写译必备|100个中国成语俗语英文翻译（二）

成语俗语英文翻译第二课

21 脚踩两只船 sit on the fence; be a fence-sitter; have a foot in either camp

22 君子之交淡如水 A hedge between keeps friendship green.

23 老生常谈，陈词滥调 cut and dried; cliché

24 礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

25 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧 Where there is life, there is hope.

26 马到成功 achieve immediate victory; win instant success

27 名利双收 gain both fame and wealth

28 茅塞顿开 be suddenly enlightened

29 没有规矩，不成方圆 Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.

30 每逢佳节倍思亲 On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away.

31 谋事在人，成事在天 Man proposes; God disposes.

32 弄巧成拙 make a fool of oneself in trying to be smart

33 赔了夫人又折兵 suffer a double loss; lose the bait along with the fish

34 抛砖引玉 a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale

35 破釜沉舟 cut off all means of retreat；burn one's own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end

36 抢得先机 take the preemptive opportunities

37 巧妇难为无米之炊 One can't make bricks without straw.

38 千里之行始于足下 a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step

39 前事不忘，后事之师 Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.

40 前怕狼，后怕虎 fear wolves ahead and tigers behind； hesitate in doing something