迷你对话：

A: It was really hard for our parents to save money when they were young.

我们的父母年轻时攒点钱可真难呀。

B: Most people were living form hand to mouth. How could they?

大多数人都只能勉强糊口，他们怎么能攒下钱么？

A: Yeah. They simply had no extra money to save up or for other things.

对呀，他们没有多余的钱存下来，也没有多余的钱买其它的东西。

B: Fortunately, things are changing these years.

好在这些年有些改观了。

地道表达：

live from hand to mouth

解词释义：

这个习语的意思与我们中文的“家无隔夜之粮”在意思上颇为一致，意思就是指“刚好糊口”。

支持范例：

Eg. When I had no job last winter, I had to live from hand to mouth.

去年冬天没找到工作，我不得不过着勉强糊口的生活。

Eg. When I was first married I didn't have a job, and we had to live from hand to mouth.

结婚初期，我没有工作，因此我们两个人只得过吃一顿算一顿的生活。

Eg. We live from hand to mouth because my father is a n accountant with a low salary.

我们过着仅能糊口的生活,因为我父亲只是个薪水很低的会计员。

Eg. Since she only has a temporary job. She has to live from hand to mouth.

她只有一份临时工，只能勉强糊口。

词海拾贝：

1. save money：省钱

Eg. He worked all summer to save money for the purchase of a piano.

他工作了一整个夏天,为的是存钱买架钢琴。

Eg. We should save money for a rainy day.

我们要存一些钱，以备不时之用。

Eg. He is trying to save money by walking to work.

他为了省钱步行去上班。

Eg. The Boss wanted to look into ways to save money.

老板想研究省钱的方法。

2. have extra money for：有多余钱买......

Eg. They have been more eager to make you work in order to have a little extra money for the family.

他们反倒更积极让你去工作，以赚取额外的钱贴补家用。

3. save up：储蓄，存储

Eg. It took me a year to save up for a new car.

我花了整整一年的时间才存下足够的钱买一辆新车。

Eg. I can't possibly afford that car right now．I’have to save up for it．

我现在买不起那辆车。我得为它攒钱。

Eg. Mary egged her husband on to save up and start his own business.

玛丽鼓励丈夫存点钱自己开店做生意。

Eg. You should save up for your college education.

你应该为你的大学教育经费而储蓄。

句海拾贝：

It is hard for sb to do something. （译文：某人做某事有难度。）

Eg. It is hard for me to speak of her at any time.

我任何时候谈起她心里都不好过。

Eg. It is hard for an old man to work as long as a youngster.

老年人要工作得和年轻伙子一样久是困难的。

Eg. It is hard for them to have thorough appreciation of the Chinese culture.

他们也就很难很深入华夏文化。

Eg. It is hard for me to give up Meg.

失去Meg我很难受。

更多信息请查看生活口语