before one can (或 has time to) draw breath

before one can do anything, such is the speed of events

頃刻之間，彈指之間

a breath of fresh air

a small amount of or a brief time in the fresh air

少量的新鮮空氣，短暫的時間內(nèi)呼吸到的新鮮空氣

the breath of life

a thing that someone needs or depends on

生命中不可缺少的東西

politics has been the breath of life to her for 50 years.

這五十年以來，政治一直是她的生命。

catch one's breath

cease breathing momentarily in surprise or fear

（因驚訝或害怕而）屏息

rest after exercise to restore normal breathing

松一口氣，歇一口氣

don't hold your breath

(informal)used to indicate that something is unlikely to happen

(非正式)（用于表示某事不會發(fā)生）別憋著呼吸，別期望太高

Next thing you know I'll be knitting baby clothes. But don't hold your breath!.

還要告訴你一件事，我要編織娃娃穿的衣服了。不過不要抱太高期望。

draw breath

breathe in

吸氣

get one's breath back

begin to breathe normally again after exercise or exertion

喘過氣來，恢復(fù)正常呼吸

hold one's breath

cease breathing temporarily

屏氣

in the — breath

used to refer to the place of a statement in a sequence of statements, typically one containing a contradiction or inconsistency

在…時

she admitted it but said in the same breath that it was of no consequence.

她承認(rèn)了這件事同時卻又說這并不重要。

the (或 one's) last breath

the last moment of one's life (often used hyperbolically); death

臨終，瀕死；死

she would fight to the last breath to preserve her good name.

為保護(hù)自己的清譽，她將斗爭到底。

take breath

pause to recover free and easy breathing

歇口氣，歇會兒透口氣

take someone's breath away

astonish or inspire someone with awed respect or delight

使某人激動（或驚羨）得透不過氣來

under (或 below) one's breath

in a very quiet voice; almost inaudibly

壓低嗓子，低聲地

he swore violently under his breath.

他壓低嗓門惡罵。

waste one's breath

talk or give advice without effect

徒費唇舌，白說

I've far better things to do than waste my breath arguing.

我不會徒費唇舌辯論的，我還有更有意義的事情要做呢。