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19.Not an iota of没有一点点，丝毫也不
iota是希腊字母表中第9个字母“Ｉ”的名称。not an iota of 出自《新约。马太福音》第5章：“律法的一点一画都不能废去，都要成全。”因为iota是希腊字母表中最小的一个字母，它有时可以写作一短横置于其他字母之上；遗漏这一点点对发音并无什么影响，只按规则不能减少而已。《福音书》所说的律法，系指“摩西律”，意即无论何人都不允许随便废去这戒律哪怕是最小的一条，甚至其中的一个字母，一个小小短横也不得更动或遗漏。
由此，在语言中遗留下来这个成语，转义表示not a bit of ;not one jot or little;not at all等意思。iota在这里，相当于汉语“小不点儿”的意思。
Eg:Science deals with things in a practical way.Science means honest,solid knowledge,allowing not an iota of falsehood,and it involves herculean efforts and gruelling toil.
There is not an iota of truth in the story.
20.The Salt of the Earth社会中坚；民族精华；优秀份子
The Salt of the Earth这个成语，字面意思“世上的盐”
盐是饮食中不可缺少的调味品，人体若缺盐，健康就会受到影响，出现种种疾病。盐还有杀菌、解毒、消炎、除污等多种功用，它既是“百药之王”，又是工业之母，确是值得珍视的东西。在许多民族的习俗汇总，盐被当作敬客的高贵礼品。
The Salt of the Earth一词出自《圣经》，据《新约。马太福音》（Matthew）第5长记载：耶稣对他的门徒说:"Ye are the salt of the earth:but if the salt have lost his savor,wherewith shall it be salted? " 在这里，salt用于转义，表示flavor；of the earth即of the world。这是耶稣登山垂训论"福"，所讲福音结尾的话，他把门徒比做“世上的盐”，这是极高的称赞。这句话在后世不断引用变成了一个典故性成语，转义为the most valuable members of sociey;the finest type of humanity;a person or a group of people having the best character 之意
eg: He does a lot of good jobs and is considered to be the salt of the world.
21.Cast pearls before swine对牛弹琴；白费好意
To Cast pearls before swine的意思是“珍珠头在猪猡前面”。
swine是个旧词，书面词，即今为pigs,不过swine单复同行，本句为复数。
这个成语源自《新约。马太福音》第7章：“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,neither cast ye your pearls before swine,lest they trample them under their feet,and turn again and rend you”.由于to cast pearls efore swine,比喻确切，在后世不断引用中而成为一个国际性成语，常用来表示to offer sth valuable or beautiful to those who can't appreciate it;to give what is precious to those who are unable to understand its value等意思，含有轻蔑嘲笑色彩。按其字面意义，这个成语与汉语成语“明珠按投”相似，但是寓意不同，基本上不对应；按一比喻意义，它相当于“对牛弹琴”，“向驴说经”“一番好意给狗吃”“狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心”等。
She read them Shakespeare,but it was casting pearls before swine
I won't waste good advice on John any more because he never listens to it.I won't cast pearls before swine.
...and when I let the upper floor to Cap'en Cuttle,oh i do a thankless thing,and cast pearls before swine
22.a wolf in sheep's clothing批着羊皮的狼；貌善心恶的人
耶稣在加利利一带传道布教，收了很多信徒。有一天，他对门徒说:"Beware of false prophets,which come to you in sheep's clothing,but inwardly they are ravening wolves"
eg:Mrs.Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing
One who teaches morality and practises immorality is a wolf in lamb's skine
23.separate the sheep from the goats区别好坏，分清良莠
《新约。马太福音》记述：“And before him shall be gathered all nations:and he shall separate them one from another,as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”
由于《圣经》的影响，sheep和goat在英语中的形象截然不同，前者比喻好人，后者比喻坏人。英语中有关goat的成语，大多贬义。如：to play the goat=play the fool（瞎胡闹）；to get sb's goat（触动肝火） ；等等。《圣经》说牧羊人要分辨绵羊和山羊，“把绵羊安置右边，山羊左边”。据说野山羊常混进羊群里，引诱绵羊，故牧养人必须把它们区分开来，以免混淆。
由此，人们用to separate the sheep from the goats这个成语，来比喻to separate the good from the wicked; to divide good or useful people from bad or useless
eg:We'll go through the list of members,and separate the sheep from the goats
Have faith in me,please.I can separate the sheep from the goats
re the salt of the earth.Our hope is placed on you
24.a dog in the manger占着茅坑不拉屎的人
出自《伊索寓言》(Aesop's Fables)，有一篇狗站马槽的故事，说的是一头狗躺在堆满稻草的马槽里，狗是不吃草的动物，而当马或牛一走进稻草时，这头狗却朝着马，牛狂哮，不准食草动物享用。
因此，“狗站马槽”就成了一个家喻户晓的成语而进入英语中，常用来比喻a person who prevents others from enjoying sth that is useless to himself; a churlish fellow who will neither use a thing himself nor let others use it，讽刺那些占据说职位或某些物质却不做事的人。
a dog in the manger是个名词性短语，常与系动词连用，充当表语（主语补足语）
eg:He borrowed a lot of books from the library,but he didn't read a book.He was really a dog in the manger.
There are some officials who are only the dogs in the manger.
Smith was a dog in the manger over that roll of wire;it was no use whatever to him,but he wouldn't let us have it.
25 .bell the cat自告奋勇去冒险；老虎头上拍苍蝇
bell the cat系成语to hang the bell about the cat's neck的简略，愿意是“给猫的脖子上挂铃”。它来自《伊索寓言》(Aesop's Fables)中的《老鼠会议》(The Mice in Council)
这篇寓言讲的是：一群老鼠在鼠洞里举行会议，讨论如何对付凶狠的猫。白胡须老鼠提出：“我有个方法，在猫的脖子上挂一个铃。这样，猫一走动铃就响，我们就可以闻铃声而逃避了”，群鼠一致同意这个建议，欢呼：“That's a capital idea.We will bell the cat!No more fear of the cat!”但是，谁去给猫挂铃铛呢？没有一只老鼠敢去，一个个都溜掉了。老鼠会议豪无结果，它们不安全的境况当然也无法改善。
寓言所寄托的意思很明白：遇到困难的问题时候，既需要有出谋献策的人，更需要有挺身而出的实干家。
bell the cat常用来比喻to do sth dangerous in order to save others;to step forwar bravely to face the danger;to take a risk for the good of others.
eg:Everybody made suggestion,but no one actually offered to bell the cat.
We didn't know who would put him this delicate question when my friend offered to bell the cat.
26 cry wolf虚发警报；慌报险情；危言耸听
cry wolf来自《伊索寓言》：《牧童和狼》 （The Shepherdboy and the wolf）
有个牧童在离村子不远的山坡上放羊，有一次，他为了开心作乐，突然大喊：“Help!Help!The wolf!”全村的人都闻声跑来援助他时，才知道这只是开玩笑。如此恶作剧搞了两三次。后来，狼真的来了，那个牧童再呼号求救时，谁也不理会他了。于是，狼把他的羊吃了。
这篇寓言的意义很清楚：爱说谎话的人，即或在他说真话时，也没人相信他。由此，人们用to cry wolf 来概括这篇寓言的基本情节及其教诫意义，用以比喻to give false alarms;to warn of danger where there is none之意。按其比喻意义，这个成语相当与汉语中出自《东周列国志》的典故：烽火戏诸侯。周幽王为博得宠妃褒泥一笑，竟然把军国大事当儿戏，烽火报警戏诸侯，使各路诸侯仓促发兵，驰援京师，结果收到嘲笑。后来犬戎进犯，幽王再举烽火调兵，谁也不来了，结果周幽王遭到杀身亡国之祸。这2个典故的情节虽不同，寓意却完全不一致，都是表示“一朝说假话，一世无人信”
eg:Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.
Is she really sick of is she just crying wolf?
The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf" so often,cried "wolf" now in vain.
27. 与鞋相关的成语
英文中与鞋有关的成语不少，其中就有一个成语是 drop the other shoe。
字面意思是"扔下另一只鞋"。但各位别忘了，多数成语都有引申的含意，不可直译。那么，drop the other shoe 的确切意思是什么呢？
别著急，看完下面的小故事你就明白了。
从前有位行路的客人晚上住进一家小客栈。服务员告诉他隔壁的客人睡觉时极易被惊醒，要他动作轻些，以免吵醒隔壁睡觉的客人。于是他作什么事情都轻手轻脚，唯恐惊醒邻居。但由于过份紧张，脱鞋时不慎将一只鞋重重地掉到地上，当即就把隔壁的客人吵醒了。他意识到自己不小心弄出了大的声响，于是慢慢脱下另一只鞋，轻轻放到地上，上床睡去。被吵醒的客人辗转反侧，一直未能再入睡，直到黎明时分，终于忍无可忍，敲著墙喊道:"我一夜没睡，另一只鞋倒底何时落地？"。
drop the other shoe 就是源于这个故事，其确切意思是指"结束悬念或公布结果等"。
此成语用在不同句子中应根据具体情况灵活翻译，请看下例：
They look so worried because they are waiting for the other shoe to drop.
他们看起来很著急因为他们正在等著公布结果。
除去 drop the other shoe 以外，还有一些相关成语也很常用
28. Turn the corner
成语Turn the corner在英美应用得十分广泛，它来自于人们的日常生活经历。
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