生活拮据（拮据的生活是什么意思）
上次说过我们的外教总监 Lawrence 前阵子离婚了，最近他也不怎么跟我们一起出去聚餐唱K了，会计小刘忍不住问他原因，这老外倒是没藏着掖着，直接回答说:“I’ve been living on a shoestring since we divorced.”这下小刘更糊涂了，问我道:”我问老外为啥不跟我们出去嗨了，他怎么说自从他离了婚就靠鞋带儿为生了？” 我赶忙说:”他还真不是转行去卖鞋带儿了！”
其实，Lawrence是说”自从我们离婚后，我的日子一直过得很紧。” “live on a shoestring”这个短语就是“生活拮据、 勉强度日、日子过得很寒酸”的意思，因为”on a shoestring”本身就是”资金不多、小本经营”，你想啊，这日子过得像鞋带一样细长，可不就是很紧吧嘛！
live on a shoestring
日子过得很紧；生活拮据; 勉强度日；过着极节俭的生活；靠小本收入生活; 用很少的钱; 以极少量资金；小本经营
【En】To live within a very tight or limited financial budget.在非常紧张或有限的财政预算内生活。Do something with a very small amount of money.用很少的钱做一些事情。
【活学活用 give an example】
• Newly divorced with two children to raise, she was living on a shoestring.
她刚刚离婚，有两个孩子要抚养，生活拮据。
• We’ve been living on a shoestring since my husband lost his job.
我丈夫失业后，我们一直精打细算过日子。
• We were living on a shoestring.
我们当时生活艰难。
• The program was run on a shoestring for years until they found a sponsor.
这个项目以小本经营了好几年，直到他们找到了赞助商。
• I live on a shoestring. I have a very small budget and little money to spend on clothes.
我生活拮据。我的预算非常少，几乎没钱买衣服。
• A British science fiction film made on a shoestring budget is taking America by storm.
一部低成本的英国科幻电影风靡美国。
• I’ve been living on a shoestring since my mother stopped sending me money.
我的母亲停止给我寄钱之后，我的日子过得非常寒酸。
• We were living on a shoestring for a while after our baby was born, but, luckily, I got a promotion, and our situation has improved a bit.
孩子出生后，我们曾有一段时间过着节衣缩食(拮据)的生活，但幸运的是，我升职了，我们的情况有所改善。
• The books give all the insider know-how for staying and getting around a country on a shoestring budget.
书中介绍了在一个国家以极低的预算居住和旅行的所有内部诀窍。
• It is said that John started his business on a shoestring.
据说约翰几乎是白手起家的。
• Like many entrepreneurs on a shoestring, they are attempting to start a business while they continue to work full-time jobs.
像许多家境拮据的企业家一样，他们试图在继续全职工作的同时创业。
• The film was made on a shoestring.
这部电影是个成本小制作。
• He started his business on a shoestring and built it up gradually.
他以微薄的资金创业，然后慢慢发展扩大。
• Appleton was proud of having done much of his own research on a shoestring.
阿普尔顿很自豪，因为他自己用很少的钱做了很多研究。
• The paper started on a shoestring, but soon had a circulation of over 100,000 readers.
这份报纸开始时规模很小，但很快就拥有了超过10万名读者的发行量。
• The theatre will be run on a shoestring.
这家剧院将以小本经营。
