upset the applecart

这是个比较古老的成语，因为其中的applecart如今已很少见了。Cart是由牲口拉的两轮大车，applecart则是载运苹果的大车。把一车苹果拉到市场上卖掉，换几个钱买些自己想要的东西，多美啊！赶车的正打着他的如意算盘呢！可惜，不知怎么搞的，苹果车翻了，他的小算盘也就完了。

这便是upset the applecart的意思。它用以泛指任何“计划受挫、美梦破灭”的情况：

We thought we would give him a pleasant surprise by giving him our present on his birthday, but Mary leaked out the secret and upset the applecart.
我们本来想在他生日那天把礼物给他，让他惊喜一番，但玛丽所秘密泄漏了，打乱了计划。

For the past three weeks we have been carefully planning the garden party, but the continual rain has upset our applecart.
在过去的三周里，我们一直在安排这次游园会，但雨下个不停，把我们的计划全搅乱了。

He thought of going to study in Oxford after finishing high school here. But his father’s sudden death upset his applecart.
他原来想在这里读完中学后到牛津去读大学，但他的父亲猝然故世，他的美梦也随之破灭。

mind one’s own business

很少有人喜欢受别人管，也很少有人喜欢别人来干预自己所做的事。每当发生这种情况，我们常会说“别多管闲事”，或者“干你自己的事去”。

与其相应的英语便是mind one’s own business。在这里mind是动词，意为“照料、关心”，business并非一定指“生意”，而是泛指“事情”。注意mind one’s own business常带有责备的口气：

Mrs. Carson thought she was trying to help me by asking all those questions and telling me what to do, but I thought she’d better mind her own business.
卡逊太太问了一大堆问题，以指手划脚了一番，她自以为是在设法帮我的忙，但我心里想她最好还是别多管闲事。

If were in your position I would stay out of the whole thing and mind my own business.
如果我处在你的地位，我就决不介入，不去管别人的闲事。

Would you please mind your own business and leave me alone?
请你别来管我，让我清静一下好吗？