English Idioms.doc

Chapter Four English Idioms4.1 IntroductionIdioms, broadly defined, which include allusions, maxims, metaphorical phrases, slang, colloquialisms, Siamese twins and proverbs sayings, etc., are inalienable important component of languages. They are the quintessence in the languages, human crystallization of intelligence to spread concise languages. They are certain regular statements (expressions) that take shapes in the course of using with special meanings which are different from the meanings of the individual words that form them. So they are often hard to understand and hard to use. Their proper use in a language marks ones command of the language. Idioms also contain abundant cultural and historical information, which reflects national economic life and prospects national culture psychology, modes of thinking. So rendering idioms of one language into another is always complex.4.2 OriginIdioms are long standing and well established. They are mainly from six aspects: (1) from folks (Dont put all ones eggs in one basket.); (2) from works, such as the Bible (to wash ones hands of, Judas kiss), Shakespeares works (Coward die many times before their death. Hamlet, paint the lily, green-eyed monster), Arabian Nights Entertainments (open sesame) and other famous works; (3) from Aesops Fables (lions share, sour grapes, to bell the cat, to kill the goose to get the eggs. God help those who help themselves); (4) from mythology or legend (Promethean fire, Pandoras box, the touch of Midas, an apple of discord, Achilles heel); (5) from historical events (the fifth column, meet ones Waterloo); and even (6) from other countries (Love me, love my dog. No one can call back yesterday.), etc.1. Strike while the iron is hot. 趁熱打鐵2. Many hands make light work. 人多好辦事3. Haste makes waste. More haste, less speed. 欲速則不達(dá)4. Out of sight, out of mind. 眼不見，心不煩5. Birds of a feather flock together. 物以類聚，人以群分6. Look before you leap. 三思而后行7. Two heads are better than one. 一人不及兩人智8. To carry coals to Newcastle 運(yùn)煤到紐卡索 多此一舉9. Jack of all trades and master of none 雜而不精的人 Jack of all trades10. Know something of everything and everything of something. 專一長而通百藝 一專多能11. If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. 腳踏兩頭船，必定落空 To run after two hares 12. Its no use crying over spilt milk 作無益的后悔 To cry over spilt milk13. When the cats away, the mice will play. 貓兒不在，鼠兒成精 When the cats away 14. A stitch in time saves nine. 及時(shí)縫一針，可以省掉九針 The stitch in time15. Where theres smoke, theres fire. 無風(fēng)不起浪 There is no smoke without fire.16. Where theres will theres a way. 有志者事竟成17. Give a person a dose of his own medicine. 以其人之道還治其人之身18. All good things must come to an end. 天下沒有不散的宴席19. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 越是不見越想見20. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 常吃蘋果少得病21. You cant have your cake and eat it too. 兩者不可兼得22. Let sleeping dogs lie. 莫惹事非23. You cant teach an old dog new tricks. 年過花甲不堪教24. It took two to make a quarrel. 一個(gè)巴掌拍不響25. A miss is as good as a mile.錯(cuò)一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)和錯(cuò)一英里都是錯(cuò)/錯(cuò)無大小，其錯(cuò)一也 26. Gilding the lily 畫蛇添足27. Life begins at forty. 人到四十五，正如出山虎28. Better late than never 遲做比不做好29. Whats done cannot be undone. Whats done is done. 覆水難收30. Make hay while the sun shines. 太陽好，曬稻草31. A soft answer turns away wrath. 婉言釋怒32. Spare the rod and spoil the child. 舍不得棍子，慣壞了孩子33. Cowards die many times before their death. 懦夫一生死多回34. Dont count your chickens before they are hatched.雞蛋未孵出，先別數(shù)小雞35. Love me, love my dog. 愛屋及烏 愛吾及犬36. Dead dogs bite not. 死狗不咬人37. No one can call back yesterday. 昨日之日不可追38. He who has not tasted bitter knows not what sweet is. 未嘗苦味，不知甘甜39. Life is short and time is swift. 生命短暫，光陰飛逝40. Life is long if it is full. 生活充實(shí)，生命就長41. All is not gold that glitters (glisters) 閃光的東西不一定都是金子.42. A tree is known by its fruit. 見果知樹/樹因果得名43. History repeats itself. 歷史常常重演44. The truth is always green 真理之樹常青45. The truth will out. 真相終將大白46. All roads lead to Rome. 條條道路通羅馬47. Rome wasnt built in a day. 羅馬不是一天建成的48. As you sow, so shall you reap. 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆49. Dont put the cart before the horse. 不要本末倒置50. Every dog has his (its) day. 凡人皆有得意之日51. Necessity is the mother of invention. 需要乃發(fā)明之母52. He laughs best who laughs last. 最后笑的, 笑得最好53. Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it.世上無難事，只怕有心人54. Lost time is never found again. 光陰一去不復(fù)返55. Now for it! 現(xiàn)在就干56. Now or never! 機(jī)不可失，失不再來57. Time and tide wait for no man. 歲月不待人58. There is no time like the present. 大好時(shí)機(jī)在眼前59. Time cures all things. 時(shí)間能治愈一切60. Time flies 光陰似箭61. Better to ask the way than go astray. 問路總比迷路好62. Better to do well than to say well. 說得好聽不如干得出色63. Facts speak louder than words. 事實(shí)勝于雄辯Actions speak louder than words 64. Few words and many deeds. 少說多干65. Self-help is the best help. 自助者天助God helps those who help themselves.66. Like father, like son. 有其父，必有其子67. Like teacher, like pupil. 有其師，必有其徒68. One mans meat is another mans poison. 一人之肉食可為他人之毒物69. Like will draw like. 只有志同道合的人才適宜在一起Great minds think alike. 英雄所見略同70. Homer sometimes nods. 智者千慮，必有一失71. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (wood). 一鳥在手抵得上二鳥在林72. If winter comes, can spring be far behind? 冬天來了，春天還會(huì)遠(yuǎn)嗎？73. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is a new day. 明天又是新的一天74. Dont cross the bridge before (until) you come to it.Dont cross the bridge till you get to it.Dont cross your bridge before you come (get) to it.人未到橋頭，莫為過橋愁75. A little learning is a dangerous thing. 一知半解是件危險(xiǎn)的事情A little knowledge is dangerous.76. He that travels far knows much. 閱歷豐富者對(duì)生活體驗(yàn)深77. Knowledge is power. 知識(shí)就是力量78. Live and learn. 活到老，學(xué)到老79. One is never too old to learn. It is never too late to learn. 志學(xué)不嫌年高80. There is no end to learning. 學(xué)無止境81. No news, good news. No news is good news. 沒有消息就是好消息82. Seeing is believingTo see is to believe. 百聞不如一見83. A good beginning is half done.A good beginning is half the battle.The first step is as good as half over.Well begun is half done (ended). 良好的開端等于成功了一半84. A thousand mile trip begins with one stepThe longest journey starts with a single step. 千里之行，始于足下85. The first step is the only difficulty. 萬事唯有天頭難86. Diligence is the mother of good luck (fortune). 勤奮為幸運(yùn)之母87. Diligence is the mother (parent) of success. 勤奮為成功之母88. The early bird catches (gets) the worm. 早飛的鳥兒捉到蟲89. A good anvil does not fear hammer. 好砧不怕錘擊90. Dont teach your grandmother to suck eggs. 不要教老祖母嘬雞蛋To teach a fish how to swim 班門弄斧91. Nothing venture, nothing have (gain, win).Nothing ventured, nothing gained .沒有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)就沒有收獲92. A good medicine tastes bitter. 良藥苦口93. You can take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink. 你可牽馬到水邊，令馬飲水卻很難94. One cant please everybody. 一人難滿眾人意95. Who will bell the cat? 誰去給貓系鈴96. The grapes are sour. 吃不到葡萄，就說葡萄酸97. Let bygones be bygones. 過去的事讓它過去吧98. Nature will out. 本性難移99. Unity is strength. 團(tuán)結(jié)就是力量100. Diamond cut diamond. 寶石遇到金剛鉆 棋逢對(duì)手101. Tit for tat 針鋒相對(duì) 以牙還牙Eye for eye tooth for tooth 以眼還眼 以牙還牙102. One tree does not make a forest. 獨(dú)木不成林103. Tall trees catch much wind. 樹大招風(fēng)104. To fight to the last man 戰(zhàn)斗到最后一個(gè)人105. To break the record 打破記錄106. Under ones nose 有看到就在自己身邊的東西，當(dāng)?shù)拿妫诿媲?07. Armed to the teeth 武裝到牙齒108. Packed like sardines 擠得象罐頭沙丁魚109. Sour grapes 酸葡萄110. A die-hard 死硬派111. A gentlemans agreement 君子協(xié)定112. An olive branch 橄欖樹枝113. The Trojan horse 特洛伊木馬114. The heel of Achilles 阿基里斯的腳踵115. The sword of Damocles 懸掛在達(dá)摩克里斯頭頂上的劍116. The open-door policy 門戶開放政策117. The most-favored-nation clause 最惠國條款118. The position-of-strength policy 實(shí)力地位政策119. Shuttle diplomacy 穿梭外交120. The cold war 冷戰(zhàn)121. The hot war 熱戰(zhàn)122. A cat has nine lives 貓有九命123. Blood is thicker than water 血濃于水124. Barking dogs do not bite 吠犬不咬人125. A rolling stone gathers no moss 滾石不生苔126. To praise to the skies 捧上天去127. To fish in troubled waters 混水摸魚128. To add fuel to the fire 火上加油129. To be on thin ice 如履薄冰130. Walls have ears 隔墻有耳131. A drop in the ocean 滄海一粟132. To laugh off ones head 笑掉牙齒133. To shed crocodile tears 貓哭老鼠134. To be out at elbows 捉襟見肘135. To spend money like water 揮金如土136. At sixes and sevens 亂七八糟 七顛八倒137. Six of one and half a dozen of the other 半斤八兩138. Tweedledee and tweedledum 半斤八兩139. One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy140. A wet blanket 一個(gè)令人掃興的人141. Like a fish out of water 不自在142. Cats-paws 上了人家的當(dāng)143. To break the ice 打破沉默144. Born with a silver spoon in ones mouth 生長在富貴之家145. The die is cast 事已決定 木已成舟146. To take French leave 不告而別147. A stony heart 鐵石心腸148. At ones fingertips 了如指掌149. To have a hand like a foot 笨手笨腳150. As mute as a fish 噤若寒蟬151. To return good for evil 以德報(bào)怨152. To shut ones eyes against 視而不見153. To talk black into white 顛倒黑白154. To turn a deaf ear to 充耳不聞155. Practice makes perfect 熟能生巧156. To face the music 臨危不懼157. Plain sailing 一帆風(fēng)順158. To be dead drunk 爛醉如泥159. Laugh and grow fat 心寬體胖160. To fly into a rage 勃然大怒161. To look for a needle in a haystack 海底撈針162. A leap in the dark 輕舉妄動(dòng)163. To show ones colours 原形畢露164. To make a noise in the world 名噪一時(shí)165. To pick holes in 吹毛求疵166. To mind ones Ps and Qs pint（品脫）， quart（夸脫）謹(jǐn)言慎行167. To be at the end of ones rope 山窮水盡168. To flog a dead horse 徒勞無益169. To turn over a new leaf 改過自新170. To put all ones eggs in one basket 孤注一擲171. as old as the hills 天長地久 172. as timid as a hare 膽小如鼠173.