cry wolf 虚发警报；慌报险情；危言耸听
bell the cat 自告奋勇去冒险；老虎头上拍苍蝇
a dog in the manger 占着茅坑不拉屎的人
Fish in Troubled Waters浑水摸鱼；趁火打劫；陷于混乱
cat's paw 被他人利用的人；受人愚弄者
Pull the chestnuts out of the fire火中取栗；替别人冒险
attic salt优雅的俏皮话；妙语
john bull(s)约翰牛；英国佬
Grin like a cheshire cat咧嘴傻笑；露齿嬉笑
A storm in a Teacup杯水风波；小题大做；大惊小怪
a tower of ivory 或an ivory tower象牙之塔；世外桃源
have an axe to grind别有用心；另有企图；怀有私心
separate the sheep from the goats区别好坏，分清良莠
a Cleopatra（克娄巴特拉），指绝代佳人——这是莎士比亚戏剧《安东尼和克娄巴特拉》中的人物。
a Shylock（夏洛克），指贪婪、残忍、追求钱财、不择手段的守财权——这是另一个莎士比亚戏剧《威尼斯商人》中的人物。
a Dr．Jekyll and Mr．Hyde（吉基尔医生和海德先生），指有双重性格的人；一方面善良、温和（吉基尔医生），另一方面凶恶、残暴（海德先生）——这是史蒂文生的小说《吉基尔医生和海德先生传》中的人物。
a Frankenstein（弗兰金斯坦；人们常说“制造一个弗兰金斯坦”），指杀伤原制造者的怪物或东西，也指制造这种东西的人以及可伯的怪物或人——这是玛丽·雪莱的小说《弗兰金斯坦》中的人物。这本书的主人公是医学院的学生。他把尸体中的骨头取来，制造了一个似人的怪物，最后自己被这个怪物杀害。
a Sherlock Holmes（歇洛克·福尔摩斯），指有非凡才能的侦探或敏锐精明的人，这种人善于通过仔细观察、科学分析和逻辑推理，进行追捕或解决疑难问题——歇洛克·福尔摩斯是阿瑟·柯南道尔著名侦探。
1. an apple of discord
any subject of disagreement and contention, the root of the trouble, dispute不和之因；祸根
eg: he throwing us an apple of discord, we soon quarreled again.
The dispute about inheriting estate formed an apple of discord between them
This problem seem to be an apple of discord between the Soviet Union and the USA.
2. The heel of Achilles/the Achilles’ heel
a week point in sth that is otherwise without fault; the weakest spot
eg:
The shortage of fortitude is his heel of Achilles.
His Achilles’ heel was his pride—he would get very angry if anyone criticized his work.
English might be his Achilles’ heel.
3.Helen of Troy:
a beauty who ruins her country. A terrible disaster brought by somebody or sth you like best.
eg: It is unfair that historians always attribute the fall of kingdoms to Helen of Troy.
She didn’t think of the beautiful umbrella bought the day before should become a Helen of Troy in her family. Because of this she and her husband quarreled for a long time.
4.The Trojan horse:
the hidden danger; the covert wreckers; to engage in underhand activities
The superpowers are always sending the Trojan Horses to many countries in the world.
They are defeated only because of the Trojan horse to many countries in the world.
They are defeated only because of the Trojan horse in their country.
5.Greek Gifts:
a gift with some sinister purpose of the enemy. A gift sent in order to murder somebody. = when the fox preaches, take care of your geese.
1.he is always buying you expensive clothes, I’m afraid they are Greek gifts for you.
2.Comrades, be on guard against the Greek gifts.
6.A Penelope’s web, the web of Penelope：a chaste woman, a Penelope’s web, the tactics of delaying sth on purpose; the task that can never be finished.
1. Mr. Jones made a long speech at the meeting. Everyone else though it a Penelope’s web.
7.Swan Song: black swan. A last or fare well appearance; the last work before death.
1. all the tickets have been sold for the singer’s performance in London this week----the public clearly believes that this will be her swan song.
2. The Tempest was Shakespeare’s swan song in 1612.
3. before turning over the gavel, he delivered the swan song as chairman of the board.
4. this building turned out to be the swan song of Victorian architecture.
8.Win/gain laurels: to win reputation; to acquire honor.
9.To look to one’s laurels: to beware of losing one’s reputation; to keep one’s record from being beaten by others. 卫冕
http://www.hjenglish.com/page/6893/