中国常用俗语的翻译
1.一根筋儿one track-minded.
别跟他较劲了。他一根筋，你还不知道？
Stop reasoning with him. Don't you know he is one track-minded?
2.出众的人 a lulu
要说漂亮，我们公司新来的秘书可算是个相貌出众的女孩子了。
Talking about being pretty, our company's new cretary is indeed a lulu.
3.两面派two-faced
我知道怎样对付两面派，而且一眼就能看出谁是一贯两面讨好的人。I know how to handle two-faced people and can even tell at the first glance who are in the habit of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.（注：run with the hare and hunt with the hounds指人两面讨好，不得罪任何一方的做法。）
4．傻大个儿 a lummox
听说那个傻大个儿把他们公司的买卖搞得一团糟。
It is said that the lummox has loud up their company's whole business.
5.收破烂儿的人 a rag man
那些收破烂儿的人走街串户，有时也能挣不少钱。
Tho rag men going from door to door sometimes may also earn quite a handsome sum of money.
6.乡巴佬 a hayed
她说她决不会嫁给一个乡巴佬，不管他多有钱。
She insisted that she would not marry herlf off to a hayed, no matter how rich he was.
7.不三不四的人riff-raffs
老张的家里总来些不三不四的人，可想而知老张不是什么好东西。
鼻涕是黄色的There are always riff-raffs hanging around in LaoZhang's home, which gives you the feeling that Lao Zhang is not a good guy.
8.受气包儿doormat
她天生就是个受气包儿，什么事都不敢说个不字孕妇能吃酸辣粉
She's born doormat ,afraid of going against anything.
9.面无表情的人 a deadpan
和那些面无表情的人在一起工作真让人憋气。
You feel choked to work with tho deadpans.
10.扫帚星 a jinx
有人说那个女人是个扫帚星，谁跟她结婚谁倒霉。
She's said to be a jinx, who would bring bad luck to whoever she marries
笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early start.
不眠之夜white night
不遗余力spare no effort; go all out; do one's best
不打不成交No discord, no concord.
拆东墙补西墙rob Peter to pay Paul
大开眼界open one's eyes; broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
国泰民安The country flourishes and people live in peace
功夫不负有心人Everything comes to him who waits.
好了伤疤忘了疼once on shore, one prays no more
和气生财Harmony brings wealth
活到老，学到老One is never too old to learn.
既往不咎let bygones be bygones
金无足赤，人无完人Gold can't be pure and man can't be perfect.
金玉满堂Treasures fill the home
脚踏实地be down-to-earth
脚踩两只船sit on the fence
老生常谈，陈词滥调cut and dried, cliché
礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
留得青山在，不怕没柴烧Where there is life, there is hope.
马到成功achieve immediate victory; win instant success
名利双收gain in both fame and wealth
茅塞顿开be suddenly enlightened
弄巧成拙be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itlf.
拿手好戏masterpiece
赔了夫人又折兵throw good money after bad
抢得先机take the preemptive opportunities
强强联手win-win co-operation
瑞雪兆丰年A timely snow promis a good harvest.
人之初，性本善Man's nature at birth is good.
人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a man.
人海战术huge-crowd strategy
世上无难事，只要肯攀登Where there is a will, there is a way.
世外桃源 a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world; 死而后已until my heart stops beating
岁岁平安Peace all year round
塞翁失马，焉知非福Misfortune may be an actual blessing.
升级换代updating and upgrading (of products)
四十不惑Life begins at forty.
南京的旅游景点水涨船高When the river ris, the boat floats high.
时不我待Time and tide wait for no man.
杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel
说曹操，曹操到Talk of the devil and he comes.
实话实说speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
实践是检验真理的唯一标准Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. 糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets
天有不测风云Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue 团结就是力量Unity is strength.
歪风邪气unhealthy practices and evil phenomena
物以类聚，人以群分Birds of a feather flock together.
望子成龙hold high hopes for one"s child
屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.
文韬武略military experti; military strategy
唯利是图draw water to one's mill
无源之水，无本之木water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots
无中生有make/create something out of nothing
徇私枉法bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends
新官上任三把火 a new broom sweeps clean
蓄势而发accumulate strength for a take-off
心想事成May all your wish come true
勤学苦练
先入为主First impressions are firmly entrenched.
先下手为强catch the ball before the bound
像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan
现身说法warn people by taking onelf as an example
息事宁人pour oil on troubled waters
喜忧参半mingled hope and fear
循序渐进step by step
鱼米之乡 a land of milk and honey
有情人终成眷属Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.
有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare go. Money talks.
有识之士people of vision
有勇无谋u brawn rather than brain
与时俱进advance with times
以人为本people oriented; people foremost
香港沙田因材施教teach students according to their aptitude
欲速则不达Haste does not bring success.
优胜劣汰survival of the fittest
英雄所见略同Great minds think alike.
冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends than make enemies.
一言既出，驷马难追A real man never goes back on his words.
招财进宝Money and treasures will be plentiful
债台高筑become debt-ridden
致命要害Achilles’heel
众矢之的target of public criticism
纸上谈兵be an armchair strategist
纸包不住火Truth will come to light sooner or later.
汉语中常见成语的英文翻译举例
一箭双雕to kill two birds with one stone
趁热打铁to strike while the iron is hot
火上加油to pour oil on the flame
晴天霹雳like a bolt from the blue
浑水摸鱼to fish in the troubled water
轻如鸿毛as light as a feather
春季适合种什么蔬菜
空中楼阁castle in the air
破釜沉舟to burn the boat
如履薄冰to be on the thin ice
然而，英汉民族毕竟在地理环境、生活习俗、宗教信仰等方面存在相当的差异，所以，成语的产生和使用在两种文化中表现出各自不同的特色。例如，有些成语意思相近，但是使用的比喻形象有差别：
守口如瓶as dumb as an oyster; as silent as the graves; as clo as wax
一贫如洗as poor as a Church mou
渣男什么意思健壮如牛as strong as a hor
血流如注to bleed like a pig
to wake a sleeping dog 打草惊蛇
to cast pearls before swine 对牛弹琴
to paint the lily 画蛇添足
to help a lame dog over a stile 雪中送炭
as easy as falling off a log 易如反掌
有些成语由于不同文化背景的缘故，无法通过字面的意思来理解其中的比喻意思，例如：
in a pig’s whisper 低声地；顷刻间
hang on somebody’s sleeve 依赖某人
to be full of beans 精神旺盛
to get cold feet 感到怀疑、害怕或胆怯
a skeleton at the feast 扫兴的人或东西
粗枝大叶to be crude and careless
扬眉吐气to feel proud and elated
无孔不入to take advantage of every weakness
大张旗鼓on a large and spectacular scale
风雨飘摇(of a situation)being unstable
此外，英语和汉语中都有一部分成语源于各自的寓言或历史典故，包含特定的人名和地名。这类成语如果按照字面直译，译语读者通常无法理解。如果加上许多解释，又失去了成语的精练特色，所以成为翻译中的难题，例如：
毛遂自荐to volunteer one’s rvice （毛遂——战国时期人名）
初出茅庐at the beginning of one’s career （出自《三国演义》的典故）
东施效颦crude imitation with ludicrous effect （东施——古代一丑女的名字）
南柯一梦 a fond dream or illusory joy （南柯——古代传说的梦中地名）
四面楚歌to be besieged on all sides （楚——战国时期的地名）
Catch-22 situation 不可逾越的障碍（源自美国作家约瑟夫·赫勒的小说Catch-22）
a Spartan look 简朴的; 艰苦的（古希腊斯巴达人以简朴和不畏艰辛著称）
a Trojan Hor 内* （古希腊传说中，在特洛伊战争时希腊人做的木马）
妈妈的怀抱
the heel of Achilles 致命的弱点(古希腊传说中的阿基里斯，除脚踵外全身刀枪不入)
Gordian Knot 难题；僵局（古希腊传说中人物
风花雪月ntimental writings of the exploiting class
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
