| 常用漢語成語：（Common Chinese Idioms） |
| 常用漢語成語：（Common Chinese Idioms） 按圖索驥 Looking for a steed with the aid of its picture 百發(fā)百中 A hundred shots, a hundred bull’s-eyes 班門弄斧 Showing off one’s proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban the master carpenter 杯弓蛇影 Mistaking the reflection of a bow for a snake 閉門造車 Building a cart behind closed doors 病入膏肓 The disease has attacked the vitals 草木皆兵 every bush and tree looks like an enemy 吹毛求疵 Blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect 打草驚蛇 Beating the grass and flushing out the snake 調(diào)虎離山 Luring the tiger out of the mountains 東施效顰 Aping the Beauty’s frown 對牛彈琴 Playing the lute to a cow 負荊請罪 Bringingthe birch and asking for flogging 功虧一簣 Running an enterprise for the lack of one basketful 故步自封 Content with staying where one is 含沙射影 spitting sand on a shadow-attacking by insinuation 狐假虎威 Basking in reflected glory 囫圇吞棗 Gulping down a whole date 畫餅充饑 Allaying hunger with pictures of cakes 畫龍點睛 Putting the finishing touch to the picture of a dragon 畫蛇添足 Drawing a snake and adding feet 驚弓之鳥 Birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring 精衛(wèi)填海 Jingwei fills up the sea 井底之蛙 A frog in a well 刻舟求劍 Notching the boat to find the sword 空中樓閣 A castle in the air 濫竽充數(shù) Passing oneself off as a member of the orchestra 狼狽為奸 A wolf working hand in glove with a jackal 老馬識途 An old horse knows the way 梁上君子 A gentleman on the beam 臨渴掘井 Not digging a well until one is thirsty 滿城風(fēng)雨 A storm enveloping the city 盲人摸象 Blind men touching an elephant 毛遂自薦 Mao Sui recommending himself 門庭若市 A courtyard as crowded as a marketplace 名落孫山 Failing to pass an examination 南轅北轍 Going south by driving the chariot north 怒發(fā)沖冠 So angry that one’s hair lifts up one’s hat 披荊斬棘 Breaking open a way through brambles and thorns 蚍蜉撼樹 An ant trying to shake a big tree 破釜沉舟 Smashing the cauldrons and sinking the boats 破鏡重圓 A broken mirror made whole again 騎虎難下 When one rides a tiger, it is hard to dismount 杞人憂天 The man of Qi who worried that the sky would fall 黔驢技窮 The Guizhou donkey has exhausted its tricks 日暮途窮 The day is waning and the road is ending 如火如荼 Like a raging fire 如魚得水 To feel just like a fish in water 入木三分 To enter three-tenths of an inch into the timber 塞翁失馬 The old man of frontier lost his horse 三顧茅廬 paying three visits to the cottage 三人成虎 repeat a lie enough times and it will be believed 喪家之犬 A homeless dog 殺雞嚇猴 Killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys 甚囂塵上 Making a great clamor 勢如破竹 Like splitting bamboo 世外桃源 A heaven of peace and happiness 手不釋卷 Always with a book in hand 守株待兔 Sitting by a stump, waiting for a careless hare 蜀犬吠日 A Sichuan dog barks at the sun. 束之高閣 Putting it on a high shelf 水落石出 when the water ebbs, stones will appear 四面楚歌 songs of Chu on all sides 談虎色變 Turn pale at the mention of a tiger 曇花一現(xiàn) A flower that vanishes as soon as it appears 螳臂當(dāng)車 A mantis trying to halt a chariot 天花亂墜 As if it were raining flowers 天涯海角 The end of sky and the corner of the sea 同舟共濟 Crossing a river in the same boat 偷天換日 Stealing the sky and changing the sun 天衣無縫 Divine garments without seams 圖窮匕見 When the map is unrolled the dagger is revealed 完璧歸趙 Returning the jade intact to Zhao 亡羊補牢 Mending the fold after the sheep have been stolen 望梅止渴 looking at plums to quench the thirst 望洋興嘆 Gazing at the ocean and sighing 為虎作倀 helping the tiger to Pounce upon its victims 臥薪嘗膽 Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall 笑里藏刀 Hiding a dagger behind a smile 胸有成竹 Having a ready-formed plan 削足適履 Cutting one’s feet to fit one’s shoes 揠苗助長 Pulling up seedlings to help them grow 掩耳盜鈴 Plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell 偃旗息鼓 To lower the banners and silence the drums 葉公好龍 Lord She loves dragons 夜郎自大 the conceited King of Yelang 一鼓作氣 Rousing the spirits with the first drum roll 一箭雙雕 Killing two bids with one stone 一鳴驚人 Amazing the world with a single feat 一丘之貉 Jackals of the same lair 愚公移山 The foolish old man who removed the mountains 魚目混珠 Passing off fish eyes as pearls 余音繞梁 The tune lingers in the house 與虎謀皮 Borrowing the skin from a tiger 鷸蚌相爭 A snipe and a clam locked in combat 朝三暮四 Three in the morning and four in the evening 趾高氣揚 Stepping high and haughtily 指鹿為馬 Calling a stag a horse 紙上談兵 Discussing stratagems on paper 自相矛盾 Contradicting oneself 常用漢語諺語：（Common Chinese Proverbs） 八字衙門朝南開，有理無錢莫進來 Theyamengate is wide open, yet with only right on your side but no money, don’t go inside. 兵馬未動，糧草先行 Provisions should be arranged before an army is mobilized. 不經(jīng)一事，不長一智 Wisdom comes from experience. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair? 差之毫厘，失之千里 A little error may lead to a large discrepancy. 長江后浪催前浪，世上新人趕舊人 Just as the waves of the Yangtze River behind drive on those ahead, so does each new generation replace the old one. 常將有日思無日，莫待無時想有時 When rich, think of poverty, but don’t think of riches when you are poor. 吃一塹，長一智 A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. 打蛇不死，后患無窮 Unless you beat a snake to death, it will cause endless 大處著眼，小處著手 Keep the general goal in sight while tackling daily tasks. 單絲不成線，獨木不成林 A single thread can’t make a cord, nor a single tree a forest. 當(dāng)局者迷，旁觀者清 The spectators see more of the game than the players. 刀不磨要生銹，水不流要發(fā)臭 A knife will rust if not sharpened regularly, and water will stagnate if it is not allowed to flow. 道高一尺，魔高一丈 The law is strong, but the outlaws are ten times stronger. 燈不撥不亮，理不辯不明 An oil lamp becomes brighter after trimming, a truth becomes clearer after being discussed. 讀書需用意，一字值千金 When reading, don’t let a single word escape your attention / one word may be worth a thousand pieces of gold. 讀萬卷書，行萬里路 Read ten thousand books and walk ten thousand miles. 兒不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家貧 A son never thinks his mother ugly, and a dog never shuns its owner’s home however shabby it is. 兒孫自有兒孫福，莫為兒孫做牛馬 The children can take care of themselves when they grow up, so the parents don’t have to work too hard for the future of their offspring. 耳聽為虛，眼見為實 What you hear about may be false, but what you see is true. 凡人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 As a man cannot be known by his looks, neither can the sea be fathomed by a gourd. 放下屠刀，立地成佛 The butcher who lays down his knife, at once becomes a Buddha. 風(fēng)無常順，兵無常勝 A boat can’t always sail with the wind; an army can’t always win battles. 逢人只說三分話，未可全拋一片心 Talking to a stranger, it is wise to be somewhat reserved. 瓜無滾圓，人無十全 No melon is completely round, and no person is perfect. 害人之心不可有，防人之心不可無 One shouldn’t have the heart to harm others, but must be vigilant so as not to be harmed. 花有重開日，人無再少年 Flowers may bloom again, but a person never has the chance to be young again. 畫虎畫皮難畫骨，知人知面不知心 In drawing a tiger, you show its skin, but not its bones; in knowing a man, you may know his face, but not his heart. 火要空心，人要虛心 A fire must have space at its center to burn vigorously; a man must be modest to make progress. 見怪不怪，其怪自敗 Face odd things fearlessly and their fearsomeness will disappear. 江山易改，本性難移 Rivers and mountains may be changed, but it is hard to alter even a single person’s nature. 近水樓臺先得月，向陽花木早逢春 A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first; spring comes early to plants exposed to the sun. 近水知魚性，近山識鳥音 Near to rivers, we recognize fish; near to mountains, we recognize the songs of birds. 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 Near vermilion, one gets stained pink; near ink, one gets stained black. 酒逢知己千杯少，話不投機半句多 If you drink with a bosom friend, a thousand cups are not enough; if you argue with someone, half a sentence is too much. 老當(dāng)益壯，窮當(dāng)益堅 Old but vigorous, poor but ambitious. 良藥苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行 It takes bitter medicine to cure a disease properly, and it takes blunt advice to put us on the right track. 兩虎相斗，必有一傷 When two tigers fight, one is sure to lose. 留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒 As long as the green hills remain, there’ll be no shortage of firewood. |
