中国惯用语、俗语英译

Toyger

A

爱国不分先后 never too late to join the ranks of patriots
爱国卫生运动 a patriotic public health campaign
爱面子 care about face saving
安居工程 housing project for low-income families
安居乐业 enjoy a happy and secure life
安居小区 a neiborhood for low-income families
安排好人民生活 better meet people's needs
按部就班 work strictly by protocol
按国际惯例 in line with internationally accepted practices
按可比口径 on comparable basis
按事情本身的是非曲直 judge each case on its own merits
暗补 implicit subsidy
暗亏 hidden loss

Toyger

B

把握机遇 seize the opportunity
白马王子 Prince Charming
白头偕老 remain a devoted couple for good and all
百年大计 a plan for vital and lasting importance
摆架子 put on airs
摆门面 put up an impressive front
摆事实，讲道理 present facts and reason things out
拜把兄弟 sworn brothers
拜金主义 money worship
拜年  pay New Year call
班门弄斧 show off in the presence of an expert
办实事 do substantive work to help

Toyger

办实事，办好事：bring tangible benefits to
半路出家：switch to a job one is not trained for
帮倒忙：do somebody a disservice
傍大款：find a sugar daddy/lean on a moneybag
包二奶：keep a concubine
包干：contract for/on a contract basis
包干到户：work contracted to households
包工包料：contract for work force and materials
包医百病：a pannacea/cure-all
保持低调：keep a low profile
保持良好势头：maintain a good momentum
报喜不报忧：report only the good news and hold back the bad
暴发户：an upstart/an overnight millionaire/nouveau riche
被蒙在鼓里：kept in the dark
奔小康：strive for well-off society/strive for a better-off life
本命年：one's year of birth in relation to the 12 Terrestrial Branches
逼上梁山：been driven to it/driven to drastic alternatives
比上不足，比下有余：passable/worse off than some,better off than many
彼此彼此：me too
闭门羹：given cold shoudlers
闭门造车：work on a project without reference to what the world requires
便民措施：measures for efficient services
变相社会集资：illegal fund raising in a disguised form
标本兼治：resolve the current problems and eliminate root causes
表示崇高的敬意：pay one's highest tributes to
别有用心：out of ulterior motives/have axe to grind
宾至如归：feel very much at home/come to a home away from home
拨乱反正：bring order out of chaos

Toyger

补缺选举：fill a vacant seat
不打不成交：No discord,no concord.
不倒翁：trumble/always stay in one's position
不到长城非好汉：A man is not a hero until he reaches the Great Wall.
不到黄河心不死：not stop until one reaches one's goal/refuse to give up until all hope is gone
不服气：not convinced
不敢当：more than one deserves
不管三七二十一：recklessly/regardless of consequences
不好意思：be embarrassed/sorry
不患寡而患不均：What matters is not wanting but unfairness.
不见不散：Be there or be square.
不讲情面：without sparing anyone's sensibilities
不买帐：not take it/not go for it
不谋而和：happen to hold the same view
不良贷款（资产）：nonperforming loans(assets)
不了了之：settle a matter by leaving it un settled/end up with nothing definite
不怕一万，就怕万一：It is always wise to play safe.
不平凡的高尚行为：uncommonly high-minded deeds
不三不四：riffraffs/neither one thing nor the other
不相上下：go head to head with
不像话：senseless/outrageous
不信邪：not believe in fallacies
不以人的意志为转移：independent of man's will/change regardless
不远万里：make light of traveling from afar/make light of traveling thousands of miles
不正之风：malpractice
步行街：pedestrian shopping street
步行天桥：foot bridge

Toyger

C

擦边球：edge ball, metaphor for circumventing rules and regulations
财大气粗：Money speaks./The wealthy are arrogant.
采取高姿态：exercise forbearance/show willingness to accommodate
采取明智的态度：adopt a sensible attitude
采取切实措施：take effective measures
菜篮子工程：shopping-basket project
菜鸟（新手）：green hand
残而不废：be still a capable person in spite of one's disability
惨淡经营：take no end of pains to do sth
仓储式超市：stockroom-style supermarket
层层转包，违法分包：multiplied and illegal subcontracting
拆东墙，补西墙：Rob Prter to pay Paul.
拆台：pull the rag from under
长江后浪推前浪：As in the Yangtze the waves behind drive on those before,so each new generation excels the last one.
长期共存，相互监督，肝胆相照，荣辱与共：long-term coexistence,mutual supervision,sincere treatment with each other and the sharing of weal or woe
唱白脸：pretend to be harsh
唱对台戏：set ourselves against each other
唱高调：mouth high-sounding words
唱红脸：pretend to be kind
唱双簧：work in tandem
畅通工程：Smooth Traffic Project

Toyger

超前观念：forwad-looking ideas/vision/foresight
超前消费：deficit spending
超生：give unscheduled birth
炒更（兼职）：to do a moonlighting job/to moonlight
炒股：speculate in stocks
炒楼花：speculate in housing pre-sales
炒鱿鱼（解聘）：be sacked/fired
车到山前必有路：In the end things will mend./ There's always a way out.
扯皮：pass the buck/dispute over trifles
陈规陋习：outworn customs and bad habits
成不了气候：cannot prevail/cannot have their way
成人之美：back one's wishes
成者为王：The winner takes all.
承包：contract for/ on a contract basis
承包制：contracting system
承前启后，继往开来：break new ground for the future
承受能力：affordability/tolerance
吃闭门羹：left out in the cold
吃不开：unpopular/won't work
吃不了兜着走：get more than one bargained for/get in serious trouble
吃大锅饭：share and work alike
吃大亏：come to grief/be placed at a decided advantage
吃得开：make one's mark / popular
吃得苦中苦，方知甜中甜：No sweet without sweat.
吃定心丸：rest assured/ fell reassured
吃皇粮：get salary from the government/ to be a public servant
吃苦头：have one's fingers burnt / come to grief
吃亏：stand to lose/ suffer lose/ have one's fingers burnt

Toyger

吃老本：rest on one's past laurels
吃力不讨好：do a thankless job
吃透文件精神：thoroughly comprehend the theme of a document
吃香：popular / well-liked
吃硬不吃软：understand only language of force
充分调动积极性：give full play to one's initiative
充分发挥优势：give full play to one's advantages
充实精神生活：enrich one's cultural life
重复建设：redundant constructions
崇洋媚外：worship foreign things
出发点和落脚点：starting point and the objective
出风头：try to be in the limelight / show off
出国热：craze for going abroad
初具规模：take shape
传家宝：family heirloom/ precious heritage
传为佳话：become a favorite story
传为笑谈：become a standing joke
船到桥头自然直：In the end things will mend.
串料：material swap( in processing trade)
窗口作用：play the role of a showcase
创建文明城市：build a city where civility reigns
吹牛皮：talk big/ shoot the breeze
春蚕到死丝方尽：Spring silkworms spin silk no end till their death.
辞旧岁，迎新春：ring out the old and ring in the new year
辞行告别：bid farewell / say good-bye
此地无银三百两：The intention is too obvious to conceal.
此一时，彼一时：Times have changed.
聪明一世，糊涂一时：Smart as a rule,but this time a fool.
凑和：make do with it / passable
凑热闹：add trouble to / join in the fun

Toyger

D

“达标”活动："target hitting" activities
打白条：issue an IOU
打抱不平：defend an injured party against an injustice
打黑扫黄：crack down on gangland and pornography
打假：crack down on fakes(counterfeits)
打开天窗说亮话：Let's not mince matters./ Frankly speaking,...
打破“三铁”：do away with life-time job position, permanent empolyment and guaranteed pay
打气：boost morale / boost one's courage
打前站：send out an advance party/set out in advance to make arrangements
大胆地试，大胆的闯：dare to try things out and dare to blaze new trails
大而全，小而全：large and all-inclusive,small and all-inclusive
大锅饭：share-and-share alike
大经贸战略：strategy of broadly-based foreign trade and business partnership
大开方便之门：give the green light
大开眼界：be an eye-opener/ broaded one's horizon
大款：tycoon
大龄青年：adult single
大路货：staple(run-of-the-mill) goods
大满贯：grand slam
大排挡：sidewalk snack vendor
大人物：big shot / bigwig / VIP
大事化小，小事化了：turn big problems into small ones and small ones into none
大腕：top notch / star (sctor,single,etc.)
大有可为：have a big role to play/ have bright prospects
大展鸿图：carry out one's great plan
大展身手：give full play to one's talents
大张旗鼓：with great publicity/in a big way/ on a grand scale

Toyger

代培：training-on-contract program
代培生：trainee on contract
带薪分流：assign redundant public servants to other jobs while allowing them to retain their original benefits
戴帽货款：ear-marked loans
当二把手：play the second fiddle
捣浆糊：give the runaround
倒爷：profiteer / speculative merchant
到位：put in place
道高一尺，魔高一丈：The law is strong, but the outlaws are ten times stronger.
得寸进尺：give him an inch and he'll take a yard
德不孤，比有邻：A man of virtue can never be isolated.He is sure to have like-minded companions.
德才兼备：of high integrity and prestige
第三者：the other person/ third party
点面结合，以点带面：promote work in all aspects by drawing on experience gained in pilot project
点子公司：consultant company
掉以轻心：take it lightly / treat it casually
“钓鱼”项目：projects without solid funding
钉子户：household who refused to move
定向培训：training for specific posts
丢面子：be humiliated / lose face
东方不亮西方亮：There is bound to be a bright corner in the west if not in the east.
动不动就：at the drop of a hat
独生子女：the only child
对内搞活，对外开放：revitalize economy at home and open up tp to the outside world
对外招商：attract overseas investment
多此一举：fan the breezes / knock at an open door
多面手：a versatile person / an all-rounder / a well-rounded person
躲得了过初一，躲不过十五：You van run away,but you can't hide forever.
躲躲闪闪地：be evasive

Toyger

F

发大财：make a killing
发横财：strike it rich / get a windfall
发挥比较优势：bring into play comparative advantages
发挥辐射作用：play diffusive role
发迹：made one's way in life
发烧友：fanciers
发神经：crazy / be a nut
翻两番：quadruple
反腐倡廉：combat corruption and build a clean government
放开：relax control over
放开手脚：act freely / cast off restriction
放宽政策：decentralized
放下架子：drop pretentious airs
放心：rest assured
放心不下：have some doubts about
放眼世界：have the global view
放在眼里：value much / make a big deal of sth
非同反响：beat the band
分流：reposition of the redundant
粉领族：pink-collar women
风调雨顺,国泰民安：The elements are propitious,the country prosperous and people at peace.
风雨同舟：all-weather friends
风云人物：man of the hour
封锁市场：corner the market
敷衍了事：try to muddle through
符合中国国情：be suited to China's national conditions
福利分房：subsidized apartment
扶贫：poverty alleviation
复合型人才：talents of well-rounded abilities
复式住宅：compound apartment
妇女能顶半边天：Women can hold up half of the sky.