He sent her a box of her favourite chocolates. It was a sprat to catch a mackerel, and he waited eagerly for her reply.
他送给她一盒她最喜欢吃的巧克力，这是想吃小亏占大便宜，现在他正迫切地等待着她的反应。
If he pays a guinea to that society, the will expect them to grant him considerable privileges; he's throwing a sprat to catch a whale.
如果他捐一畿尼给这个团体，他就指望人家给他大量的特权，他是要求一本万利的。
Every week I invest a pound on the football pools. It's a sprat to catch a mackerel because one day I could win a million.
每星期我花一英镑赌足球普尔，这完全是一种小小冒险以求大利的行动，因为可能有一天我会赢100万。
