It would be unseemly for judges to receive pay increases when others are having to tighten their belts.

在其他人都得勒紧裤腰带过活的时候给法官们加薪是不合适的。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

Because of unemployment many people had to tighten their belts.

由于失业，许多人不得不勒紧靠裤带生活。

youdao

But many countries that need the fund’s money, from Hungary to Pakistan, do need to tighten their belts.

但是，那些需要资金的许多国家，如匈牙利，巴基斯坦等却要勒紧腰带，节约度日。

youdao

When this happens, poor people have to tighten their belts and live on less money than usual.

VOA: special.2009.10.18

But Prince Abdullah has bluntly declared that all Saudis will have to tighten their belts.

ECONOMIST: Saudi Arabia on the dole

Every department will feel the impact of these reductions as they cut programs or tighten their belts.

FORBES: The Loud and Clear Message In President Obama's Budget

It is too much to ask people to tighten their belts twice, as it were, figuratively and literally.

ECONOMIST: European politics