Quote Originally Posted by doninphxaz
Quote Originally Posted by Lampada
Тут я с Рустером. На "перевести дух" сразу подскакивает to catch one's breath.
Осторожно! "To catch one's breath" means "to rest until one's breathing becomes normal," for instance:

“John ran all the way to the bus stop and had to catch his breath before he could tell me the news.”

It's a different thing to say "one's breath is caught." Например,

“John's breath caught in his throat when he saw Sharon. It had been three weeks since she left him, and he didn't know if he could speak to her calmly yet.”

In this context "John's breath caught in his throat" means "John inhaled sharply and he didn't start breathing again for a moment." We use the phrase when there is some intense emotion involved, usually surprise, fear or anger, that briefly prevents us from breathing normally. This meaning is less common than the "to catch one's breath."
Все же, "to catch his breath" makes sense and I personally have never heard 'breath caught in throat'.