爱思英语编者按：今天我们来学习一下与book相关的10个习惯用语。

10 Idioms About Books

1. A closed book
已经完结的事情/高深莫测的人或事物

(a) Something you accept has completely ended
“As far as I am concerned, that matter with the council is a closed book“

(b) Someone or something that is difficult to understand
“I have never been able to work or communicate with John. He is a closed book”

2. An open book
一目了然的人或事物

Someone that is easy to know about because they don’t keep any secrets.
“Julia’s life is like an open book. You always know what she’s up to”.

3. Read someone like a book
一眼看穿某人想法

To understand easily what someone is thinking or feeling
“I can read Angela like a book. I always know what she’s thinking and what she’s about to say at meetings”

4. The oldest trick in the book
老套的把戏

A dishonest method of doing something that you know about because it has been used many times before
“It was the oldest trick in the book – one man distracted me while another stole my wallet. I can’t believe I fell for it.”

5. In someone’s good/bad books
得到/失去某人的欢心


Used for saying when someone is pleased/annoyed with you.
“Tommy has been on his best behaviour today. After yesterday’s tantrums, he’s been doing his best to be in my good books all day.”

6. By the book
照章办事

Someone who strictly follows all the rules when doing something
“We’re not going to leave things to chance.We’re going to run this company by the book.”

7. To bring someone to book
惩罚某人

To punish someone when they’ve done something wrong
“I had to bring Tom to book after our meeting. He shouldn’t have lost his temper at Bridget”.

8. Take a leaf out of someone’s book
以某人为榜样


To copy what someone else does because they are successful at it
” You should take a leaf out of Keith’s book. He has achieved wonders with those children”.

9. Don’t judge a book by its cover
不要以貌取人

Don’t form an opinion of something or someone only from its appearance
” When I first met Charlotte she had had a really tough two weeks and wasn’t in the mood for chatting and appeared very moody and unsociable. She is not at all like that. One should never judge a book by its cover“.

10. Cook the books
做假账

To change accounts or figures dishonestly normally to make money
“It appears that Stanley had been cooking the books for years. He was finally caught last year.”