中文常用习语俗语常用成语英文翻译

城门失火，殃及池鱼 A fire on city wall brings disaster to the fish in the moat.路遥知马力，日久见人心As a long road tests a horse’s strength, so a long task proves a person’s heart.初生牛犊不怕虎 New-born calves make little of tigers.口蜜腹剑 to be honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted声东击西 to shout in the east and strike in the west刻骨铭心to be engraved on one’s heart and bones引狼入室 to lead a wolf into the house（cf. to set the wolf to keep the sheep)打落水狗 to beat the dog in the water重见天日 to see the daylight again百川归海 All rivers flow into the sea.画饼充饥 to draw cakes to allay hunger所以这李纨虽青春丧偶，且处在膏梁锦绣之中，竟如“槁木死灰”一般，一概不问。

（《红楼梦》）So this young widow living in the lap of luxury was no better off than withered wood or cold ashes, taking no interest in the outside world.他一家子在这儿，他的房子、地在这儿，他跑？跑得了和尚跑不了庙。

（周立波：《暴风骤雨》）Escape? But his home and property can’t escape. The monk may run away, but the temple can’t run with him.咳！这一来，竹篮子打水一场空了。

（梁斌：《红旗谱》）Ah！We were drawing water in a bamboo basket.三个臭皮匠，胜过诸葛亮。

The wit of three cobblers combined surpasses that of Zhuge Liang the master mind. （增加词语，提供背景知识）班门弄斧show off one’s proficiency with axe before Lu Ban, the master carpenter （增加词语，以表达原文内涵意义、提供背景知识）胸有成竹to have a bamboo in his stomachto have a well-thought-out plan before doing something桃李满天下to have the peaches and plums all over the worldto have students all over the world用典的习语往往不能保留比喻形象叶公好龙professed love of what one really fears东施效颦crude imitation with ludicrous effect南柯一梦a fond dream or illusory joy/fond dream四面楚歌to be besieged on all sides悬梁刺股to be extremely hard-working in one’s studyat the beginning of one’s career罄竹难书(of crime) too numerous to mention失之东隅收之桑榆 What one loses on the swings, one gets back on the roundabouts.塞翁失马安知非福？A loss may turn out to be a gain.庆父不除鲁难未已 There will always be trouble until thetrouble-maker is removed.几乎不含文化因子的比喻形象往往不能保留眉飞色舞his eyebrows are flying and his countenance is dancingto beam with joy粗枝大叶with big branches and large leavesto be crude and careless灯红酒绿with red lights and green winedissipated and luxurious扬眉吐气to raise the eyebrows and let out a breathto feel proud and elatedto get into every holeto take advantage of every weakness开门见山to open the door and see the mountainto come straight to the point纸醉金迷with drunken paper and bewitched gold(a life of ) luxury and dissipation风雨飘摇the wind and rain are rocking(of a situation) being unstable小题大做 make a mountain out of a molehill 赴汤蹈火 go through fire and water过河拆桥 kick down the ladder格格不入 be like square pegs in round holes 魂不附体jump out of one’s skin乳臭未干 be wet behind the ears空中楼阁 castle in the air浑水摸鱼 to fish in troubled water班门弄斧 to teach fish to swim暗送秋波 to make eye at掌上明珠the apple of one’s eye一丘之貉 birds of a feather flock together家丑不可外扬 It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.cut in a joke 插科打诨speak one’s mind畅所欲言be after one’s own heart称心如意at one’s finger-tips 了如指掌fish in troubled waters 混水摸鱼thousands upon thousands of 成千上万in deep water 水深火热tur n up one’s nose at嗤之以鼻skin and bones 皮包骨头touch and go 一触即发from the cradle to the grave 一生一世hit the nail on the head 一语道破make fish of one and flesh of another 厚此薄彼lick sb’s boots巴结stick to one’s las t 安分守己keep sth under one’s hat保密eat one’s heartout 极度悲痛be in sb’s pocket 被某人操纵be in irons 被监禁wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve表露感情put one’s cards on the tabl e 表明观点eat like a bird 吃得极少catch forty winks 打盹儿break the ice 打破僵局jump out of one’s skin大吃一惊get cold feet 胆怯be driven from pillar to post 被逼得走投无路walk on air 得意洋洋get the green light 得到许可mend one’s fences改善关系poke one’s nose into sth干涉turn thumbs down on sth 反对充耳不闻turn a deaf ear to出人头地be head and shoulders above others吹毛求疵pick a hole in sb’s coat破釜沉舟burn one’s boat大惊小怪make a fuss about大海捞针look for a needle in a bundle of hay颠倒黑白talk black into white得意忘形have one’s nose in the air攀龙附凤worship the rising sun大发雷霆hit the ceiling; fly into a rage骑虎难下hold a wolf by the ears视而不见turn a blind eye to大吵大闹raise the roof公开认错stand in a white sheet有花不完的钱 have enough money to burn话中有话with the tongue in the cheek获得全胜sweep the board机敏keep one’s eyes on the ball坚决反对put one’s foot down; set one’s face against 简言之in a nutshell侥幸by the skin of one’s teeth结为良缘win the hand of鸡毛蒜皮trifling开门见山come straight to the point狗急跳墙do sth desperate顺手牵羊walk off with sth守株待兔trust to chance and stroke of luck铜墙铁壁an impregnable fortress唇枪舌剑engage in a battle of words黔驴技穷at one’s wit’s end单枪匹马all by oneself生龙活虎bursting with energy截然不同oil and vinegar家丑 a skeleton in the cupboard; a family skeleton 觉得可疑smell a rat鲁莽的人 a bull in a china shop捏造pull sth out of one’s hat告发put the finger on干苦差事hold [carry] the baby反应快quick on the trigger; think on one’s feet 恻隐之心the milk of human kindness保密keep sth under one’s hat注意形象的不同胆小如鼠 as timid as a hare如鱼得水 like a duck to water多如牛毛 as plentiful as blackberries一箭之遥at a stone’s throw水中捞月 to fish in the air半瓶子醋 half-baked蠢得像猪 as stupid as a goose害群之马black sheep挥金如土 to spend money like water烂醉如泥 drunk as a sailor热锅上的蚂蚁 like a cat on a hot tin roof 瘦得像猴子 as thin as a shadow如履薄冰 to tread upon eggs棋逢敌手 diamond cut diamond挂羊头卖狗肉 cry up wine and sell vinegar 火上加油 to add fuel to the fire趁热打铁 Strike while the iron is hot.隔墙有耳 Walls have ears.眼见为实 Seeing is believing.沧海一粟 a drop in the ocean破釜沉舟burn one’s boat竭泽而渔to drain a pond to catch all the fishto kill the goose that lays the golden eggs 打草惊蛇to stir up the grass and alert the snake to wake a sleeping dog易如反掌to be as easy as turning over one’s hand as easy as falling off a log掌上明珠a pearl in the palmthe apple of one’s eye守口如瓶to keep one’s mouth closed like a bottle to keep a still tongue in one’s head雪中送炭to send charcoal in snowy weatherto help a lame dog over a stile画蛇添足to draw a snake and add feet to itto paint the lily。