115．从起跑线开始

［词语］from scratch

［含义］从零开始；白手起家；从头开始

［趣释］【物事喻指】在田径运动（track-and-field sports）中，起跑线（scratch）就是出发点。从出发点开始，就意味着不是中途开始。于是“从起跑线开始”（from scratch）喻指从零开始、从头开始、白手起家等意思，并且被运用到许多方面。成语运用时多与动词start搭配。

［运用］Starting from scratch, Mr. Jones has become president of the nation's largest mining company． 琼斯先生白手起家，成了全国最大的矿业公司总经理。

Mr. Smith built this boat starting from scratch in only three months． 史密斯先生只用了三个月时间就从零开始制造了这条游艇。

He threw away everything he had written and started the novel again from scratch． 他把写好的东西统统扔掉，小说又从头写起。

There are so many mistakes in this letter, so it is better to start again from the scratch． 这封信里错误太多，所以最好还是重写。