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 所以这李纨虽青春丧偶，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，胜过诸葛亮。 The wit of three cobblers combined surpaes 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，以表达原文内涵意义、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 桃李满天下 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
profeed 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 lo 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 carele 灯红酒绿
with red lights and green wine diipated 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 weakne 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 diipation 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 保密 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 fu 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 顺手牵羊 walk off with sth 守株待兔 trust to chance and stroke of luck 铜墙铁壁 an impregnable fortre 唇枪舌剑 engage in a battle of words 黔驴技穷 at one’s wit’s end 单枪匹马 all by oneself 生龙活虎 bursting with energy 截然不同 oil and vinegar 家丑 a skeleton in the cupboard; a family skeleton 觉得可疑 smell a rat 鲁莽的人 a bull in a china shop 捏造 pull sth out of one’s hat 告发 put the finger on 干苦差事 hold [carry] the baby 反应快 quick on the trigger; think on one’s feet 恻隐之心 the milk of human kindne 保密 keep sth under one’s hat 注意形象的不同
胆小如鼠 as timid as a hare 如鱼得水 like a duck to water 多如牛毛 as plentiful as blackberries 一箭之遥 at a stone’s throw 水中捞月 to fish in the air 半瓶子醋 half-baked 蠢得像猪 as stupid as a goose 害群之马 black sheep
挥金如土 to spend money like water 烂醉如泥 drunk as a sailor 热锅上的蚂蚁 like a cat on a hot tin roof 瘦得像猴子 as thin as a shadow 如履薄冰 to tread upon eggs 棋逢敌手 diamond cut diamond 挂羊头卖狗肉 cry up wine and sell vinegar 火上加油 to add fuel to the fire 趁热打铁 Strike while the iron is hot.隔墙有耳 Walls have ears.眼见为实 Seeing is believing.沧海一粟 a drop in the ocean 破釜沉舟 burn one’s boat 竭泽而渔
to drain a pond to catch all the fish to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs 打草惊蛇 to stir up the gra and alert the snake to wake a sleeping dog 易如反掌
to be as easy as turning over one’s hand as easy as falling off a log 掌上明珠
a pearl in the palm the apple of one’s eye 守口如瓶
to keep one’s mouth closed like a bottle to keep a still tongue in one’s head 雪中送炭
to send charcoal in snowy weather to help a lame dog over a stile 画蛇添足
to draw a snake and add feet to it to paint the lily
