idioms(English-Chinese)中国成语,中英文对照,整理

s heart sings with joy

132.

心旷神怡

feel on the top of the world

133.

心直口快

frank and out-spoken

134.

心猿意马

carry fire in one hand and water in the other

135.

心满意足

to one

’

s heart

’

s content

136.

引以为荣

plume(

荣耀

,

羽毛

)on eself on

137.

引狼入室

set a fox to keep the geese

138.

以身作则

set a good example for/to others

139.

以卵击石

throw a straw against the wind

140.

以和为贵

A bad compromise

（折衷，妥协）

is better than a good lawsuit.

141.

以柔克刚

Willows are weak yet they bind other wood.

142.

以德报怨

return good for evil

143.

水乳交融

be hand and/in glove with

144.

水性杨花

unstable as water

145.

水深火热

be in deep water

146.

水落石出

The truth will out(vi,

暴露

).

147.

未老先衰

decrepit (adj,

衰老的，

[di`krepit])before one

’

s age

148.

未雨绸缪

lay up against a rainy day

149.

功败垂成

a slip betwixt(prep.

在??中间

) cup and the lip

150.

甘之如饴

smack(

咂（嘴）

) one

’

s lips

151.

甘拜下风

play second fiddle(

,

干预，瞎搞

)

152.

世外桃源

Utopia(

莫尔著的《乌托邦》里描述的一个小岛。

)

153.

本末倒置

put the cart before the horse

154.

可歌可泣

set one in a melting mood

155.

左右逢源

Everything goes well.

156.

石沉大海

sink into oblivion(n,

遗忘

,

湮没

,

赦免

[-`b-viEn]) [E5bliviEn])

157.

平分秋色

on equal terms with

158.

平白无故

without rhyme or reason

159.

平步青云

make a smashing hit

160.

平易近人

easy to get along with

161.

打抱不平

take up the cudgel(

棍棒

) for another

162.

打草惊蛇

wake a sleeping dog

163.

目不识丁

an illiterate(n,adj)

4

164.

目光短浅

see no further than one

’

s nose

165.

目瞪口呆

be tongue-tied

166.

史无前例

without precedent in history

167.

四面八方

in all directions

168.

四海为家

here today and gone tomorrow

169.

生龙活虎

alive and kicking

170.

仗势欺人

pull rank on someone

171.

付之一炬

commit to the flames

172.

白手起家

start from scratch

173.

令人发指

make one

’

s hair stand on end[

与“毛骨悚然”相同，真的如此？

]

174.

令人咋舌

take one

’

s breath away

175.

半斤八两

Tweedledum and Tweedledee.{

已查，书写正确，意思正确

}

176.

半信半疑

half in doubt

177.

头头是道

clear and logical

178.

永垂不朽

eternally immortal

179.

司空见惯

order of the day

180.

出人头地

come to the fore(

前部，前面

)

181.

One

’

s tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

182.

出尔反尔

go back on one

’

s word

183.

出类拔萃

tower above the rest

184.

老气横秋

lacking in youthful vigor

185.

毕恭毕敬

cap in hand

186.

问心无愧

feel no qualms upon self-examination

187.

兴高采烈

in great delight

188.

设身处地

put oneself in sb. else

’

s position [

本处原文用

sb.

一简写形式欠妥

]

189.

吞吞吐吐

hesitate in speech

190.

来之不易

hard earned

191.

来日方长

There will be ample time.

192.

来龙去脉

cause and effect

193.

快马加鞭

spur on the flying horse

194.

完美无缺

leave nothing to be desired

195.

识文断字

be able to read

196.

学无止境

Knowledge is infinite.

197.

烂醉如泥

be as drunk as a lord

198.

突飞猛进

advance rapidly

199.

突如其来

come all of a sudden

200.

退避三舍

retreat to avoid a conflict

201.

徒劳无功

work to no avail

202.

脍炙人口

be on everybody

’

s lips

203.

狼吞虎咽

gobble up

204.

浪迹天涯

roaming freely all over the world

5

205.

袖手旁观

stand by with folder arms

206.

黄粱美梦

fond dream

207.

惟利是图

be bent solely on profit

208.

脱口而出

blurt out

209.

望子成龙

expect one

’

s children to be talent

210.

望文生义

interpret without real understanding

211.

趁热打铁

strike when the iron is hot

212.

痛不欲生

grieve to the extent of wishing to die

213.

痛改前非

thoroughly rectify one

’

s errors

214.

痛定思痛

draw a lesson from a bitter experience

215.

微不足道

not worth mentioning

216.

滥竽充数

be there just to make up the member[

不是

number!]

217.

蔚然成风

become the order of the day

218.

稳操胜券

have full assurance of success

219.

人生而平等

All men are created equal.

220.

人山人海

a sea of faces

：

How many people are there in the stadium? Believe it or

not, a sea of faces.

221.

人之常情

human nature

：

It's human nature for me to help those who need help.

222.

人云亦云

echo others' words

：

Don't echo others' words. Sometimes you've got to

find out the truth.

223.

人去楼空

Regretful to say, when the master was absent, his mansion was dead.

224.

人面兽心

a wolf in sheep's clothing

：

He is cruel enough to kill that girl; he's really a

wolf in sheep's clothing.

225.

人言可畏

Opinion rules the world

：

Always remember what I say to you. Opinion

rules the world.

226.

十年风水轮流转

Every dog has its day.

227.

十全十美

leave nothing to be desired

：

The show just leaves nothing to be desired.

228.

十拿九稳

We have winning the game in the bag.

229.

十万火急

in hot haste

：

I am writing in hot haste to let you know that I will be there

on time.

230.

了无瓜葛

have nothing to do with

：

That politician claimed that he had nothing to do

with that scandal.

231.

力不从心

my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak

：

A:Can you do me a favor?

B:Sorry, my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.

232.

力挽狂澜

try to stem the tide

：

He tried to stem the tide, but in vain.

233.

入境随俗

Do in Rome as the Romans do.

6

234.

入木三分

It actually gave a vivid picture of cut the quick. (leave an indelible

impression)

235.

七上八下

to be sixes and sevens

：

Don't talk to me now because I am all at sixes and sevens. (with

one's heart going pitapat)

236.

七窍生烟

He was in a great fury (fuming with anger; in a great rage; terribly furious) and swore to

get even with the opposite(

跟对方报复

).

237.

七零八落

After the quake, the buildings went to rock and ruin.

238.

八面玲珑

smooth and able to win favour on all sides.

239.

三思而后行

Look before you leap.

240.

三句不离本行

to talk shop

241.

三个臭皮匠胜过一个诸葛亮

Two heads are better than one.

242.

三番两次

This guy is at me time after time.(time and again; time and time again.)

7

243.

三缄其口

You'd better hold your peace, or you'll ask for trouble.

244.

千钧一发

to hang by a hair thread / at the critical time

245.

千锤百炼

A good nail does not fear the hammer. (steeled and tempered; gone through fire and

water)

246.

千载难逢

It only happens once in a blue moon. (It chances in an hour that happens not in seven

years.)

247.

千变万化

The unexpected always happens.

248.

大刀阔斧

It's said that the new executive will go the whole hog (reform in a big way.)

249.

大同小异

much of muchness

：

The two articles are much of muchness ( be alike with minor

difference There's not a pin to choose between the two ) in appearance and quality.

250.

大言不惭

blow your own trumpet

：

You really blow your own trumpet. (talk big; overshoot oneself)

251.

大快朵颐

They are so delicious that I ate my fill. (gorge oneself; tuck in at; have/take one's fill.)

8

252.

大功告成

The big project finally came off with honors (bring home the bacon; come through with

flying colors).

253.

大智若愚

He who cannot play the fool is not a wise man.

254.

大器晚成

Rome was not built in a day.

255.

大海捞针

needle in a haystack

：

Finding your lost contact lens is just like looking for a needle in a

haystack.

256.

山穷水尽

at the end of one's resources

257.

山中无老虎，猴子称大王

Among the blind the one-eyed is king./When the cat's away, the mice will play.

258.

小题大做

Make a mountain out of a molehill. ( fuss about trifles; a tempest in a teapot; a storm in a

teacup; break a butterfly on a wheel )

259.

一视同仁

He treats everyone across the board.

9

一模一样

These twins look as like as two peas.

一时兴起

He does everything on the spur of the moment.

九死一生

to have a hair-breadth escape

九牛一毛

Compared with mine, his was simply a drop in the bucket.

人生如梦

Life is but a dream.

人生自古谁无死

Death comes to all men.

人生百岁古来稀

It is seldom that a man lives to be a hundred years old.

人定胜天

Man can conquer nature.

人不可貌相

Appearances are often deceptive./ Never judge a book by its cover.

小不忍则乱大谋

10

Patience is a virtue.

小洞不补，大来吃苦

A stitch in time saves nine.

工欲善其事，必先利其器

Sharp tools make good work.

己所不欲勿施于人

Do unto others as you would be done.

亡羊补牢

Better late than never./ It's never too late to mend.

上气不接下气

I got out of breath when I climbed those stairs.

寸步不离

He always keeps book at his elbow. (keep close to)

口若悬河

He always talks nine words at once. (rattle on)

仁者无敌

The benevolent have no enemy.

口是心非

11

He often speaks with his tongue in his cheek. (play a double game; say one thing and

mean another )

不可一世

I really don't know why she is always as proud as a peacock.

不可救药

His deep- rooted bad habits are simply beyond remedy.

不由自主

in spite of oneself

：

He is often absent- minded and dozed off in spite of himself in class.

不自量力

If he does so, he really goes beyond his depth. No one can beat that guy. (overrate one's

abilities)

不屈不挠

Although he has failed several times, he still keeps his chin up. (as steady as a rock; firm

and unyielding; fight for tooth and nail; hang on by the eyelashes; stick to one's color)

不知死活

John is really heedless of consequences. I believe some day he will ask for trouble.

不知好歹

Take my advice into consideration. Don't know chalk from cheese.

不耻下问

To improve your studies, you got to be not above asking questions.

12

不假思索

He is good at speech. He often speaks impromptu.

不偏不倚

You should believe that the judge held the scales even.

不期而遇

I came across an old friend of mine in a department store. (chance to meet

，

bump into

，

come upon

，

meet...accidentally/unexpectedly/by chance/by accident)

不速之客

You are really a thick-skinned and gate-crasher.

不义之财

Don't be envious. Ill-gotten money comes easily and goes easily too.

不谋而合

see eye to eye

：

Do you see eye to eye with him on that plan?

不厌其烦

takes the trouble

：

The teacher often takes the trouble to instruct his pupils.

不遗余力

But the conspirators leave no avenue unexplored to re- establish contact with Britain.

不择手段

by hook or by crook

：

He just did the work by hook or by crook.

不翼而飞

Did you see that plane? It seems that it just vanished from sight.

13

不声不响

as quiet/silent/still as a mouse

：

She was as quiet/silent/still as a mouse and left.

不识抬举

Bring a cow to the hall and she will run to the byre. (fail to appreciate sb's kindness/not

know how to appreciate favor)

口蜜腹剑

A honey tongue, a heart of gall. ( be nasty-nice; Bees that have honey in their mouths

have stings in their tails. )

久别情疏

Out of sight, out of mind. (Far from eye, far from heart. Long absent, soon forgotten.

Seldom seen, soon forgotten.)

不告而别

French leave

不要不自量力

Don't put a quarter into a pint pot.

不要厚此薄彼

Don't make fish of one and flesh of another.

不畏艰难

Take the bull by the horns.

不战而屈人之兵

14

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

不入虎穴焉得虎子

How can one obtain tiger-cubs without entering the tiger's lair.

不经一事，不长一智

Experience is the mother of wisdom.

不胜其烦

a pain in the neck

：

Your little brother is a pain in the neck.

心正不怕雷打

A good conscience is a soft pillow.

心甘情愿

He did all this of his own accord.

心不在焉

You look absent-minded; what's wrong?

心满意足

The little boy sat there smiling, as happy as a clam.

心力交瘁

I don't know what to do. I just burned the candle at both ends.

心灰意冷

He was in black despair when he failed in the joint examination.(down in the bushes/in

the dumps/lose heart)

15

心有余悸

A burned child dreads the fires. (Once bitten, twice shy.)

心安理得

No matter what he said, I have the peace of mind. (have an easy conscience)

心血来潮

He did it just on the impulse of the moment.

心花怒放

My heart sings with joy because I receive over 300 letters a week from people around the

world.

少年老成

to have an old head on young shoulders

少不更事

wet behind the ears

：

Although she is 20, she was still wet behind the ears in some ways.

天无绝人之路

God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. /When one door shuts another opens.

天下乌鸦一般黑

Crows are black all over the world.

天助自助者

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

16

天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福

It is the unexpected that always happens.

天衣无缝

These two ideas just fit like a glove.

天涯海角

ends of the earth

：

I'll find him to the ends of the earth. (out-of-the-way places; the

uttermost part of the earth)

天经地义

a matter of course

：

It's a matter of course to respect our elders. (a universal truth; it goes

without saying that...)

毛遂自荐

to recommend one's own person

火上加油

Don't bother her, or you'll pour oil on the flame.

支离破碎

The car was so seriously damaged that it was torn to pieces. (in shreds; rip apart)

匹夫之勇

Fighting with him is just courage without discipline . (brute courage)

比比皆是

This kind of mall can be found here and there and everywhere. (right and left)

17

切肤之痛

No one knows where the shoe pinches like the wearer.

夫唱妇随

A good Jack makes a good Jill.

引狼入室

I know I'll set a fox to keep the geese if I take him for a good friend.

引以为荣

I am really proud of myself. (plume oneself on; pride oneself on; take pride in)

日薄西山

Now he knows that his days are numbered. (not to be long for this world; The sands are

running out.)

水乳交融

That couple are really hand and (in) glove with each other. (be finger and glove with)

心直口快

John is frank and out spoken, so I prefer to remain with him.

心满意足

You can eat to your heart's content.

心猿意马

carry fire in one hand and water in the other

18

心旷神怡

Standing here feel on top of the world.

化干戈为玉帛

Bury the hatchets and work for peace.

仁者无敌

The benevolent have no enemy.

今日事今日毕

Never put off till tomorrow what may be done today.

文胜于武

The pen is mightier than the sword.

文不对题

His composition is wide of the mark. ( beside the point )

六亲不认

As to the business, he often cuts loose from old ties. ( turn one's back on one's own flesh

and blood )

水性杨花

They got divorced for he thinks his wife was unstable as water. (as changeable as the

moon; A woman's mind and winter wind change off.)

水深火热

The rebels were in deep water and oppressed every day.

19

水落石出

The police are now looking into the case, and I suppose, the truth will out soon. (be

brought to light; come out in the wash; Murder is out truth lies at the bottom of a well.)

分文不值

not worth a dump

：

What you bought yesterday is actually not worth a dump.

分身乏术

I'm now doing my homework, so I can't be in two places at once.

分秒必争

Every minute counts.

分道扬镳

They have already gone separate ways. (part company)

化险为夷

It is John who helps me weather the storm. (escape/go/get off scot-free; bear a charmed

life)

斤斤计较

Forget about it. Don't strain at gnat. He needs money lately. (look at both sides of a penny;

skin a flint)

以身作则

You got to practice what one practices. ( set a good example for others)

毛骨悚然

20

hair stand on end

：

That weird-looking person really makes my hair stand on end. (get

goose bumps; make one's flesh creep)

打落水狗

to hit a person when he's down

打铁趁热

Strike while the iron is hot.(Make hay while the sun is shining.)

打抱不平

He often bullies you. I really take up the cudgel for you.

打草惊蛇

Let's stay here in order not to wake a sleeping dog. (wake a sleeping lion/woof)

犯错是人之常情，宽恕是超凡的

To err is human; to forgive divine.

平白无故

without rhyme or reason

：

Don't take others' money without rhyme or reason. (without

provocation)

白费唇舌

to waste your breath on him

生于忧患，死于安乐

Adversity spurs vitality, while comfort breeds sloth.

21

永垂不朽

The general's name will be always remembered and eternally immortal.

四大皆空

All is vanity.

四海之内皆兄弟

All are brothers within the four seas.

四面八方

These folks come from in all directions (far and wide; there and everywhere; length and

breadth)

四海为家

I don't know where Jack is now; in my mind, he is a person who is here today and gone

tomorrow.

未雨绸缪

take precautions before it is too late

目不识丁

not know A from B / an illiterate

失败为成功之母

Failure is the mother of success.

失之毫厘，差之千里

A miss is as good as a mile.

22