6.pay through the nose
付出比真正价值高很多的价钱，或付出太多的钱感到心痛

例句：Life is funny. When the famous dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh was alive, nobody wanted to buy his pictures. But now rich people will pay through the nose for one, sometimes more than five million dollars.
人生实在是很有趣的。当那位有名的荷兰画家凡高还活着的时候，没有人要买他的画。可是，现在那些有钱人却愿意出高价买他的画，有时候一张画就要五百多万美元。

7. to keep an ear to the ground
保持高度警觉，及早发现那些即将会发生的事情的预兆

例句：Every two weeks while the Congress is in session, I try to get back home to California to talk to people. This doesn't give me much time to relax with my family, but I have to keep an ear to the ground and hear what voters are thinking about.
当国会举行会议的时候我每两个星期设法抽空回加州一次去和当地的人进行交谈。我没有多少时间可以和家人在一起，但是我得及时了解选民的想法。

8.up to one's ears
很忙，完全介入某件事情

例句：Gee, honey, you know I'd like to help you paint the kitchen tonight, but I'm up to my ears in paper work I had to bring home from the office.
亲爱的，你知道我很愿意今晚帮你把厨房上油漆。可是我从办公室带回来好些要做的事。

The mayor says he didn't know people on his staff were taking bribes. But my guess is he's up to his ears in it.
市长说他不知道他手下的工作人员接受贿赂。可是，我猜想这件事他是有份的。

9.sweeten the pot　
增加条件吸引对方

例句：They've built so many new office buildings here that they have trouble renting out all the space. So some landlords sweeten the pot; they offer a company six months free rent if it signs a three-year lease.
他们在这儿盖了那末多的办公楼,现在都租不出去。所以，有的房产主就设法增加一些吸引人的条件。他们对一个公司说，要是这个公司和他们签订一个三年的租房合同，他们就可以免交半年房租。

10.the cards are stacked against you
形势不利，成功的机会很小

例句：I really wanted to try out for the basketball team when I was in college. But the cards were stacked against me: I'm only five feet six inches tall and everybody else was six-two or even taller.
当我上大学的时候，我真想参加篮球队。可是，那不可能，因为我身高只有一米六多，而其他人都至少有一米八。