比喻想尽一切办法。

cudgel ones brains (for an ingenious device)

身：亲身，亲自；试：尝试。试着亲身去做触犯法律的事。指明知故犯。

defy the law

窟：洞穴。狡猾的兔子准备好几个藏身的窝。比喻隐蔽的地方或方法多。

a crafty person has more than one hideout

用胶把柱粘住以后奏琴，柱不能移动，就无法调弦。比喻固执拘泥，不知变通。

stubbornly stick to old ways in the face of changed circumstances

斤斤：形容明察，引伸为琐碎细小。只对无关紧要的事过分计较。

haggle over every ounce

纲：鱼网上的总绳；举：提起。把大绳子一提起来，一个个网眼就都张开。比喻抓住事物的关键，带动其他环节。也比喻文章条理分明。

once the key link is grasped, everything falls into place

策：办法。遇到问题，就象手被捆住一样，一点办法也没有。

be at a loss what to do, at wits end

看具体情况灵活办事。

play something by ear

聪明：智力发达，天资高。伶俐：灵活、乖巧。形容小孩头脑机灵，活泼且乖巧。

clever and sensible be quick in the uptake with a ready tongue clever and quick-witted have a little cleverness of sorts

患：祸患，灾难。事先有准备，就可以避免祸患。

there is no danger when there is preparedness

匠心：巧妙的心思。具有独到的灵巧的心思。指在技巧和艺术方面的创造性。

have a special inventive mind

原指琴声陡然降落。后用来形容声誉、地位或经济状况急剧下降。

(said of prestige, fortune, etc.) suffer a drastic decline

煞：委。形容费尽心思。

make painstaking efforts

三、四：表示杂乱。形容说话做事错杂紊乱。

confused/disorderly

经、纬：织物的竖线叫“经”，横线叫“纬”，比喻规划。规划天地。形容人的才能极大，能做非常伟大的事业。

have heaven and earth under ones control have great ability

按照身材裁剪衣服。比喻按照实际情况办事。

cut the coat according to the cloth

计：策略、办法；施：施展。没有办法可用。

be at a loss as to what to do

萧何创立了规章制度，死后，曹参做了宰相，仍照着实行。比喻按照前任的成规办事。

followed the rules set by Xiaoto follow established rules follow in sb.s footsteps follow sb. exactly move in a rut

指用不正当的手段谋取私利。也指靠小聪明占便宜。

speculate and manipulate for self-interest

白费劲，没有一点用处。

labour in vain