to stand on one's own two feet

一个人如果能站稳脚跟的话，他就一定能独立自主，靠自己的力量来办事。我们下面要举的一个例子是一位父亲担心他的儿子吸毒或酗酒，所以在劝告他的儿子：

例句-1: Son, somebody may try to get you to smoke marijuana or drink, just to fit in with the crowd. But I hope you can stand on your own two feet and say no.

这位父亲说："儿子呀，有的人为了要你合群也许会劝你喝酒或吸毒。但是我希望你能够独立自主，拒绝他们的引诱。"

那些能够独立自主的人的确很令人钦佩。下面就是一个例子：

例句-2: Bill Brown has managed to stay in Congress now for twenty years. The voters don't always agree with him but they really like the way he stands on his own feet and makes his own decisions on which way to vote, regardless of pressures from all the lobbyists.

这个人说："比尔·布朗在国会当议员已经二十年了。选民们不一定都同意他的观点，但是他们倒很欣赏他在对各种提案投票时的那种独立自主精神。不管那些游说者给他施加多大压力，他都按自己的决定投票。"

to throw oneself at someone's feet

To throw oneself at someone's feet 这个俗语可以解释为：公开对某人表示爱慕。比如说，一个男子在幻想自己未来的婚事，他对他的朋友说：

例句-3: I'm still looking for the right girl to marry. And when I find her, I'll throw myself at her feet and ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.

他说："我现在还在物色一个我认为合适的女孩作为我的妻子。一旦我找到了，我就要拜倒在她的石榴裙下，恳求她作为我的终身伴侣。"

To throw oneself at someone's feet 还可以解释为：为了得到一些好处而溜须拍马，或拜倒在某人脚下。下面的例子是说一个被判了罪的犯人：

例句-4: The prisoner who has been convicted¹ as a traitor² threw himself at the feet of the judge and begged for mercy.

这句话的意思是："那个被定罪为叛徒的犯人拜倒在法官的面前，求他发发慈悲。"

to get a foot in the door

To get a foot in the door的意思就是：为了达到一个目的迈出了第一步，尽管你可能离达到目的的距离还很远。下面这个例子是一个学生说的话：

例句-5: You know that beautiful girl who sits ahead of me in English class? She keeps turning me down for dates, but I finally got a foot in the door today: she met me for coffee after class.

这个学生说："你知道英语课坐在我前面那个很漂亮的女孩子吗？我请她出去玩，她老是拒绝我。可是，今天我算是迈出了第一步。她答应下了课和我一起去喝咖啡。"

下面我们要举的例子是两个人在谈论一个很有政治野心的朋友。其中一个人说：

例句-6: Getting into politics is tough. But Martin got his foot in the door when he volunteered to go around town putting up posters for the Republican³ candidate for Congress.

他说："要进入政界是很难的。可是，马丁曾经在当地义务地帮助那些共和党竞选国会议员的候选人张贴标语，这样他为能够进入政界迈出了第一步。"

to be dead on one's feet

美国虽然是最先进的国家之一，但仍然有好多职业需要工作人员站着做的。售货员就是其中之一。站了一天，到了下班的时候，他们必然会感到两只脚很累。下面就是一个售货员在对他的太太讲话：

例句-7: Honey, I've got to sit down and rest before I take you out to dinner. I'm really dead on my feet tonight: we had the big year-end sale on and I was so busy I didn't even have time for lunch.

他说："亲爱的，我得坐下歇一会儿再和你一起出去吃晚饭。我今天晚上两只脚实在累死了。我们正在举行年底大减价，我忙的连午饭都没有时间吃。"

下面的例子是一个孩子在跟他的同学说他们全家去看庆祝海湾战争游行的情况：

例句-8: My parents took me to Constitution Avenue to see the parade. After standing⁴ there for a whole day, my mom was so dead on her feet that she could not even cook dinner for us by the time we got home.

这个孩子说："我爸爸妈妈带我到宪法大街去看游行。我们在那儿站了一天，回到家的时候，我妈妈的脚累得要死，连做晚饭也做不动了。"