中文习语英译

（1）滴水石穿Constant dripping wears the stone.
(2) 破釜沉舟to burn one’s boats
(3) 隔墙有耳Walls have ears.
(4) 积少成多Many a little makes a mickle.
(5) 三思而后行Look before you leap.
(6) 无风不起浪There is no smoke without fire.
(7) 一箭双雕to kill two birds with one stone
(8) 一言既出，驷马难追。

What is said cannot be unsaid.
(9) 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。

As you sow, so will you reap.
(10) 谋事在人，成事在天。

Man proposes, god disposes.
（11）The burnt child dreads the fire. 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳。

（12）Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.宁为鸡头，勿为牛后。

（13）W here there’s a will, there is a way. 有志者，事竟成。

（14）to kill the goose that lays golden eggs 杀鸡取卵
（15）Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁
（16）to fish in the air 缘木求鱼
（17）D on’t wash your dirty linen in public. 家丑不可外扬。

（18）All good things must come to an end.天下无不散的筵席。

（19）A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. 吃一堑，长一智。

（20）Hungry dogs will eat dirty puddings. 饥不择食。

(1) 易如反掌as easy as turning over one’s hand/palm——very easy
(2) 鼠目寸光as short-sighted as mice，see no farther than one’s nose
(3) 君子动口不动手 A gentleman uses his tongue, not his fists.
(4) 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。

T here’ll never be a shortage of firewood as long as
green hills remain; As long as green mountains are
there, one need not worry about firewood; While
there is life, there is hope.
(5) 海内存知已，天涯若比邻。

A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near; A
bosom friend afar makes the world smaller; Long
distance separates no bosom friends.
(6) 千里之行，始于足下。

A thousand-li journey is started by taking the first step.
(7) 千里送鹅毛，礼轻情义重。

The gift itself may be as light as a feather, but sent
from afar, it conveys deep feelings.
(8) 坦白从宽，抗拒从严！ Leniency to those who confess and punishment to those
who resist.
(9) 削足适履to cut the feet to fit the shoes.
(10) 远水救不了近火。

Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire
(11) 良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行。

Good medicine is bitter in the mouth,
but good for the disease.
(12) 兼听则明，偏听则暗。

Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; heed
only one side and you will be benighted.
(13)Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水。

(14) to play with fire 玩火
（15）to show one’s cards 摊牌
（16）to be armed to the teeth 武装到牙齿
（17）to head a wolf into the house 引狼入室
（18）as sly as a fox像狐狸一样狡猾
（19）An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. 以眼还眼，以牙还牙。

（20）God helps those who help themselves. 自助者无助。

（1）王小二过年，一年不如一年。

to be going from bad to worse; to be deteriorating （2）擀面杖吹火—一窍不通。

to know practically nothing about
（3）碰一鼻子灰to be snubbed; to meet with a rebuff; to be rejected （4）找开天窗说不得亮话Frankly speaking; Let’s not mince matters; Let’s
speak frankly; Let’s be frank.
（5）木已成舟，只好如此了！W hat’s done is dong, and cannot be undone. （6）不管三七二十一regardless of the consequences
（7）小巫见大巫to be simply nothing compared to……（8）十五个吊桶打水—七上八下in a turmoil; to be extremely upset
（9）一个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃。

One boy is a boy, two
boys half a boy, three boys no boy;
Everyone’s business is nobody’s business.（10）a fly on the wheel自以为有天大本事的人（11）a bull in a china shop 公牛闯进瓷器店，肆意捣乱（12）to paint the lily 为百合花上色，费力不讨好（13）(an area)flowing with milk and honey鱼米之乡；洞天福地（14）by hook or crook 不择手段；用种种方法；无所不用其极（15）to carry fire in one hand and water in the other 施展两面手法（16）Every dog has its day. 人人皆有得意之日。

（1）杀鸡给猴看to kill the chicken to frighten the monkey, to punish somebody
as a warning to others
(2) 班门弄斧to show off one’s skill with the axe before Lu Ban the master
carpenter, to display one’s slight skill before an expert, to teach
your grandma to suck eggs, to offer to teach fish to swim
(3)三个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮。

Three cobblers with their wits combined surpass
Zhuge Liang the mastermind. Two heads are better
than one.
(4) 既往不咎。

Let bygones be bygones.
(5) 有钱能使鬼推磨。

Money makes the mare go; Money talks.
(6) The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak 心有余而力不足。

（7）Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分。

（8）Once bitten, twice shy. 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。

（9）A stitch in time saves nine. 及时一针省得过后补九针。

小洞不补，大洞吃苦。

（10）Man proposes, God/Heaven disposes. 谋事在人，成事在天。

（11）一寸光阴一寸金。

An inch of time is an inch of gold. Time is money.
(12) 君子动口不动手。

A gentleman uses his tongue, not his fists.
(1)天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福。

The unexpected always happens.
(2)Give him an inch and he will take an ell. 得寸进尺。

(3)Justice has long arms. 天网恢恢，疏而不漏。