切代价 You use this to say that you’re determined to achieve what you want, no matter how hard or dangerous it is. Nothing or no one can prevent you from achieving your goal. 你用这句话来说明你决心要实现你想要的东西，无论有多么困难或危险。没有任何东西或任何人能阻止你实现目标。 I’ll be the winner at all costs. 我将不惜一切代价赢得胜利。 The director asked the finance staff to prevent the losses at all costs. 导演要求财务人员不惜一切代价防止损失。 I’ll win her heart at all costs. 我将不惜一切代价赢得她的心。 10. Earn a living 谋生 To earn money to pay for food, housing, clothing, etc. 赚钱支付食物、住房、衣物等费用。 She’s financially independent. She can earn her own living. 她经济独立。她能自食其力。 I have to work very hard to earn my living. 我必须非常努力地工作来谋生。 Earning a living seems hard for single moms. 单身母亲谋生似乎很困难。 11. Money doesn't grow on trees. 钱不是大风刮来的。 Be careful about spending money because it’s very hard to earn. 花钱要小心，因为赚钱很难。 I wanted to have a new car but then I changed my mind because my old car was still in good condition. My mom always reminds me that money doesn’t grow on trees. 我想买辆新车，但后来改变了主意，因为我的旧车状况还不错。我妈妈总是提醒我，钱不是大风刮来的。 I can’t believe that you would spend your full salary on this silly tour. Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know! 我不敢相信你会把全部薪水花在这个愚蠢的旅行上。你要知道，钱不是大风刮来的！ Parents must teach their kids that money doesn’t grow on trees. 父母必须教导孩子，钱不是大风刮来的。 12. Pour money down the drain 白白浪费金钱 To waste money, to spend money incautiously. 浪费金钱，不谨慎地花钱。 This second-hand fridge isn’t working well. Buying it is just pouring money down the drain. 这台二手冰箱工作不正常。买它简直是白白浪费钱。 You’re pouring money down the drain. What a waste! We never use cookers in our home. We never cook. 你这是在白白浪费钱。真浪费！我们家从不使用炊具。我们从不自己做饭。 Don’t pour money down the drain by buying that low-quality computer. It’s going to break soon. 不要买那台劣质电脑，那是白白浪费钱。它很快就会坏的。 13. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth 生来富贵 Be born into a very rich family, be rich from birth. 出生在一个非常富裕的家庭，生来就富有。 He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he has never known what hard work is. 他生来富贵，所以他从不知道什么是辛苦工作。 Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth need to learn how to use money economically. 那些生来富贵的人需要学会经济地使用金钱。 Although she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she lives a very modest life. 虽然她生来富贵，但她过着非常朴素的生活。