中文常用习语俗语常用成语英文翻译

明枪易躲，暗箭难防It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from hiding.

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，以表达原文涵意义、提供背景知识）

胸有成竹

to have a bamboo in his stomach

to have a well-thought-out plan before doing something

桃满天下

to have the peaches and plums all over the world

to 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 study

初出茅庐

at 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 the trouble-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 dancing to beam with joy

粗枝大叶

with big branches and large leaves

to be crude and careless

灯红酒绿

with red lights and green wine

dissipated and luxurious

扬眉吐气

to raise the eyebrows and let out a breath

to feel proud and elated

无孔不入

to get into every hole

to take advantage of every weakness

开门见山

to open the door and see the mountain

to 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

turn 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 last安分守己

keep sth under one’s hat

eat one’s heart out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 table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