As food was scarce, they had to pull in their belts.
由于食品缺乏，他们只好勒紧裤带。
I need to live on a tight budget from now on.
现在起只得勒紧裤带过活了。
Howard： Not really. We've had to tighten our belts a bit, too.
霍华德：没有。我们也在勒紧裤带苦撑。
Because of unemployment many people had to tighten their belts.
由于失业，许多人不得不勒紧裤带生活。
John： Yeah, we may have to tighten our belts for quite a while.
约翰：没错，我们可能得勒紧裤带好一阵子。
He quitted the tiresome job and had to tighten is belt.
他辞去那份讨厌的工作，只得勒紧裤带了。
In those hard times, they all had to pull in their belts.
在那艰难的岁月里，他们都只得勒紧裤带。
In a period of mass unemployment a lot of people have to tighten their belt.
在大批人失业期间，许多人员得勒紧裤带过日子。
If it fails, we'll have to tighten our belts and turn the forces around.
如果失败，我们必须勒紧裤带，把这股潮流顶回去。
When Uncle Billy lost his job, his family had to tighten their belts.
比利大叔失业后，他的全家不得不勒紧裤带过日子。
When father lost his job we had to tighten our belts.
父亲失了业,我们不得不勒紧裤腰带过日子。
I know we don't have a lot of money right now, but I really want to get this ring for her, even if this means we'll have to tighten our belts a little bit.
我知道我们没有很多钱,但是我真的很想买这个戒指给她,即使那表示我们得把裤带勒紧一点.
tighten one's belt (eat less food,spend less money,etc)
勒紧腰带（省吃俭用）
The pack straps are too tight. They cut into the flesh.
背包带太紧，勒得慌。
It's time for them to tighten their belts,
现在是日本人勒紧腰带，
The elastic in my pants has gone, ie has broken or perished.
我裤子的松紧带坏了（断了或老化了）.
These jeans are too tight in the crotch.
这牛仔裤的裤裆太紧了。
Tight trousers extending from waist to ankle with straps passing under the instep, worn especially in the19th century. Often used in the plural.
紧身裤从腰至脚脖子的紧身裤，有带子穿过脚背，尤盛行于19世纪。通常用复数