Many people feel America should handle the Taiwan issue with kid gloves.

許多人認為美國必須審慎小心處理台灣問題。

Mr. J always tries to treat people or things with kid gloves.

J 先生待人處事，都很溫順周到。

14) jaundiced eye:

Jaundiced當形容詞，本是患黃疸病似的，也就是妒忌的，不滿的，所以這句話是指一個人帶著不滿或忌恨的偏見去找別人的毛病。(a person is intent on finding fault with someone or something)

例如: Some people look with a jaundiced eye on others.

有些人帶著忌妒的偏見去找別人的過錯。

(eye通常只用單數)

Mr. Wang feels that many Chinese people look with a jaundiced eye on other fellow Chinese.

王先生認為許多老中對自己同胞懷有找麻煩的心態。

Looking with a jaundiced eye may show a person’s (true) colors.

懷著妒忌找麻煩的心理，可以看出一個人的本色。

(to show one’s (true) colors露出真面目。)

(15) live wire:

照字義是活的電線。這裡live是形容詞，也就是活躍分子或富有進取心的人( a very active and forceful person)

例如:The staff members think their manager is a live wire.

員工們認為他們的經理是位有進取心的人。

As a live wire, he always pushes himself to get his job done in time.

他精力充沛，總是逼著自己把工作按時完成。

The company has hired several live wires to improve its products.

公司為了改良產品，雇用幾位有進取心的人。

(16) Parting shot:

這是指一個人臨走時說些尖刻或批評的話，或臨別時懷著敵意的姿態 ( make last criticism or attack on someone before a person leaves)

據說這是出自古代騎兵在退卻時，返身發射的「回馬箭」，也叫做Parthian shot.。Parthia是亞洲西部古國，在今伊朗東北部。

例如:Mr. Chen took a parting shot at his boss before he left.

陳先生在離職前，對他的老闆說了尖刻話。

(這是一些員工的通病嗎?)

If you take a parting shot, you may not get a recommendation for your new job.

假如你在離職前，作出最後批評，你也許很難取得新職的推荐。

Having taken a parting shot at his friends, Mr. A drew some criticism from his associates.

A先生在離開前對他的朋友說了尖刻話，受到同仁的批評。

(17) Seventh heaven:

這本指上帝和天使居住的天國最高層，也是宗教的七重天或天外天。也就是非常的快樂和高興(very happy or cheerful)

因為這是指一種情況(condition)，故只用單數。

例如:After passing the exam, John was in (the) seventh heaven.

John考試通過，高興極了。

(seventh前，也有不用冠詞the)

With his happy marriage and successful career, Bob is always in seventh heaven.

Bob婚姻幸福，事業成功，常常興高采烈。

Whenever I get a book published, I am in seventh heaven.

我每當一本書出版，我就快樂兮兮。

(18) small fry:

這裡的fry本指魚苗，小魚。現在指無足輕重的小人物或小事物。(insignificant person or thing)

(fry單複數相同，不用fries)

例如:A snobbish person sometimes considers others as small fry.

驕傲的人，有時把別人看為不重要。(這裡的fry是複數)

Everyone in our society is important; no one should be considered small fry.

社會上每個人都很重要；不要把別人認為微不足道。

In his opinion, such idea is only small fry.

以他看法，這個主意，是無足輕重。

Small-fry也可當形容詞:

They always treat Mr.A as a small-fry politician.

他們老把A先生當做無足輕重的政客。

(19) soft soap:

照字義是軟肥皂，也就是奉承，討好或拍馬。

(to flatter)

例如:

Mr. B got a payraise through soft soap.

B先生藉著拍馬取得加薪。

Too much soft soap for one’s self-interest may backfire.

為自身利益作太多的奉承，往往會有反作用。

Soft soaper也可指奉承者:

Being a soft soaper, Mr. A does not earn respect from his co-workers.

A先生是位拍馬者，不受同仁敬重。

也可當動詞用:

Mr. C can soft-soap his wife into (doing) anything.

C先生能討好太座去做任何事。（／懷中）

/摘自世界周刊