He will try to paint us a picture when he gives a speech.（他演讲时，尽量想法使我们明白。）
　　When I write an article for a newspaper, I will paint my readers a clear picture.（当我为报纸写文章时，我尽量让我的读者充分了解。）
　　但是to paint a picture，意思又有不同了。
　　例如：The artist will paint a picture of me.（画家为我画像。）
　　The artist painted a picture for his interior decoration.（画家为了他的室内布置而画了一幅画。）
　　6. to take a（或its）toll：意思是造成损失或有不良的影响
　　（to have bad effect）;
　　例如：His hard work will eventually take its toll on his health.（他的辛劳工作，最后对他身体会造成伤害。）
　　Inflation has taken its toll everywhere.（通货膨胀对各地都有不良影响。）
　　The storm took a heavy toll.（暴风造成重大损失。）
　　The severe earthquake may have taken its toll on the economy of Taiwan.（或 Taiwan's economy）（强烈地震对台湾的经济造成损失。）
　　The boss eliminated several senior positions to save money；it took a personal toll on him.（老板为了省钱删除了几个资深职位，对他个人倒有不良影响。）
　　（注：to take its toll 较为常用）
　　7. to have the floor：指在开会时取得发言权，有人发言时，其他与会者应该注意听。 （Everybody at the meeting should keep quiet and listen carefully when someone speaks to the audience.）（floor 本意是全体议员或全体与会者。）
　　例如：Will you mind letting Miss Wang have the floor？（王小姐发言时，请大家安静注意听好吗？）
　　Everybody should be able to have the floor during the meeting.（开会时，每个人都应该有发言权。）
　　Let Mr. Chen have the floor for ten minutes.（让陈先生发言十分钟，大家注意听。）
　　He was given the floor by the chairperson.（主席让他发言。）
　　8. to tighten (one's) belt：意思是束紧裤带，省吃俭用或缩紧预算（to cut the budget）
　　例如： The government has to tighten its belt due to a large deficit.（由于庞大的赤字，政府必须缩紧预算。）
　　He tried to tighten his belt after he lost his job.（他失业后，想办法省吃俭用。）
　　但也可指真正的束紧腰带：Mrs. Chen has tightened her belt because she lost twenty pounds.（陈太太缩紧了腰带因为她瘦了廿磅。）

　9. to hold water：意思是站得住脚，禁得起考验或有足够的证据可证明一件事的可靠性。（to have evidence to prove something）（反之，hold no water就是没有足够的证据，站不住脚。）
　　例如：I think his statement does not hold water.（我想他的声明是站不住脚的。）
　　也就是：There is no enough evidence to prove what he has said.
　　（可见hold no water=does not hold water）
　　His theory holds water.
　　（他的理论是有足够证明的。）
　　Her constant excuses for being tardy holds no water.（或 does not hold water） （她时常的迟到藉口，没有足够的理由。）
　　The U. S. bombing excuse did not hold water with China.（美国轰炸理由不足取信中国。）
　　也就是： China feels that the reason given by the U.S. for bombing the Chinese embassy does not hold water. 所以：The argument does not hold wate r= The argument holds no water. （这争吵是没有足够的理由。） liuxuepaper.com