Some people say that life without music would be like life without air. Music is certainly a vital part of any culture. Music, together with language, is what distinguishes cultures and habits. So it’s only natural that idioms would be created around the theme of music.

有些人说没有音乐的人生就像没有了空气。音乐是任何文化中至关重要的一部分。音乐和语言一起，把不同的文化和习俗区分开来。所以很自然地就产生了关于音乐主题的习语。

Here are some examples of how they are used in English:

以下是在英语中应用的例子：

1. Elevator Music – Pleasant and sometimes annoying music that is played in public places

1. Elevator Music——在公共场合播放的愉快的，有时是恼人的音乐

“Apart from finding shopping malls boring, Keith finds the elevator music that is played particularly irritating”.

“除了觉得购物商场无聊之外，基斯还觉得公共场合播放的音乐特别烦人。”

2. Ring a bell – If something rings a bell it reminds you of something even though you cannot remember it very well.

2. Ring a bell——某件事让你想起了什么，尽管你记得不是很清楚。

“Yes, the song rings a bell but I am not sure exactly where I’ve heard it before”.

“是的，我对这首歌有印象，但是我不记得我在哪里听到过。”

3. For a song – when you buy or a sell something very cheaply

3. For a song——买或者卖出非常便宜的东西。

“I bought this car for a song”.

“我以极低的价格买了这辆车。”

4. Like a broken record - someone who repeats the same thing over and over again (very annoying)

4. Like a broken record——重复某件事的人(特别烦人)

“I’ve understood you want me to clean the bathroom. Stop going on like a broken record!”

“我知道你想要我去打扫浴室。别再像个坏掉的唱片机那样喋喋不休了!”

5. Blow your own trumpet - boasting about your talents and successes

5. Blow your own trumpet——吹嘘自己的才能和成功

“Sometimes it is not a bad thing to blow your own trumpet. After all, if you don’t, who else will?”

“有时候自吹自擂也不是见坏事。毕竟，如果你不这么做，还有谁会这么做?”

6. Jam session - playing improvised music in an impromptu setting. This could happen at a dinner party with friends.

6. Jam session——在没有预先准备的场合下弹奏即兴音乐。可能发生在和朋友的晚宴上。

“After dinner, Tom and Harry got their guitars out and started a jam session. It was wonderful.”

“晚餐之后，汤姆和哈里拿出了吉他，即兴演奏了一段。真是太棒了。”

7. Call the tune – to be in a position of authority to give orders and make important decisions

7. Call the tune——位于权威地位，下达命令，做出决策。

“Peter was always the person who called the tune in our team.”

“彼得总是我们队伍里那个发号施令的人。”

(There is also another idiom “to call the shots” that has a similar meaning)

(另一个词组to call the shots意思相同)

8. Blow the whistle – to report an illegal or unacceptable activity to the authorities.

8. Blow the whistle——向权威部门举报不合法、不能接受的行为。

“Janet came under a lot of pressure from her colleagues when she blew the whistle on what was going on in the bank.”

“珍妮特在同事那受到很大压力，因为她举报了银行了发生的事。”

(a whistle blower is the noun – “more recognition needs to be given to the courage it takes to be a whistle blower“.)

(whistle blower是对应的名词——“应该向做举报人的勇气给予充分重视”)

9. Music to one’s ears – to hear exactly what you want to hear

9. Music to one’s ears——听到你想要听和喜欢听的内容

“The ringing sound of the cash tills is music to my ears!”

“现今的叮当声对我来说就像天籁。”

10. Face the music - accept punishment for something

10. Face the music——承担某事的惩罚

“There’s not a lot we can do, so we are going to have to face the music.”

“我们能做的不多，所以我们不得不承担后果。”

资料来源：英语口语培训