bite off more than one can chew，贪多嚼不烂

关于动词 bite 的短语很多，比如 bite the dust，bite head off 和 bite tongue，还有接下来的 bite off more than one can chew，字面意思“贪多嚼不烂”，可以意为“承担力所不能及的事，自不量力”，寓意：

try to do more than one is able to do

试着做一件力所能及的事

undertake a promise one cannot accomplish

承诺一个不能实现的诺言

attempt to do something which is hardly achievable

尝试做一些很难实现的事情

to start or promise something to do more than one can accomplish

开始或许诺做一些超出自己能力范围的事情

例如：

By accepting two part-time jobs, he is clearly biting off more than he can chew.

通过接受两份兼职工作，他显然是承担力所不能及的事。

解析：by + 动名词，表示做某事的方式。

It feels like I bit off more than I could chew when I promised to complete this worksheet in one day.

当答应在一天内完成这张工作表时，我觉得自己自不量力。

解析：feel like 是习惯用语，意为”想要某物，想做某事，觉得“，后面接名词或从句，又如：

I feel like a nice cool glass of lemonade.

我想喝杯清凉的柠檬水。

We bit off more than we could chew in our original reform proposals.

我们在最初的改革建议中没有量力而行。

The anaconda bit off more than it could chew. It just killed a big cow but couldn't swallow it.

那条蟒蛇自不量力。它杀死了一头大奶牛，却吞不了它。

I think he's bitten off more than he can chew by taking all those classes.

他上了那么多课，我想他已经承担了力所不能及的事。

想要什么样的生活，就得具备什么样的实力，凡事量力而行，切勿好高骛远，只有脚踏实地，才能左右逢源和从容不迫。