英文成语（1）

笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early

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

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

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

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

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

留得青山在，不怕没柴烧"Where there is life, there is "

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

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 promises a good

人之初,性本善Man"s nature at birth is

人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a

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 "

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

升级换代updating and upgrading (of products)

四十不惑Life begins at

水涨船高When the river rises, the boat floats

时不我待Time and tide wait for no

杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel

说曹操,曹操到Talk of the devil and he

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

糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets

天有不测风云Anything unexpected may a bolt from the blue

团结就是力量Unity is

歪风邪气unhealthy practices and evil phenomena

物以类聚，人以群分Birds of a feather flock

望子成龙hold high hopes for one"s child

屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come When it rains it

文韬武略military expertise; 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

先入为主First impressions are firmly

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 oneself 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 "

有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare Money

有识之士people of vision

有勇无谋use brawn rather than brain

与时俱进advance with times

以人为本people oriented; people foremost

因材施教teach students according to their aptitude

欲速则不达Haste does not bring

优胜劣汰survival of the fittest

英雄所见略同Great minds think

冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends than make

一言既出，驷马难追A real man never goes back on his

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
 

英文成语（2）

郑人买履

A man of the state of Zheng wanted to buy a pair of He measured his foot and put the measurement on a When he set out for the market he forgot to bring it It was after he had found the pair he wanted that this occurred to

I forgot the measurement, said

He went home to get it but when he returned the market had broken up and he did not get his shoes after

Why didn't you try on the shoes with your feet?

He was

I 'd rather trust the measurement than trust

英文成语（3）

东施效颦

Xi Shi, a famous beauty, had a pain in her bosom(胸部) , so she had a frown on her face when she went An ugly girl who lived nearby saw her and thought she looked very therefore when she went home, she also put her hands on her bosom and had a frown on her

When a rich man in the neighbourhood saw her, he shut his doors tightly and did not go When a poor man saw her, he took his wife and children and gave her a wide berth(保持安全距离) .

She only knew Xi Shi's frown looked beautiful but she did not know the reason for its

英文成语（4）

专心致志

Yi Qiu was known as the most famous expert at chess throughout the Once he gave lessons on chess to two One of them was netpletely absorbed in his teaching, listening attentively to Yi Qiu while the other, who seemed to be listening, had his mind on something In fact, he was having a fancy that a swan was flying towards him and he had in his hands a bow and an arrow, ready to As a result, though he was having the same lesson together with the first man, yet he turned out a much inferior(差的，自卑的)

If one does not give single-hearted devotion to it, no skills will be

英文成语（5）

相敬如宾

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), there was a high official in the State of He once saw a farmer working in the field and his wife bringing his lunch to him in a very respectful He showed great interest in the He took the farmer back to Jin with him, and said to the King of Jin, "Respect is a demonstration of If one is respectful, he must be We should educate our people with " But the King asked, "His father is guilty, is it wise to do so?" He replied, "Guan Zhong had been enemy to the Duke Huan of Qi, but the duke appointed Guan Zhong prime minister and finally acnetplished his Shun exiled Gun but promoted his son You just make use of his strong " At last, Duke Wen took his advice and put the farmer in an important

Later, this idiom means a couple treats each other with respect like

英文成语（6）

成语的英文翻译方法

翻译需要克服语言和文化的双重障碍。就语言而言，最大的障碍莫过于原语中独特的结构形式；就文化而言，莫过于独特的民族特征。如果独特的语言形式又表现了民族性极强的思想内容，翻译应变得更难了。汉语中的四字结构，正是一种独特的语言结构形式，这种语言结构形式是我国人民在长期实践和认识过程中提炼出的语言结晶，不但结构工整紧凑，具有很强的表现力，令人读之悦目，听之悦耳，而且从结构形式上来看，在英语语言中一般找不到相应地的表达方式，从所表达的意义来看，又深深地植根于民族文化之中，具在极强的民族性。因而，在汉译英时如何将它们正确无误地翻译成英语，对我们中国学生来讲的确是一个很大的困难。

汉语的四字结构大多为成语，但也有一般性的四字表达方式。

成语

成语是汉语词汇中特有的一种长期沿习使用的固定短语，它们的来自于古代经典或著名著作，历史故事片和人们的口头流传，意思是精辟，往往隐含于字面意义这中，不是其构成成分意义的简单相加，具有意义的整体性。成语的结构紧密，一般不能任意变动词序，抽换或增减其中的成分，具有结构上的凝固性。其形式以四字格居多。也有少量三字格和多字格的形式。

汉语成语具有比喻丰富，形象生动的特点，给人一种生动传神，淋漓尽致的感觉。另外，汉语成语学有言简意赅，琅琅上口的特点，既简洁，又富有文采，是读者所喜闻乐见的表达方式。成语好比一面镜子，它反映出一个民族或一个文化的特点。1. 褒贬

同一词汇，在汉英两种语言中褒贬不一。例如“狗”字在汉语成语中通常含有贬义，而在英语中却不同。请看以下例子：

狐朋狗 友：比喻不正派的.朋友。a gang of scoundrels/a pack of rogues.例如：你也别过于相信那些狐朋狗 友。

狗急跳墙：把狗惹急了，能跳越高墙。比喻坏人穷途末路时不计后果，铤而走险。A cornered beast will do something desperate/A cornered beast will do something/just as a dog will leap over a wall in desperation. 例如：困兽犹斗，敌人在濒临灭亡的时候，会狗急跳墙的，我们要加倍提高警惕。

狼心狗肺：形容心肠狠毒，多就忘恩负义者而言。be as cruel as a wolf/cruel and unscrupulous/brutal and cold-blooded/completely without conscience/heartless and ungrateful/rapacious as a wolf and savage as a cur/the heart of a (wild)beast; wicked-hearted /with the heart of a wolf。例如：哪知这贼子恁般狼心狗肺，负义忘恩！

狗苟蝇营（蝇营狗苟）：像狗似的无耻，像苍蝇那样逐臭，比喻到处钻营，而手段卑劣。ingratiate oneself with someone to gain one’s ends.例如：到底狗苟蝇营，依然逃不了对明烛照。——《孽海花》

狗胆包天：斥责别人胆子太大，敢于胡作非为的人。 have monstrous audacity.例如：你狗胆包天！竟敢继续煽动大家。

望子成龙：盼望儿子成长为有出息，有作为的人。expect one’s son to be talent/hope one’s son will turn out a dragon.例如：他望子成龙心切。

而在英语习语中，“dog”一词常用来比喻人的行为，通常是没有贬义的。如：You are a lucky dog. (你是个幸运儿。) Every dog has his day. (凡人皆有行意日。) Old dog will not learn new tricks.(老人学不了新东西。)等等。

再如：“龙”字在汉语中是中国人的象征。它的英语对应词是“dragon”，而“dragon”的意思却是 a mythical monster traditionally represented as a gigantic reptile having a lion’s claws, the tail of a serpent, wings, and a scaly skin(龙是一种传说中的怪物，一般被描述成有狮爪，蛇尾，翅膀及带鳞的皮肤)；a fiercely vigilant or intractable person （严密警戒的人；相当警惕或难以驾驭的人）; something very formidable or dangerous (可怕的或危险的东西); any of various lizards, such as the Komodo dragon or the flying lizard(蜥蜴的一种，如巨蜥或飞蜥)。

2. 历史典故

汉英两种语言中还有大量由历史典故形成的习语。这些习语结构简单，意义深远，往往是不能从单词字面意义去理解和翻译的。例如汉语中：

东施效颦：《庄子·天运》中故事。blind imitation with ludicrous effect/ play the ape/ look all the uglier by mimicking the beauty.

叶公好龙：professed love of what one actually fears/ like Lord Ye claimed to be found of dragons but was mortally afraid of them.

夜郎自大：ludicrous conceit of the king of Yelang-parochial arrogance

班门弄斧：display one’s slight skill before an expert.

名落孙山：fail in a competitive examination/ be flunked.

历史典故是最具民族特色的，汉语是这样，英语也是如此。典故通常是不能按照字面对译的，典故通常要采取意译或解释或加注释的办法来翻译。例如英语中的"John can be relied on. He eats no fish and plays the game.”中国读者看了，就不知所云。“eat no fish”是英语里的一个典故，是表示“忠诚”的意思。而“play the game”的意思是（比赛，游戏中）按规则做；正直诚实，光明正大。因此，上句可译成，“约翰为人可靠，他既忠诚又老实”。

3. 共性成语

一败涂地： meet one’s waterloo/ bite the ground/hunt grass/suffer a crushing defeat.

趁热打铁： strike while the iron is hot/Hold a wolf the iron is hot.

熟能生巧： Skill comes from practice/ Practice makes perfect.

挥金如土： spend money like water/squander money like dust.

破釜沉舟： burn one’s boats/burn one’s bridge /throw away the scabbard.

雪中送炭： to offer fuel in snowy weather./help in one’s hour of need.

一人得道，鸡犬升天： Even the dog swaggers when its master win favor.

瓜田李下： in a melon patch or a plum tree—in suspicious circumstances or surroundings/Neither adjust your shoe in a melon patch, nor your hat under a plum tree.

非成语

移步换景： a different view with every step/take a step and the scenery will chang

曲径通幽： a winding path leading to a secluded place

诗情画意： poetic lyricism and picturesque concept

金碧辉煌： in splendid colours

阡陌纵横，鸡犬相闻，风和日丽，鸟语花香的一片新天地： a new land with crisscrossed fields, bright sunshine, gentle breeze, cocks crowing, dogs barking, birds singing and flowers blooming

另外，在广告用语中，四字结构用得更多，例如：

典雅大方： elegant and graceful

香浓可口： aromatic character and agreeable taste

软硬适中： neither too hard nor too soft

大补无气： reinforce vital energy

畅销全球： sell well all over the world

花色繁多： a wide selection of colors and designs

用料上乘： selected material

甜而不腻： agreeable sweetness

安心益气： make one feel at ease and energetic

交货及时： timely delivery guaranteed

品种迭出： New varieties are introduced one after anther.

随意小酌： Light snakes are ready on request

老少良伴： Good companies for children as well as for adults.

旅游胜地： a tourist stand

经验独特： Experience is out copyright.

鲜花美人，倾诉衷肠： Flowers by beauty speak from the heart.

随意挑选，保君满意： choose once and choose well

体积虽小，颇具功效： compact impact

一夫当关，万夫莫开： One warrior deployed in the pass makes thousands of burglars loose heart.

三心二意，照样钓鱼: For all your double-mindedness, fishing goes on just the same.

（操作）简单： It’s simple.

用途广泛： It’s versatile.

（复印）迅速： It’s fast.

图文清晰： It’s intelligent.

功能齐全： It’s powerful.

名副其实： It’s everything a copier philosophy should be.

琳琅满目： a superb collection of beautiful things/wide choice.总之，不论是四字成语，还是非成语，应注意以下原则：

1. 形象性原则。

2. 简练性原则

3. 不可滥用字面意义直译法

4. 尽量少用意译法和直译法——注释法

英文成语（7）

关于春节的英文成语

春节与年的概念，最初的`含意来自农业。过年对中华民族可以说源远流长，有了数千年的历史。下面是关于春节的英文成语，欢迎阅读！

1、步步高升：Promoting To A Higher Position

2、心想事成：May All Your Wishes Come True

3、招财进宝：Money And Treasures Will He Plentiful

4、岁岁平安：Peace All Year Round

5、和气生财：Harmony Brings Wealth

6、生意兴隆：Wish your business success

7、一帆风顺：Wish you every success

8、鹏程万里：Have a bright future

9、风调雨顺：Timely wind and rain bring good harvest

10、国泰民安：Wish our country flourishes and people live in peace

11、大吉大利：Wish you good fortune and every success

12、龙马精神：May you be as energetic as a dragon and a horse

13、恭喜发财：May prosperity be with you

14、年年有余：May you always get more than you wish for

15、新年新气象：As the new year begins， let us also start a new

16、万事如意：Hope everything goes your way

17、财源广进：May a river of gold flow into your pocket

18、出入平安：Safe Trip Wherever You Go

19、吉祥如意：Everything Goes Well

20、金玉满堂：Treasures Fill The Home

21、春节快乐！Happy Spring Festival!

22、恭喜发财！Congratulation!

23、祝贺佳节。With the compliments of the season、

24、多福多寿！Live long and prosper!

25、请多保重！Please take care of yourself!

26、恭贺新年。A happy New Year、

27、新年快乐！Happy New Year!

28、恭贺新禧：Happy New Year!

29、称心如意：as one wishes

30、吉祥如意：good luck and happiness to you

31、可心如意：satisfactory

32、如意算盘：reckon without ones host

33、趁心如意：have as one wishes

34、逞心如意：after one s heart

35、遂心如意：perfectly satisfied

36、福星高照：have one s star in the ascendant

37、景星庆云：Jing xingqingyun

38、大吉大利：the most favorable auspices

39、龟龙鳞凤：Tortoise dragon scale Phoenix

40、和气致祥：good-naturedness leads to propitiousness

41、三阳开泰：the spring comes in full form

42、作善降祥：Make good fortune

43、祥云瑞气：auspicious sign

44、紫气东来：the purple air comes from the east -- a propitious omen

45、威凤祥麟：a man of rare talent

46、竹报平安：a family letter reports peace

47、平安无事：all is well

48、调良稳泛：Good and stable

49、高枕安卧：lay one s head on one s pillow and just drop off to sleep

50、海不波溢：The sea never overflows

英文成语（8）

有趣的成语(习语)的英文表达

今天偶尔看到我们汉语中一些成语是如何用用英语表达的，觉得很有趣，也很好，和大家分享分享。

爱屋及乌 Love me, love my dog.

2.百闻不如一见 Seeing is believing.

3.比上不足比下有余 worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst.

4.笨鸟先飞 A slow sparrow should make an early start.

5.不眠之夜 white night

6.不以物喜不以己悲 not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personnal losses

7.不遗余力 spare no effort; go all out; do one's best

8.不打不成交 No discord, no concord.

9.拆东墙补西墙 rob Peter to pay Paul

10.辞旧迎新 bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new

11.大事化小小事化了 try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all

12.大开眼界 open one's eyes; broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener

13.国泰民安 The country flourishes and people live in peace

14.过犹不及 going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little

15.功夫不负有心人 Everything comes to him who waits.

16.好了伤疤忘了疼 once on shore, one prays no more

17.好事不出门恶事传千里 Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide.

18.和气生财 Harmony brings wealth.

19.活到老学到老 One is never too old to learn.

20.既往不咎 let bygones be bygones

21.金无足赤人无完人 Gold can't be pure and man can't be perfect.

22.金玉满堂 Treasures fill the home.

23.脚踏实地 be down-to-earth

24.脚踩两只船 sit on the fence

25.君子之交淡如水 the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal; a hedge between keeps friendship green

26.老生常谈陈词滥调 cut and dried, cliché

27.礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

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

29.马到成功 achieve immediate victory; win instant success

30.名利双收 gain in both fame and wealth

英文成语（9）

最新英文生活成语例句

A discontented man knows not where to sit easy. 不满足者坐无宁时。

A disease known is half cured. 病情确诊断，治病好一半。

Admonish your friends in private, praise them in public. 在私底下要忠告你的朋友，在公开场合又表扬你的朋友。

A dog will not howl if you beat him with a bone. 骨头打狗狗不叫。

Adversity is a good discipline. 苦难是磨练人的好机会。

Adversity leads to prosperity. 逆境迎向昌盛。

Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. 患难使人聪明，但不能致富。

Adversity makes strange bedfellows. 身处逆境不择友。

Adversity successfully overcome is the highest glory. 成功地克服困难是最大的'光荣。

A fair death honours the whole life. 死得光明，终身荣耀。

A fair face may hide a foul heart. 人不可貌相。

A faithful friend is hard to find. 益友难得。

A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. 吃一堑，长一智。

After dinner sit a while, after supper walk a while. 午饭后要坐，晚饭后要走。

A father is a treasure, a brother is a comfort, but a friend is both. 父亲是财富，兄弟是安慰，朋友兼而有之。

A fault confessed is half redressed. 承认错误，等于改正一半。

Affairs that are done by due degrees are soon ended. 事情要安步就班地做，就会很快地做完。

A flow of words is no proof of wisdom. 口若悬河不能作为才智的证明。

A fool always comes short of his reckoning. 愚人常缺算计。

A fool always rushes to the fore. 傻瓜总爱强出头。

A fool and his money are soon parted. 笨蛋难聚财。

A fool attempting to be witty is an object of profoundest pity. 蠢人装聪明，实在最可怜。

A fool can ask more questions than seven wise men can answer. 一愚发问，七智结舌。

A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years. 愚者所问，智者难答。

A fool may give a wise man counsel. 愚者千虑，必有一得。

英文成语（10）

成语成语《邯郸学步》的中英文版

Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One'sOwn Ability

Tradition has it that more than 2,oooyears ago,there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan.As his name is not known ,we just call him Shouling young man for convenience's sake.

self confident He was at a loss as to how to behave all the time.

His family members advised him to overcome this shortcoming,but he thought they were fond of poking their noses into his business and were unwilling to provide him with tuition fee.His relatives and neighbours sneered at him,saying that he would never be able to learn anything.Asthe days went by,he even began to doubt whether he should walk the way he did,for he felt more and more that his walking gestures were too clumsy and awkward.

One day,he met some people on the road who werechattingand laughing.One of themsaid that people in Handan walked most gracefully.And thatwas just what he was most concerned about,so he hurreed towards themand wanted to make further inquiries.To his surprise,when these people saw him,they stalked off laughing.

He could not picture to himself in what way their walking gestures were graceful,no matter how hard he racked his parents one day.He went to Handanwhich was far away to learn how to walk.

As soon as he arrived in Handan,he was dazzled to find that everything was novel.He learned from the children there how to walk,because he thought that the children's walking gestures were lively and pleasing to the eye.He learnd from the old people there how to walk,because he thought the old people's walking gestures were steady .He learnd from the women there how to walk,because he thought the women' swaying walking gestures were beautiful.That being the case with him ,in less than half a month he even forgot how to walk.As he had already used up his traveling expenses,he had to crawl back home.

Thisstory come from the article"Autumn Water"in The Works of Xhuang Zi(Zhuang Zi was a famous ancient Chinese philosopher of about 300B.c.).Later the set phrase"initating another without success and losing what used to be one's own ability"is used to refer to acts of copying others mechanisally in disregard of specififc conditions.

相传在两千年前，燕国寿陵地方有一位少年，不知道姓啥叫啥，就叫他寿陵少年吧！

这位寿陵少年不愁吃不愁穿，论长相也算得上中等人材，可他就是缺乏自信心，经常无缘无故地感到事事不如人，低人一等——衣服是人家的好，饭菜是人家的香，站相坐相也是人家高雅。他见什么学什么，学一样丢一样，虽然花样翻新，却始终不能做好一件事，不知道自己该是什么模样。

家里的人劝他改一改这个毛病，他以为是家里人管得太多。亲戚、邻居们，说他是狗熊掰棒子，他也根本听不进去。日久天长，他竟怀疑自己该不该这样走路，越看越觉得自己走路的姿势太笨，太丑了。

有一天，他在路上碰到几个人说说笑笑，只听得有人说邯郸人走路姿势那叫美。他一听，对上了心病，急忙走上前去，想打听个明白。不料想，那几个人看见他，一阵大笑之后扬长而去。

邯郸人走路的`姿势究竟怎样美呢？他怎么也想象不出来。这成了他的心病。终于有一天，他瞒着家人，跑到遥远的邯郸学走路去了。

一到邯郸，他感到处处新鲜，简直令人眼花缭乱。看到小孩走路，他觉得活泼、美，学；看见老人走路，他觉得稳重，学；看到妇女走路，摇摆多姿，学。就这样，不过半月光景，他连走路也不会了，路费也花光了，只好爬着回去了。

英文成语（11）

10个英文成语详解

所谓的精选就是字字珠玑, 没有烂竽充数的意思. 虽然英语的成语何其多, 没有几万也有几千, 小笨霖不求一网打尽, 但求每个列举出来的成语都是真正有用而且非常好用的成语.例如像是, "说曹操曹操就到"这句中文里耳能详的成语, 你知道英文版要怎么说吗? 答案就在下面喔!

1. Speak of the devil.

说曹操曹操就到.

有些中文的成语用直接用英文翻出来老美还可以接受, 但是 "说曹操, 曹操就到" 这句话要翻可就没有那么容易了.而何况你还要先解释曹操是谁, 那难度又更高了.以前我不会 Speak of the devil 时, 我都是说, That's a coincidence. (那真是一个巧合.) 但是大家现在学会了这句之后, 又更加好用了.下次当你们谈到某人, 某人就正好出现时, 你就可以说 Speak of the devil. 或是 Talk of the devil.

2. That's the best thing since sliced bread.

那是有史以来最好的事情.

像这句话要避免说成, the best thing in the history, 听来就不那么道地.老美他们都是用 the best thing since sliced bread 来表示有史以来最好的事情. 这句话的典故是这样的, 在 1928 年以前, 在美国所贩卖的面包都是整条没有切过的.所以面包买回家后还要自己切. 后来有一个密西根人 Otto Rohwedder 发明了切面包的机器, 美国人一时之间觉得这种机器实在是太神奇了, 所以往后要是有什么很棒的事情发生, 他们就会说那是自从切面包的机器发明以来最好的事情. That's the best thing since slice bread. 这句话我常听到, 例如有一次网路银行 Net Bank 的广告就说, Net Bank is the best thing since sliced bread.

或许你会跟我一样觉得实在很可笑, 因为美国历史上重要的发明何其多. 这个切面包机可能连前一百名都排不进去, 为何把它的发明说成是最棒的事呢? 这个问题也许就要留给老美了. 不过如果你要展现一下自己的创意和幽默感, 建议你可以'故意'把这句话说成, That's the best thing since the invention of space shuttle. (自从太空梭发明以来最棒的事.)

3. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

When you are at Rome, do as they do at Rome.

入境随俗.

在美国有一群特殊的美国人, 他们坚持用传统的方式生活, 自己耕种, 驾马车, 不用电, 不能拍照. 这群人就是 Amish. 也因为这样, 很多他们居住的'地方现在却成了观光胜地.听来很讽刺, 不是吗? 话说上次我去某个个 Amish 的市集买东西时, 看到很多的 Amish. 我好奇之下就问其中一个作 Amish 打扮的人说, Are you Amish? 结果你猜他怎么说? 他说, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 天啊! 原来是个冒牌货! 所以大家下次不要再被骗了.

从字面上的意思来看, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 就是说当你在罗马的时候, 要表现的跟罗马人一样, 所以就有入境随俗的意思在内.另外关于罗马还有一些很常听到的成语可以顺便记一下, Rome was not built in a day. (罗马不是一天造成的.) All roads lead to Rome. (条条大路通罗马.)

4. The lesser of the two evils.

二颗烂苹果中比较不烂的.

记得我刚来美国时我都会把这句话照中文的字面意义下去直接翻译, 说成, The better one of two rotten apples. 当然老美也是听得懂.直到有一次我班上的同学纠正我说, 这句话应该是 The lesser of the two evils. 意谓著二恶相权取其轻. 说得再口语一点, 就是二颗烂苹果中比较不烂的意思吧!

5. This is like chickens and eggs.

这就像是倒底是先有鸡还是先有蛋的的道理.

记得我在小学的时候我就会问, 鸡生蛋, 蛋生鸡, 那到底是先有鸡还是先有蛋.这个问题到我现在念到博士班了还是不会.所以看来这二十年是不是有点浪费了? 回到主题, 任何不知道时间先后的事情我们都可以用 chicken and eggs 来形容. 例如, 到底是有钱才去从政还是从政之后才有钱? This is like chickens and eggs.

6. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

情人眼里出西施.

这句话大家都不陌生吧! 要是看到某个美男和某个丑女走在一起, 你就可以深表婉惜地说, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." 总之这是各人喜好, 我们也不便多说什么. 另外有一句成语, 一朵鲜花插在牛粪上, 我曾试著用 A flower in the bullshit 来诠释, 可惜似乎老美不太懂我在说些什么. 各位有什么更好的建议吗? 至于速配的话, 可以试试, Every Jack has its Jill. (破锅自有烂盖配.) 或是 Let beggars match with beggars. (乞丐配乞丐)

7. Practice makes perfect.

熟能生巧.

不但是音乐家也好, 运动员也好, 在他们的成长过程中, 总是需要不断的练习才能有完美的演出. 这就造就了一句成语, Practice makes perfect. 鼓励别人要不断地去尝试错误.类似的成语例如 When at first you don't succeed, try try again. (如果一开始不成功的话, 要不断地尝试下次, 注意这里的 try try again 不是我多打了一个 try 而是老美真的是这样说的.),

8. There is no such a thing as free lunch.

天下没有白吃的午餐.

这句成语太出名了, 似乎没有人不知道.这也是经济学的理论基础吧! 天底下没有那么好的事情可以不劳而获. 总之, 当我们听到一件事情好到不可思议时, 例如一元手机, 免费上网, 我们就可以对别人说, There is no such a thing as free lunch.

但是有规则就有例外, 个人觉得美国的教会或是救世军 (Salvation Army) 之类的慈善组织就蛮喜欢请大家吃免费的午餐.例如他们有时会办一些免费的 BBQ, 随到随吃, 吃到饱为止, 完全打破了天下没有白吃的午餐这个规则.

9. If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.

如果你无法用你的才能无法说服别人, 就用你的废话迷惑别人吧!

这也许是个不争的事实, 老美在数理的基础上也许不如我们东方人, 但他们在数据收集, 上台报告方面却硬是比我们强上一大截, 这或许也是外国人无法在美国站上主流社会的原因之一吧! 所以各位要记得, baffle others with your bullshit. 把三分的结果加上七分的 bullshit. 就能拿到一个十分的成绩. 或许很讽刺, 但现实生活不也是如此吗?

还有一些类似摆烂的成语, 蛮有趣的, 例如, If everything else fails, manipulate the data. (如果所有的方法都失败了, 就试著去改变量据吧!) 或是 If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you tried. (如果你不成功, 就把建议你这么作的所有证据都给毁了.)

10. God is shining on you.

你真是幸运.

God is shining on you 就是指一个人非常幸运, 也就等于 You are very lucky 的意思. 例如大家修理一台机器都修不好, 结果你一来一下子就把问题给找出来, 别人就会对你说 God is shining on you.