英语阅读过程中，一旦读到某些我觉得比较陌生或特殊或没有汉语对应表达法的句子，我会特意停下来，重新审视这些特殊表达法，咀嚼它在句中的意义，并揣思它们在汉语中应该如何通顺准确地表达出来。例句：
1. I was minding my own business doing sth. ...（我真专心致志在干某件事情）
I was minding my own business skiing down a double black diamond at around forty-five Miles an hour with my legs in the same position they would need to be in order to birth a midsized kangaroo.
（我正专心致志以每小时45哩的速度滑下一条双钻黑道，我的双腿一直保持不变的姿势。那种姿势是生育一头中等身材袋鼠所需保持的姿势。）
2. To add insult to sth. ,（在某件事情上雪上加霜）
To add insult to my injury, I was dead sober.
（我受了伤还嫌不够，我脑袋瓜还清醒得要死。）
3. One minute..., the next minute...（刚刚....转眼间就...）
One minute the sun was burning down on your face and the next minute you were in a Saharan sandstorm.
（刚刚太阳还烤着你的脸蛋，转眼间你就置身在撒哈拉沙尘暴中。）
4. To put one's money where one's mouth is（拿出实际行动来证明自己说的话）
I think you should call Rex and see if he can put his money where his mouth is.
（我觉得你应该打电话给瑞斯，看他能否拿出实际行动来证明他所言不假。）
5. Against our better judgement（违心）
We decided, against our better judgement, to assuage his insecurity and our disappointment by obliging.
（我们违心地做出决定：为了安抚他的不安全感并减少我们的失望，我们就从了。）
6. For that matter（就此而言，；话说都这份上）：
Clearly he was not in charge of the camp or, for that matter, anything in his life.
这个营地不是他说了算。话都说到这份上，他生活中啥也不是他说了算。
7. To take it upon oneself to do sth.（擅自主张干某件事情）：
Simone took it upon herself to announce that she would leave us earlier.
（西蒙妮自作主张宣布她会早点离开我们。）
8. I'd sooner do sth. ...than do sth....（我宁可...也不愿...）
I'd sooner go through with a pregnancy than spend a night alone in my house knowing there was a snake in the yard.
我宁可经历一场怀孕，也不愿意明知院子里有一条蛇还独自在家过夜。
9. It would be an understatment to say that...（说...已经算是轻描淡写的了。）
It would be an understatment to say that this particular man took pleasure in delivering this news to me.
（说这位怪咖老兄以告诉我这个消息来找乐子，那都是轻描淡写的了。）
谁说“有心栽花花不发”？学英语决没有“无心插柳柳成荫”这等便宜事的。“运用之妙，唯存乎一心。”只有用心去留意，去观察，去比较，去积累，去模仿，才能让自己的语感更上一层楼。