中国成语的英语经典翻译
百色民族高中-共青团入团申请书格式
（一）并列关系
名山大川 famous mountains and
great rivers
名胜古迹 scenic spots and historical
sites
湖光山色 landscape of lakes and hills
青山绿水 green hills and clear waters
奇松怪石
strangely-shaped pines and grotesque rock
formations
平等互利 equality and mutual benefit
扬长避短 play up strengths and avoid weaknesses
反腐倡廉 fight corruption and build a clean
government
简政放权 streamline administration and
institute
decentralization
集思广益 draw on
collective wisdon and absorb all useful ideas
国泰民安 the country flourish and the people live
in peace and
harmony
政通人和 the government
functions well and people cooperate
well
国计民生 national welfare and the people’s
livelihood
辞旧迎新 bid farewell to the old year
and usher in the new
徇私舞弊 bend the law for
personal gain and engage in fraud
流连忘返 linger
on with no thought of leaving for home
国际局势复杂多变 the complex and volatile
international
situation
开拓进取 blaze
new trails and forge ahead
求同存异 seek common
ground while shelving differences
（二） 语意重复
广袤无垠的中华大地 the boundless expanse of the Chinese
territory
高瞻远瞩的决策 a visionaryfar-sighted
decision
贯彻落实重大决策carry out implement a series
of major policy
decisions
层峦叠嶂 peaks
rising one after another
优胜劣汰 survival of the
fittest
延年益寿 prolong one’s life
灵丹妙药
panacea miraculous cure
长治久安 a long period of
stability
求真务实 pragmatic
审时度势 size up the
trend of events
招商引资 attract investment
誉满全球举世闻名 world-renowned
功在当代，利在千秋 in the
interest of the current and future
generations
继往开来，承前启后 (continue the past and open up the
future )
break new ground for the future
路遥知马力，日久见人心 Time will tell.
吃的苦中苦，方知甜中甜 no sweet without sweat
车到山前必有路，船到桥头自然直 in the end things mend
there’s always a way out
急功近利 eager for
instant success and quick profits
大黑扫黄 crack
down on gangland and pornography
德高望重 of high
ability and integrity
互利互补 mutually
complementary and beneficial
互谅互让mutual
understanding and accommodation
遵纪守法 observe
the relevant code of conduct and the law
（三）
目的关系
减员增效 downsize (and cut payroll) to
improve efficiency (for
efficiency)
退耕还林
return cultivated land to forest or pastures
集资办学 raise money to set up new schools
结党营私 form cliques for private gain
扭亏为盈
turn a loss-making enterprise into a profitable
one
（四） 途径方式
寓教于乐 teach through lively
activities
因材施教 teach students according to
their aptitude
按劳分配 distribution according to
performance
以商养文 support sponsor cultural
activities with the profits
from doing
business
（五） 偏正词组
廉洁奉公 honestly
perform one’s official duties
环境绿化
environmental greening
超前消费 premature
consumption; Over-consume; excessive
consumption
以强凌弱 the strong domineering
over the weak
以人为本 people foremost; People-
oriented
（六） 动宾关系
优势互补 complement each
other’s advantages
自主经营，自负盈亏 make one’s own
management decisions,
full responsibility for
one’s own profits and losses
（七） 条件关系
不进则退 no progress simply means regression
（八） 省略意象
瞻前顾后 overcautions and indecisive
源远流长 have a long history
呕心沥血 spare no
efforts
画龙点睛 bring out the crucial point
花天酒地 go on the loose
汗马功劳 exploits
闻名遐迩 famous
独具匠心 original
take
中流砥柱 mainstay, chief cornerstone
鱼米之乡 a land of milk and honey
世外桃源 a haven
of peace
浩如烟海的文化典籍 numerous volumes of
literature
part2：常用成语
繁荣昌盛thriving
and prosperous
爱不释手fondle admiringly
爱财如命skin a flea for its hide
爱屋及乌love
me,love my dog He that loves the tree loves the
branch
安居乐业live and work in peace and
contentment
白手起家build up from nothing
百里挑一one in hundred
百折不挠be indomitable
半途而废give up halfway leave sth. Unfinished
包罗万象all-embracing all-inclusive
饱经风霜weather-beaten
卑躬屈膝bow and scrape
cringe
悲欢离合vicissitudes of life
背道而驰run
counter to run in the opposite direction
本末倒置put the cart before the horse
笨鸟先飞the slow need to start early
必由之路the only way
闭关自守close the country to
international intercourse
变本加厉be further
intensified
变化无常chop and change fantasticality
变化无常chop and change fantasticality
别开生面having sth. New
别有用心have ulterior
motives
彬彬有礼refined and courteous urbane
兵不厌诈in war nothing is too deceitful
博古通今erudite and informed
不败之地incincible
position
不耻下问feel not ashamed to learn from
one's subordinates
不可救药be past praying for
beyond redemption
不劳而获reap where one has not
sown
不屈不挠fortitude indefatigability
perseverance persevere
tenacity
不速之客crasher uninvited guest
不同凡响outstanding
不言而喻speak for itself tell
its own story tell its own tale
went without
saying
不遗余力spare no effort spare no pains
不以为然not approve object to
不义之财filthy lucre filthy pelf the mammon of
unrighteousness
不亦乐乎extremely
不远千里go to
the trouble of travelling a long distance
不约而同happen to coincide
不择手段by any kind of
means by hook or crook play hard by fair
means
or foul
不知所措be at a loss be all adrift lose
one's head out of one's
wits
才疏学浅have
little talent and learning
惨绝人寰extremely cruel
沧海桑田time brings a great change to the worlds
沧海一粟九牛一毛a drop in the bucket
草木皆兵a state
of extreme nervousness
层出不穷emerge in endlessly
层峦迭嶂peaks over peaks
察言观色carefully watch
what sb. is doing and saying
姹紫嫣红very
beautiful flowers
畅行无阻checkless
车水马龙heavy
traffic
沉默寡言taciturnity
称心如意well-content
趁热打铁strike while iron is hot Hold a
wolf the iron is hot
成群结队gang horde
诚惶诚恐with reverence and awe
诚心诚意sincere
desire
承上启下a connecting link between the
preceding and the
following
吃苦耐劳tough
吃里扒外live on sb. while helping others secretly
痴心妄想、胡思乱想wishful thinking
持之以恒preserve
叱咤风云ride the whirlwind
愁眉苦脸pull a long
face snoot
愁眉苦脸的，愁眉苦脸地woebegone 、morosely
臭名远扬，臭名昭著flagrancy， notorious
出乎意料unexpected
出口成章have an outstanding
eloquence
出类拔萃，鹤立鸡群fill the bill supereminence
出谋划策give counsel suggest
出奇制胜defeat sb. by
a surprise action
出生入死go through fire and
water
触类旁通comprehend by analogy
垂头丧气，无精打采
down in the mouth lose one's spirits with
the tail between the legs
垂头丧气的blue about the gills crestfallen
downhearted
绰绰有余more than sufficient
此起彼伏as one falls,another rises
从容不迫go easy
take one's time
从容不迫的leisured unhurried
从容不迫地by easy stages
粗枝大叶careless slapdash
sloppy
粗枝大叶的broad-brush
措手不及unaware
unprepared
错综复杂、扑朔迷离 anfractuosity
错综复杂的anfractuous daedal reticula sinuous
打草惊蛇act rashly and alert the enemy
大材小用waste one's talent on a petty job
大公无私selfless
大海捞针look for a needle in a
bottle of hay
大惑不解be extremely puzzled
大惊小怪a storm in a teacup 、foofaraw 、fuss 、like
a hen with
one chicken
大惊小怪的spoffish
大快人心affording general satisfaction
大名鼎鼎famous well known
大器晚成great
minds mature slowly
大千世界the boundless universe
大失所望greatly disappointed
大同小异largely
identical but with minor differences
大显身手、大显神通strut one's stuff
大言不惭、夸夸其谈fanfaronade rodomontade
大义凛然inspiring awe by upholding justice
大义灭亲place righteousness above family loyalty
大智若愚Still waters run deep. An empty vessel
makes the most
sound Still water runs deep
呆若木鸡dumbstruck transfixed
待人接物the ways one
gets along with others
殚思极虑rack one's brains
胆小如鼠cannot say boh to a goose
胆战心惊的funky
淡泊明志not seek fame and wealth
道貌岸然be
sanctimonious
得过且过drift along muddle along
得天独厚的advantaged
得心应手handy with facility
得意忘形、得意洋洋 bloat get dizzy with success
得意洋洋elated、 elation、 exaltation、 jauntiness
得意扬扬ride high
得意洋洋的cock-a-hoop、
high-blown 、perky
得意扬扬的triumphant
德才兼备have
both ability and moral integrity
德高望重sainted 、
saintlike
登峰造极reach the limit reach the peak
of perfection
地大物博vast territory and abundant
resources
颠倒黑白、颠倒是非、 混淆是非call white black、
swear black
is white
颠三倒四confused
disorderly
雕虫小技insignificant skill
调兵遣将move forces
调虎离山lure the enemy away
from his base
掉以轻心treat sth. Lightly
喋喋不休blat 、cackle 、chackle 、harp、 harp on、 jaw-
jaw 、
rattle 、twitter、 wag
顶天立地of
indomitable spirit
东施效颦blind imitation with
ludicrous effection
东山再起bob up like a cork
独具匠心show originality
独树一帜develop a school
of one's own
独一无二in a class by oneself
独一无二的unique 、unmatched、 unparalleled
度日如年one day seems like a year
断章取义garble
、quote out of context
对牛弹琴whistle jigs to a
milestone 、Cast pearls before swine
对症下药suit
the remedy to the case
多才多艺versatility
多才多艺的accomplished 、all-round 、allround
、miscellaneous、
versatile
多愁善感sensitivity、sentimentality
多愁善感的moonstruck 、spoony
多此一举bring owls to
Athens、 hold a candle to the sun
多多益善the more
the better
咄咄逼人aggressive
脱胎换骨thoroughly
remould oneself
阿谀奉承、趋炎附势greasiness
恩将仇报、以怨报德 、忘恩负义 bite the hand that feeds one
尔虞我诈each trying to cheat the other
发人深省的thought-provoking
发人深省set people
thinking
发扬光大carry forward
翻山越岭tramp over
hill and dale
翻天覆地world-shaking
泛滥成灾overrun
飞黄腾达、青云直上come into
one's kingdom、 rise in the world
strike oil
飞黄腾达的successful
飞禽走兽birds and beasts
废寝忘食forget food and sleep
分道扬镳part
company,each going his own way
分化瓦解disintegrate 、divide and demoralize
分门别类classify
纷至沓来come in a continuous
stream
纷至沓来的thick as hail
奋不顾身dash ahead
regardless of one's safety
愤愤不平be indignant
愤世嫉俗的cynical
丰富多彩rich and colorful
丰功伟绩great achievement
丰衣足食have ample food
and clothing
风花雪月sentimental writings of the
exploiting classes
风马牛不相及be totally unrelated
风靡一时be the rage
风平浪静calm
风起云涌like a
rising wind and scudding clouds
风雨同舟stand together regardless of
situation
风雨无阻in all weathers
锋芒毕露make a
showy display of one's abilities
蜂涌而来pour
逢场作戏join in the fun on occasion
逢凶化吉trun
ill luck into good
奉公守法law-abiding
敷衍了事make short shrift of 、palter、 scuffle
釜底抽薪take a drastic measure to deal with a
situation
赴汤蹈火、出生入死go through fire and water
富丽堂皇magnificence
覆水难收spilt water cannot be
gathered up again 、It is no use
crying over
spilt milk