中国成语(中英文对照)idioms

口译达人必“背”：中国成语英译

置之死地而后生

Put the troops in death ground and they will live.

道高一尺魔高一丈

While the priest climbs a foot, the devil climbs ten.

预防胜于治疗

Prevention is better than cure.

新官上任三把火

New brooms sweep clean.

塞翁失马焉知非福

Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.

路遥知马力日久见人心

A distant journey tests the strength of a horse and a long task proves the character of a man. 沧海一栗

a drop in the bucket

盖棺论定

Judge none blessed before his death.

岁月不饶人

Time and tide wait for no man.

经验即良师

Experience is the teacher.

小Car笔记：

in disguise：伪装, 假装, 乔装

tide：潮汐【常用短语】turn the tide vi. 扭转局势

万物之灵

the lords of creation

万事开头难

Everything is difficult at the start

万无一失

not a single miss in a thousand times.

to hit a person when he's down

隔墙有耳

Pitchers have ears; walls have ears.

开夜车/挑灯夜战

Burn the midnight oil.

开诚布公

He always opens his heart to his spouse when he has a problem.

盗亦有道

Dog does not eat dog.

善有善报

One kindness is the price of another.

损人利己

to enrich oneself at others expense

小Car笔记：

spouse：配偶【例句】He never mentioned his spouse. 他从来不提自己的妻子。enrich oneself：自肥，利己

智者千虑，必有一失

Homer sometimes nods.

胜不骄败不馁

to be not elated by success nor disturbed by failure

富贵在天

Riches and honors come from heaven.

智者不惑

A wise man is free from perplexities.

无风不起浪

There is no smoke without fire. (Where there is smoke, there is fire.)

画蛇添足

to paint the lily

趁火打劫

to fish in troubled waters

量入为出

to cut one's coat according to one's cloth/ make both ends meet

阳奉阴违

ostensible obedience

跑了和尚跑不了庙

The monk may run away, but the temple can't run with him.

小Car笔记：

Homer：n. 荷马(希腊诗人)

lily：百合花,纯白的

troubled waters：混乱状态, 波涛汹涌的水

贫无立锥之地

as poor as a church mouse

雪中送炭真君子/患难见真情

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

异想天开

to give loose to one's fancy

集思广义

Two heads are better than one.

得过且过

to live from hand to mouth

情人眼里出西施

Love is blind.

情有独钟

had eyes only for：All the girls liked Kevin, but he had eyes only for Mary. 冤家宜解不宜结

Better remove enmity than contract it.

眼不见为净

Out of sight, out of mind.

脱口而出

A slip of the tongue can sometimes land you in trouble.

小Car笔记：

a church mouse：一贫如洗的人

slip of the tongue：失言，疏漏，小错误，口误

莫在太岁头上动土

Let sleeping dogs lie.

毕恭毕敬

cap in hand：He always treats his boss cap in hand. 得意忘形

to leap out of one's skin

捷足先登

The early bird catches the worm.

欲速则不达

Haste makes waste./More haste, less speed.

欲加之罪，何患无辞

Give a dog a bad/an ill name and hang him.

混水摸鱼

to fish in troubled waters

贪小失大

penny-wise and poundfoolish

习惯成自然

once a use forever a custom

挂羊头卖狗肉

cry up wine and sell vinegar

小Car笔记：

troubled waters：混乱状态，波涛汹涌的水poundfoolish：省小钱吃大亏的，因小失大的

cry up：夸奖(称颂)

饥不择食

A good appetite is a good sauce.