Choisee

 

成语典故小译

爱不释手——to fondle admiringly

白面书生——a pale-faced scholar

败兴而归——to be back disappointed

按兵不动——to hold one's troops where they are

勃然大怒——to fly into a rage.

不翼而飞——to vanish suddenly

 

大同小异——to nibble away like a silkworm and swallow up

胆大心细——to be bold but cautious

出生入死——to go through fire and water

大惊小怪——to be surprised at sth quite normal

小题大作——to make a fuss about a trifle

小巫见大巫——to appear insignificant when compared with

改恶从善——to turn over a new leaf

不慌不忙——unhurried

扬眉吐气——to be elated/to hold one's head high

煽风点火——fanning the flames.

大大咧咧——careless

通宵达旦——all through the night

三言两语——in a few words.

千方百计——in a thousand and one ways.

半生不熟——half-cooked.

开花结果——to bear fruit

闭关锁国——to lock the doors against the world

 

三头六臂——three heads and six arms.

青面獠牙——green-faced, long-teethed

违法乱纪——offences against law and discipline.

弹尽粮绝——to exhaust one's supplies of food and ammunition

四面八方——far and near

光明正大——fair and square

点头哈腰——to bow and scrape

胡说八道——stuff and nonsense

同甘共苦——share weal and woe

独一无二——one and only

风平浪静——the wind abates and the waves calm down.

 

看破红尘——to see through the vanity of the world

救死扶伤——to heal the wounded and rescue the dying

刨根问底——to get to the root of things.

开源节流——to increase income and reduce expenditure.

 

罪魁祸首——arch-criminal, ringleader

油嘴滑舌——glib tongue

花言巧语——flowery、deceiving words、a lot of verbal froth

引经据典——quote authoritative works.

 

半心半意——half-hearted.

一知半解——a smattering of knowledge

一泻千里——to flow down vigorously

说一不二——to mean what one says.

数一数二——to rank high, one of the very best

费尽九牛二虎之力——to make Herculean efforts, to do one's damnedest, to make painstaking efforts.

两耳不闻窗外事——to completely ignore what is going on beyond one's immediate surroundings, not to bother about what's happening in the outside world, to hold aloft from the affairs of the world reality

两面三刀——double-dealing, to be two-faced

两全其美——to be satisfactory to both sides.

两袖清风——An honest official remains poor all the time. ( to have not a cent, clean-handed)

三寸不烂之舌——an eloquent tongue, smooth talk

三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮——Three cobblers with their wits combined.

三心二意——half-heartedness, to waver and hesitate, double-minded

朝三暮四——to blow hot and cold, inconsistent.

四分五裂——to fall to pieces, to be all split up, to be tormasunder.

四平八稳——calm and steady, well-balanced.

五彩缤纷——colorful, of all shades and hues.

五花八门——all sorts of, various, rich in variety

六亲不认——to disown all one's relatives and friends, to refuse to have anything to do with one's relatives and friends.

六神无主——out of one's wits, in a state of utter stupefaction.

七零八落——to be scattered here and there, in disorder.

七上八下——to be on tenterhooks, to be in anxiety and nervousness.

七手八脚——with many people taking part, all hitching in

七嘴八舌——everybody being eager to put in a word, all talking at once.

乱七八糟——at sixes and sevens, in disorder, in a mess.

耳听八方，眼观六路——to have keen ears and sharp eyes, extraordinarily alert.

九死一生——a narrow escape from death, to escape by the skin of one's teeth

九宵云外——far, far away

十拿九稳——ninety per cent sure, quite certain, to be in the bag.

十全十美——to be done to perfection, flawless and perfect.

千金难买一笑——A thousand tales can hardly purchase a smile.

千虑之一得——an idea born of a long meditation

千篇一律——to harp on the same subject, stereotyped, monotonous.

千奇百怪——a multitude of wonders, all kinds of strange things.

千秋万代——for the ages to come, from generation to generation, forever and ever.

千丝万缕——innumerable links, countless ties.

千头万绪——a multitude of things, a myriad of intricacies.

千载一时——a golden opportunity, a rare chance.

千真万确——absolutely true, quite certain.

万变不离其宗——While the appearances may vary, the essence remains unchanged. (to be essentially the same in spite of all changes)

万古长青——evergreen, to bloom for ever

万籁俱寂——All is quiet and still (complete silence)

万马奔腾——like a myriad galloping horses.

万事俱备，只欠东风——Everything is ready, awaiting the east wind.

                      / Everything is ready, except the final important condition.

万无一失——without fail under any circumstances, absolutely certain, perfectly safe.

 

破釜沉舟（下决心做到底）——to burn one's boat ( to destroy all means of going back so that one must fight to the end).

朝三暮四（反复无常）——to blow hot and cold ( to be changeable in one's opinions)

画蛇添足（多此一举）——to gild the lily ( to try to improve sth that is already good enough, so spoil the effect)

掩耳盗铃（自己骗自己）——to bury one's head in the sand (to keep from seeing, knowing, or understanding sth dangerous or unpleasant)

 

杞人忧天——like the man of Qi who fears that the sky might fall, imaginary or groundless fears.

叶公好龙——Lord Ye's love of dragons, professed love of what one really fears.

朝秦暮楚——to serve the State of Qin in the morning and the State of Chu in the evening, be quick in switch sides, be fickle.

刻舟求剑——to nick the boat to seek the sword, make a notice on the side of a moving boat to show where to look for the dropped sword overboard.

精卫填海——the mythical bird Jingwei trying to fill up the sea with pebbles ( dogged determination to achieve one’s purpose)

助纣为虐——to aid King Xong Zhou in his tyrannical rule-aid and abet the evil dowe.

月下老人——the old man of the Moon/ the good who unites persons in marriage.

黄粱美梦——a Golden Millet Dream (from the story of a poor scholar who dreamed he had become an official but awoke to find the pot ofmillet still cooking on the fire.)

 

千钧一发——to hang by a thread.

水底捞月——to fish in the air.

亡羊补牢——to lock the stable door after the horse is stolen.

画蛇添足——to put the fifth wheel to the coach.

 

四面楚歌——to be besieged on all sides

东施效颦——crude imitation with ludicrous effect

毛遂自荐——to volunteer one’s service

锱铢必较——to haggle over every penny

罄竹难书——too numerous to mention

初出茅庐——at the beginning of one’s career.

暗渡陈仓——to do one thing under cover of another.

杯弓蛇影——beset with imaginary fears.

负荆请罪——to offer a humble appology.

名落孙山——to fail in a comptitive examination.

杀鸡骇猴——to punish someone as a warning to others.

 

crocodile tears  猫哭老鼠

take French leave  不辞而别

as wise as Solomon  像所罗门一样聪明

in a pig’s whisper  低声说

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs  杀鸡取卵

Abington’s cap  流行时装

apply for the Chiltern Hundreds  辞职

blindman’s buff  盲目行事

Buckley’s chance  极小的可能性，极少有的机会

By the grape vine  从小道传来的，根据小道消息

Cock of school 一校之雄

David and Jonathan 生死之交

David dances before the ark 凯旋而归

Fabian Policy 拖延政策

Fly on the coach-wheel 狂妄自大的人

Forget-me-not 毋忘我