很地道的成语翻译

丹尼尔

中华文化博大精深，成语俗语都是智慧结晶，但翻译成英文如果表达不当，却容易引起误解。所以，一起来学学常见中文成语的英译很有必要!

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8 [( d6 B5 k5 C3 c8 f# }8 b' ~6 d( s　　爱屋及乌
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6 n, ~* f5 k. u+ v2 m　　Love me, love my dog.

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) L- e, y' W8 B0 c5 T　　百闻不如一见
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　　One look is worth a thousand words.

1 _. V% @3 l* c# Z4 I　　Seeing is believing.
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　　比上不足，比下有余
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1 I1 J6 d7 ^2 [/ ?; a6 u9 P+ U0 u　　to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst

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/ t9 O8 f  i" R, K" f　　笨鸟先飞

1 {' y9 H5 _5 V, c# Y' G　　A slow sparrow should make an early start.

　　05
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　　不遗余力
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, K; l. Y8 ^( G4 @! D+ t7 G& {　　spare no effort; go all out; do one's best

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( f2 `2 _' b1 x! }  b0 r* w2 m　　不打不成交

　　No discord, no concord.
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　　拆东墙补西墙
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$ P1 e9 ~! v9 {, e　　rob Peter to pay Paul
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$ o" o' o8 }! X7 y! b* o　　辞旧迎新
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! u/ |( `% [/ d6 Z0 @7 ~, X　　bid farewell to the old and usher in the new

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  h6 Y# [$ [" d& _# Y7 C　　大事化小，小事化了
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　　try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all
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　　大开眼界

1 f4 M, W* E5 H4 C　　broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
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　　国泰民安
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5 o" {+ K8 a  Q6 `　　the country flourishes and people live in peace
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# `4 }% j- G, |　　过犹不及
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　　going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short; excess is just as bad as deficiency;

( ?3 T& V3 n$ Z7 g1 V　　too much is as bad as too little
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　　好了伤疤忘了疼
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- T; \. O1 O' `% {4 C0 d　　once on shore, one prays no more
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; }6 t2 l, k  h) L6 v: c4 S8 b　　好事不出门，坏事传千里
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; ^5 ~, B7 A0 V7 W) \　　Bad news travels fast.
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. e  w) z& \- G& t5 k  K1 k9 |　　和气生财
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　　harmony brings wealth;
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. x7 M* n  S0 s, A8 X0 l　　friendliness is conducive to business success

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　　活到老学到老

　　never too old to learn

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　　既往不咎
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  w5 {$ F8 b4 U0 B　　let bygones be bygones
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& n5 R7 ~+ L* k* D3 l; T$ S　　金无足赤，人无完人

　　There are spots even on the sun.

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　　金玉满堂
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: u- R' y" e/ G# r" V　　Treasures fill the home.
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　　脚踏实地
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- g; u6 M: M/ g  @& i/ y+ g　　be down-to-earth
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　　脚踩两只船

　　sit on the fence; be a fence-sitter; have a foot in either camp

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　　君子之交淡如水
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: y, a$ S' Z. `' R# u! S　　A hedge between keeps friendship green.
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( r$ D) M. c- j$ a8 g( K' b　　老生常谈，陈词滥调

+ q9 \2 i6 @! b9 r　　cut and dried; cliché
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" U. _7 z; @+ g) r' o　　礼尚往来

　　Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
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　　留得青山在，不怕没柴烧

/ K1 C1 C" `, G* o) B. R　　Where there is life, there is hope.

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　　马到成功

　　achieve immediate victory; win instant success
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　　名利双收

! m3 h4 ^' l7 x  y+ d　　gain both fame and wealth
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, g$ Y5 E2 w' I+ I7 v: v9 M) _　　茅塞顿开

　　be suddenly enlightened

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* R; y$ o* T! X8 t# y　　没有规矩，不成方圆

　　Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.
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　　每逢佳节倍思亲

3 r% ?% b' X# Y; K6 I+ w3 g5 a% c; n　　On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away.

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　　谋事在人，成事在天

　　Man proposes; God disposes.

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2 H0 B  ~5 t2 U7 s1 r　　弄巧成拙

　　make a fool of oneself in trying to be smart

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5 N3 ?" Y* x2 s$ V) D　　赔了夫人又折兵
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　　suffer a double loss; lose the bait along with the fish

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7 K# ~# m+ X% p  H, G( M　　抛砖引玉

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

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. [7 T1 r2 L- {2 Z, y! d　　破釜沉舟
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+ _: f; H6 ^* ~* A  F9 ]" d　　cut off all means of retreat;burn one's own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end

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3 y: H" f$ G  D# }　　抢得先机

: W' a6 t' k* [% X　　take the preemptive opportunities
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) `' t, m& z+ I5 g4 u7 N　　巧妇难为无米之炊
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3 Z8 p7 o" d9 B0 v/ S　　One can't make bricks without straw.
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4 x6 ^# \( j) t　　千里之行始于足下
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　　a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step
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　　前事不忘，后事之师
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　　Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.

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2 K7 g  f- \) ]6 @　　前怕狼，后怕虎
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' o! H/ G# D- {2 O# h+ d( R% d; G　　fear wolves ahead and tigers behind; hesitate in doing something
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　　强龙难压地头蛇
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! X9 ]" k: e8 ^　　The mighty dragon is no match for the native serpent.

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　　瑞雪兆丰年

　　A fall of seasonal snow gives promise of a fruitful year

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　　人逢喜事精神爽
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　　People are in high spirits when involved in happy events.
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　　世上无难事，只怕有心人

1 _" _$ P  j$ T% S/ c5 B3 O% z7 b  G+ D　　Where there is a will, there is a way.
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% q/ U9 J  Z; @- z. Y% M# d6 K& _　　世外桃源

　　a retreat away from the turmoil of the world
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0 C$ s' Y, j5 v* b( A　　人之初，性本善

" R  E' ~0 e: F* G) j, [　　Humans are born good.

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　　上有天堂，下有苏杭

1 M- Z$ c0 m7 K& m9 R　　Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth

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( }' p& V; V7 v; K　　塞翁失马，焉知非福

% y( L( B+ X5 l& N- @　　a blessing in disguise;
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　　Every cloud has a silver lining.

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　　三十而立
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　　A man should be independent at the age of thirty. /At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself.
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　　水涨船高
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! b. a0 V6 V2 [# G　　A ship rises with the tide
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　　时不我待
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　　Time and tide wait for no man.
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　　杀鸡用牛刀

　　use a steam-hammer to crack nuts
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: Q6 Y$ V& H' \: I# \　　实事求是

　　seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts
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6 w+ V: F1 [# |! r& m/ B, ?　　说曹操，曹操到

" T) m) U8 E4 s7 b5 d　　speak of the devil

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! J6 p& i1 D4 b# [. A" z" E6 c! n* [　　实话实说
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. t: Z& k# T) M4 j( k　　speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is

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; P* _# M7 b6 W* q　　实践是检验真理的唯一标准

: k, b5 Y. [* @2 _" J　　Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.57
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5 `7 ^( T9 M$ c, x2 P- Z　　韬光养晦
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　　hide one's capacities and bide one's time58
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　　糖衣炮弹
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0 S& |4 M( r7 e　　sugar-coated bullets59

* A( M+ b) T" k$ t: h　　天有不测风云
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　　Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue60

　　团结就是力量

　　Unity is strength.

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　　跳进黄河洗不清

　　Even if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean - there's nothing one can do to clear one's name
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　　歪风邪气
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4 L- s  a+ ?- c  _% X( W　　unhealthy trends and vulgar practices

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8 }7 y- p2 E0 h5 Q! O　　物以类聚，人以群分

" A6 G1 s& v) f' K　　Birds of a feather flock together.

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/ q4 Z6 X. b. c8 A$ \4 R. l2 H7 t3 u　　望子成龙
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) }7 o3 ]$ A8 a) @7 m　　hold high hopes for one's child
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1 p5 k% ~, ~( i# a2 m　　唯利是图

　　seek nothing but profits; be blind to all but one's own interests

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4 K& |  h5 r) e3 R8 P" C0 L% w! x3 Y　　无中生有
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　　a sheer fabrication out of nothing; fabricate rumors out of thin air
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　　无风不起浪
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2 a# u( u" s" ^! C. E) R1 P; w　　There are no waves without wind. Nothing comes of nothing.
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7 [6 e3 F: V4 n/ U. q& b2 [2 U5 I0 D. r　　徇私枉法
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! Z4 ]* _/ z% J8 L( [6 ^3 i　　twist the law to suit one's own purpose
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　　新官上任三把火

　　a new broom sweeps clean
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1 c9 u+ P7 ]% B& C! y; p　　蓄势待发
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+ H5 T3 l) e+ u  ]: m$ y　　accumulate strength for a take-off
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　　心想事成
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7 K1 I; i0 y5 o$ u3 m/ a　　May all your wish come true
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　　心照不宣
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( b. p! v; }' n3 @1 v+ Z  A　　have a tacit understanding; thoroughly understand each other, without having exchanged a word of explanation
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　　先入为主

　　First impressions are firmly entrenched.

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　　先下手为强
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7 L/ w$ r, c7 `* D0 B2 U　　He who strikes first gains the advantage.

　　The best defense is offense.
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　　热锅上的蚂蚁

* \4 o# d7 D: X0 c5 {( w　　ants on a hot pan
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　　现身说法

　　warn people by taking oneself as an example

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& M: ]5 M9 Q2 C- H! q　　息事宁人
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0 ?: T- o, @* K& w4 z3 m　　pour oil on troubled waters; patch up a quarrel and reconcile the parties concerned
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/ s. |% n# r( x; ?1 f2 }　　循序渐进

1 a* ?& b8 i2 K& O　　proceed in an orderly way and step by step; advance gradually in due order
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- B# x0 F  o' M) x' n　　严以律己，宽以待人

7 x( v7 p/ a7 Y" [' U5 r! R　　be strict with oneself and lenient with others

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9 D. }0 `( c& I: @　　有情人终成眷属
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　　Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.81

; r4 |" ?3 C; a. B# r: `# k　　有钱能使鬼推磨
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　　Money makes the mare go./ Money talks.82
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　　有识之士
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　　a man of insight83

　　有勇无谋

) T% Q/ Z1 X) ~/ V0 H9 A$ B　　bold but not crafty84
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0 Y2 _  q6 P: w; M4 U* e) |　　有缘千里来相会
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/ L0 A! _4 `4 x1 N2 h/ f7 f) m　　Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.85
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　　与时俱进

6 W8 e; B$ ]$ z  h( o& J　　keep pace with the times86

2 q! a, D- f- ^2 x- K1 G　　以人为本

　　people-oriented

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0 b8 T, M( N' }5 N& h　　因材施教
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　　teach students according to their aptitude

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) h$ Z& U% s4 E" i　　欲穷千里目，更上一层楼

　　to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther.
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　　欲速则不达
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　　Haste makes waste.
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　　More haste, less speed.
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　　优胜劣汰

　　survival of the fittest

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1 t/ l4 N. C$ j8 B- q6 [: R! ?　　英雄所见略同

+ g, Q9 X3 o8 {+ r　　Great minds think alike.
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　　冤家宜解不宜结

7 Y, Q! B4 S" K+ d0 h; B. M  E2 ?　　Better make friends than make enemies.

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　　冤假错案

　　cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases

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6 h% r) G7 \- d　　一言既出，驷马难追

　　A promise is a promise.

　　A real man never goes back on his words.

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) y6 X1 X+ @, J5 e- g　　招财进宝
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* P" U) X5 \  v) j　　bring in wealth and treasure
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1 H% x: u# [& _8 }　　债台高筑

1 _* p  B  g' j( b4 W6 J2 n　　become debt-ridden

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　　众矢之的

　　target of public criticism

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) ]. ~  b* E5 P1 D" B" \8 L　　纸上谈兵
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　　be an armchair strategist

  v5 Z" E2 o& k  H% m6 K　　99

　　纸包不住火

( i% G! n( [: v3 b% U　　You can't wrap fire in paper.

　　What's done by night appears by day.
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- A9 d: q5 ^! F& c) U2 Y& O7 h　　100
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　　左右为难

$ D$ P# }. W  z& R5 P, R: S# h' Y　　caught in a dilemma; between the devil and the deep blue sea

Justing

应根据前后语境翻译，同一成语可以有不同译法。