汉语俗语英译

汉语俗语英译 不看僧面看佛面 don t blame the monk for the Buddha sake; don t blame the inferior or the young for the sake of his superior or the old; forgive one person for another s sake 不怕官，只怕管 not afraid of an official but afraid of an administrator; it is not the official but the person directly in charge that matters 不听老人言，吃苦在眼前 don t listen to your old people and you will suffer very soon; taking the advice for the old generation will save you from trouble or suffering 不撞南墙不回头 he will not turn back until he bumps onto the southern wall; he will go ahead until blocked; he will go ahead until reaching the dead end 不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲门 if you don t commit any sin, you will not be afraid of the devil knocking at your door; an upright man isnt afraid of anything 差之毫厘，失之千里 an error the breadth of a single hair can lead you a thousand li astray;a slightest error can lead to a greatest deviation; a slight carelessness can lead to a severe mistake 成事不足，败事有余 unable to accomplish anything but likely to spoil everything; impossible to achieve but possible to ruin 吃不了兜着走 if you cant eat it up, you have to take it away; get more than one has bargained for; you will have to take full responsibility if you are over-engaged痴心女子负心郎 a heart-devoted lady meets a heartless man; a heart-devoted lady but a heartless man 春雨贵如油 the spring rain is as dear as vegetable oil; the spring rain is dearer than oil 聪明一世，糊涂一时 intelligent for life but muddled for a moment; confused for the time being for that intelligent man 打是亲，骂是爱 beating is affection and abusing is love; superficial beating and abusing reveal profound affection and true love 打肿脸充胖子Pretending to be a fat man by slapping his own face swollen; pretending to be a wealthy man.传统俗语翻译1. 爱屋及乌 Love me, love my dog.2. 百闻不如一见 Seeing is believing.3. 比上不足比下有余 worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst.4. 笨鸟先飞 A slow sparrow should make an early start.5. 不眠之夜white night6. 不以物喜不以己悲 not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personnal losses7. 不遗余力 spare no effort; go all out; do ones best8. 不打不成交 No discord, no concord.9. 拆东墙补西墙 rob Peter to pay Paul10. 辞旧迎新 bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new11. 大事化小小事化了 try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all12. 大开眼界 open ones eyes; broaden ones horizon; be an eye-opener13. 国泰民安 The country flourishes and people live in peace14. 过犹不及 going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little15. 功夫不负有心人 Everything comes to him who waits.16. 好了伤疤忘了疼 once on shore, one prays no more17. 好事不出门恶事传千里 Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide.18. 和气生财 Harmony brings wealth.19. 活到老学到老 One is never too old to learn.20. 既往不咎 let bygones be bygones21. 金无足赤人无完人 Gold cant be pure and man cant be perfect.22. 金玉满堂 Treasures fill the home.23. 脚踏实地 be down-to-earth24. 脚踩两只船 sit on the fence25. 君子之交淡如水 the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal; a hedge between keeps friendship green26. 老生常谈陈词滥调cut and dried, cliche27. 礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity.28. 留得青山在不怕没柴烧 Where there is life, there is hope.29. 马到成功 achieve immediate victory; win instant success30. 名利双收 gain in both fame and wealth31. 茅塞顿开 be suddenly enlightened32. 没有规矩不成方圆 Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. 33. 每逢佳节倍思亲 On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of ones dear ones far away.It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most.34 .谋事在人成事在天 The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. Man proposes, God disposes.35. 弄巧成拙 be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself36. 拿手好戏 masterpiece37. 赔了夫人又折兵 throw good money after bad38. 抛砖弓|玉 a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale39. 破釜沉舟 cut off all means of retreat； burn one s own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end40. 抢得先机 take the preemptive opportunities41. 巧妇难为无米之炊 If you have no hand you cant make a fist. One cant make bricks without straw.42. 千里之行始于足下 a thousand-li journey begins with the first step-the highest eminence is to be gained step by step43. 前事不忘后事之师 Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.44. 前人栽树后人乘凉 One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests.One sows and another reaps.45. 前怕狼后怕虎 fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind hesitate in doing something46. 强龙难压地头蛇 Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt - Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.47. 强强联手 win-win co-operation48. 瑞雪兆丰年 A timely snow promises a good harvest.49. 人之初性本善 Mans nature at birth is good.50. 人逢喜事精神爽 Joy puts heart into a man.51. 人海战术 huge-crowd strategy52. 世上无难事只要肯攀登 Where there is a will, there is a way.53. 世外桃源 a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;54. 死而后已 until my heart stops beating55. 岁岁平安 Peace all year round.56. 上有天堂下有苏杭 Just as there is paradise in heaven, ther are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth57. 塞翁失马焉知非福 Misfortune may be an actual blessing.58. 三十而立 A man should be independent at the age of thirty.At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself.59. 升级换代 updating and upgrading (of products)60. 四十不惑 Life begins at forty.61. 谁言寸草心报得三春晖 Such kindness of warm sun, cant be repaid by grass. 62. 水涨船高 When the river rises, the boat floats high.63. 时不我待 Time and tide wait for no man.64. 杀鸡用牛刀 break a butterfly on the wheel65. 实事求是 seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts66. 说曹操,曹操到 Talk of the devil and he comes.67. 实话实说 speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is68. 实践是检验真理的唯一标准 Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.69. 山不在高，有仙，名No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy;70. 韬光养晦 hide ones capacities and bide ones time71. 糖衣炮弹 sugar-coated bullets72. 天有不测风云 Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue73. 团结就是力量 Unity is strength.74. “跳进黄河洗不清eve if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean-theres nothing one can do to clear ones name 75. 歪风邪气 unhealthy practices and evil phenomena76. 物以类聚，人以群分 Birds of a feather flock together.77. 往事如风The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is pas78. 望子成龙 hold high hopes for ones child79. 屋漏又逢连阴雨 Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.80. 文韬武略 military expertise; military strategy81. 唯利是图 draw water to ones mill82. 无源之水,无本之木 water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots83. 无中生有 make create something out of nothing84. 无风不起浪 There are no waves without wind. Theres no smoke without fire. 85. 徇私枉法 bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends86. 新官上任三把火 a new broom sweeps clean87. 虚心使人进步,骄傲使人落后 Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.88. 蓄势而发 accumulate strength for a take-off89. 心想事成 May all your wish come true90. 心照不宣 have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding 91. 先入为主 First impressions are firmly entrenched.92. 先下手为强 catch the ball before the bound93. 像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan94. 现身说法 warn people by taking oneself as an example95. 息事宁人 pour oil on troubled waters96. 喜忧参半 mingled hope and fear97. 循序渐进 step by step98. 一路平安，一路顺风 speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest99 .严以律己，宽以待人 be strict with oneself and lenient towards others100鱼米之乡101. 有情人终成眷属Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.102. 有钱能使鬼推磨 Money makes the mare go. Money talks.103. 有识之士 people of vision104 .有勇无谋 use brawn rather than brain105 .有缘千里来相会 Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.106.与时俱进 advance with times107 .以人为本 people oriented; people foremost108. 因材施教 teach students according to their aptitude109. 欲穷千里目，更上一层楼to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go up, one flight. a land of milk and honey110. 欲速则不达 Haste does not bring success.111. 优胜劣汰 survival of the fittest112. 英雄所见略同 Great minds think alike.113 .冤家宜解不宜结 Better make friends than make enemies.114 .冤假错案cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases115. 一言既出，驷马难追 A real man never goes back on his words.116 .招财进宝 Money and treasures will be plentiful117.债台高筑 become debt-ridden 118 .致命要害 Achilles heel119. 众矢之的 target of public criticism120. 知己知彼,百战不殆 Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.121. 纸上谈兵 be an armchair strategist122. 纸包不住火 Truth will come to light sooner or later.123 .左右为难 between the devil and the deep blue sea